Oracle Launches Program for Vocational Schools and Universities in China

Oracle China (registered as Beijing Oracle Software Systems Co., Ltd.) and the Oracle Academy today introduced the Oracle Academy: Introduction to Computer Science program to senior vocational schools and universities throughout China. Participating students will now have access to the Oracle Academy’s curriculum, software and services needed to acquire the vital technology and business skills required for 21st century careers.
The launch of this program marks Oracle’s new five-year co-operation with the Ministry of Education. Additionally, it reaffirms Oracle’s commitment to education in China and supports the Ministry’s effort to accelerate vocational and university education to meet the needs of a rapidly growing job market. This collaboration will also complement Oracle and the Oracle Education Foundation’s other education initiatives in the country including Think.com and ThinkQuest.

“Our partnership with Oracle and the Oracle Academy will play a key role in the advancement of China as a knowledge economy,” said Cen Jianjun, Deputy Director-General of International Co-operation and Exchanges. “The introduction of the Oracle Academy program at the university and senior vocational level fits China’s strategic goal to produce graduates with market-ready industry and information technology skills and innovative talent.”

“The ability to use technology to learn and succeed in the 21st century has become a ’new basic’ requirement for all students,” said Clare Dolan, vice president of Oracle Education Initiatives. “The Oracle Academy program provides teachers and students with hands-on experience with Oracle’s state-of-the-art technology. The comprehensive training program will give students a head-start in the job market, enhanced opportunities and potential for advancement.”

More than 100 Chinese universities and senior vocational schools, most of which specialize in information technology, will join the Oracle Academy: Introduction to Computer Science program. The course materials will be available in Mandarin and students will enroll in the Oracle Academy’s “Database Design & Programming with SQL” course, a foundational database, programming, and professional skills curriculum.

“As China strives to ’invigorate the nation through the advancement of science, technology and education’, we are doubling our effort to support China’s goals by further investing in well-designed programs covering all levels of education to help China achieve its economic and social goals. The Oracle Academy and our other education initiatives will help students across the country and benefit our economic development and growth,” Oracle Vice President of Government Affairs and Business Development for Greater China, Yan Xuan said.

Pilot Program Brings Recognition to Students and Teachers
The Oracle Academy: Introduction to Computer Science program was initially piloted in five information technology institutes in China between 2005 and 2007. The participating students went through a rigorous training, which included both technical and soft skill curriculum. In 2006, seven Chinese teachers participating in the Oracle Academy pilot attended the Oracle Academy Instructor Institute in the United States, for six-days of intensive, professional training on the Oracle Academy curriculum.

Chinese students who participated in the Oracle Academy pilot have also been successful in global and national technology competitions. In 2007, a student team from China earned recognition in annual Oracle Academy Global Data Modeling Competition. The team included four students majoring in software at the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology - Guo Baoqing, Huang Guici, Liu Linlin and Ma Lixian. They designed a data model called “Global Electronic Bank of Infectious Disease”, which stores case-based patient and disease-related information, including patient data, symptoms, medical examination data, contact history, travel history and eventual outcome as side-effects. The information repository serves as a platform for healthcare personnel worldwide to share their information on infectious diseases.

In 2006, Sun Jie, a software teacher from the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology, won first place in the Guangdong IT Teacher Competition hosted by Guangdong Education Bureau for her outstanding software development and teaching skills. Sun had actively participated in the Oracle Academy program and received training at the Oracle Academy Instructor Institute.

Supporting China’s Goals Oracle has made significant investments in China’s education. Since 2002, it has made in-kind contributions of more than US$200 million to China’s education system.

In 2005, the State Council of China announced a decision to accelerate the development of vocational education to meet the pressing need for a workforce possessing high qualifications of practical skills and innovative talent. The top Chinese government body aims to provide the job market with a total of 11 million graduates from vocational schools during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010).

“As China strives to ’invigorate the nation through the advancement of science, technology and education’, we are doubling our effort to support China’s goals by further investing in well-designed programs covering all levels of education to help China achieve its economic and social goals,” said Yan. “The Oracle Academy and our other education initiatives will help students across the country and benefit our economic development and growth. This also reinforces our efforts to be a responsible and contributing corporate citizen in China.”