Universities are scrambling to get courses on-line and into China, in the hope that students who want to study in-person here will study in cyber-space. Convincing them isn’t everything

But while they are focused on content and tech, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment has advice on what the Chinese Government thinks about on-line international education from overseas.

Which is not much.

DESE advices, the agency in charge, the China Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange, “does not currently recognise qualifications earned via cross border distance learning. ‘Online degrees’ therefore, are not recognised.”

DESE adds it has asked about blended learning and told that there will be a response, “in due course.”

Universities that want to increase content-speed by using a server in China need a licence from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.