In September, 10 teachers with Beijing-based New Oriental
Education Group, which was formed last August and based at the
Beijing New Oriental School, will leave for North American and
British Commonwealth countries to start overseas study.
Starting from test-oriented English training courses, New
Oriental has grown into a household name as China's top English
preparatory center for students eager to study abroad. On the way
to transforming itself into a modern enterprise, this time New
Oriental will spend 1 million yuan on its staff studying abroad,
which will cover round trip international travel expense, tuition
fees, academic aid as well as living expenses.
It is the first time so far in China for private schools to send
their own scholars abroad.
Yet, unlike those government universities, where most visiting
scholars are named by the university, New Oriental adopts a
different approach and to combines volunteer registration and open
competition for the places, with the only precondition that those
candidates must have served in New Oriental for more than two
years.
It is said that there were more than 100 qualified registered
staff, and after three rounds of strict examinations, the president
working meeting made the final decision. On the whole, these ten
are all teaching staff or management personnel, and they are going
to study for 3 or 6 months. Their fields cover MBA, enterprise
management, education management, language education and training
research.
According to Hu Min, president of the New Oriental Education
Group, candidates must meet the following three standards: loyalty,
faithful to their work and career; stability, serve the New
Oriental for a longer time; potential, they will develop themselves
further after their overseas study.
Moreover, the New Oriental Education Group will discuss with
them their study plan and future development before they go abroad.
When they come back, they are required to hand in a research report
and present their constructive opinions and insights to the
development of New Oriental, added Hu.
Given the teaching background of many management staff of the
New Oriental Education Group, Hu Min went on, they really need to
go aboard for more advanced management concepts and education
theories. By target training, New Oriental Education Group hopes to
store up more comprehensive talent with an international background
and expertise for both academics and management.
The “Visiting Scholars Program” is just the first step of the
“Talent Project” of the New Oriental Education Group. As the top
priority in New Oriental for the next three years, the “Talent
Project” plans to import 600 talented people of various levels this
year, 800 for the next year and 1,000 for the year following.
The “Talent Project”, in Hun Min’s words, is to meet the needs
of globalization and a modernization drive in the New Oriental
Education Group.
The general strategy of New Oriental is to expand quickly in big
cities nationwide and extend its brand into every corner of the
education industry. Currently, New Oriental has already opened
offices in major cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and
Wuhan. In addition, New Oriental has entered into the field of
publishing teaching materials, development of English learning
software, computer training, online education and other language
services such as translating.
Among some 2000 New Oriental staff, professional personnel
account for 60 percent and nearly 200 have an overseas
background.
However, Hu Min is far from satisfied. He insists that talent is
always the heart of an enterprise and the development of an
enterprise must rely first on talent, second on culture.
Rewarding excellent teachers in terms of high salaries and
overseas study can be part of the story to keep staff and attract
talent. But that’s not enough, the most important thing, in Hu
Min’s mind, is to make staff have a kind of enterprise
identity.
Therefore New Oriental is trying hard to let all staff have a
sense of home, a sense of success and a sense of honor.
Only when the staff grow better and better, can the enterprise
develop smoother and smoother, Hu Min emphasized.
(China.org.cn by Zheng Guihong, September 7, 2003)