Visiting the Headquarters of HarperCollins Publishers
The 2024 London Book Fair was held from March 12th to 14th at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. The application of new technology in the publishing industry and cooperation on digital content were highlights of this year's fair. During the London Book Fair, Peng Donglin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of FLTRP, led a delegation to visit the headquarters of Oxford University Press and HarperCollins Publishers, and held discussions with significant partners such as Taylor & Francis Group and Macmillan Education. On the basis of consolidating existing collaborations, they engaged in in-depth discussions on digital cooperation for key products in the fields of readings, dictionaries, tutorials, academia, and Chinese content, reaching a series of intentions for cooperation in hopes of supporting the digital upgrade of FLTRP's international business.
Meeting with Oxford University Press
On March 13th, the FLTRP delegation visited the headquarters of Oxford University Press, where they met with the main responsible persons for the education, academia, and English learning divisions. Both sides discussed the progress of digital cooperation on existing projects, including the digital licensing of FLTRP's Graded Reading Library and the "Lisheng" series products, and basically reached a consensus on various licensing conditions. Oxford University Press also shared with FLTRP their latest explorations and achievements in database construction, AI training and application, and upgrades of reading products, discussing the possibility of deepening cooperation in these areas.
Meeting with HarperCollins Publishers
On March 14th, the FLTRP delegation visited the headquarters of HarperCollins Publishers, part of News Corp. Alex Beecroft, President of Collins Learning, outlined the company's overall business planning and digital development direction, particularly focusing on the development of supporting applications and the construction of online platforms in the fields of readings, dictionaries, and English learning. Both sides decided to continue strengthening the brand maintenance, digital licensing, and personalized customization cooperation for the three main series "Big Cat," "New Century," and "Cobuild." Additionally, they explored new cooperative models such as using AI technology to develop supporting learning resources and optimizing the dictionary editing process.
Meeting with Taylor & Francis Group
Meeting with Macmillan Education
The delegation also visited Julia Alexander, the author of "New Concept English for Young Learners" and a renowned English education expert, reaching an intention for the launch of a smart edition of "New Concept English for Young Learners". This will be another integrated publishing result of paper and digital after the smart edition of "New Concept English" in 2022. On the same day, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Peng Donglin also discussed with Jeremy North, President of Global Book Business at Taylor & Francis Group, the impact of AI technology development on the field of academic education, with both sides looking forward to promoting more innovative attempts in the introduction and export of academic products. In discussions with Macmillan Education, Emma Bourne, President of International Curriculum and Business in Asia and the Middle East, reaffirmed FLTRP's recent efforts in paper-digital integration and digital licensing for the "New Standard English" series, expressing hope that both sides continue to work together to respond to changes in educational ecosystems and learning methods, further enhancing cooperation levels.
Digital development is an inevitable choice for the publishing industry in the new era, and international cooperation is an important way to promote digital development. The delegation's visit to the UK was focused on implementing FLTRP's digital strategy of "leveraging digital advancements to integrate paper and digital resources," achieving the expected outcomes.
Visiting the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University and FLTRP International Cultural Education Ltd. (FLTRP UK)
During the visit to the UK, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Peng Donglin also visited the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University and FLTRP International Cultural Education Ltd. (FLTRP UK) to exchange information and understand the implementation and promotion of related projects.
The 2024 London Book Fair
At this year's London Book Fair, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) had a dedicated showcase at the China Joint Exhibition Booth, displaying over 50 types of exquisite books.
These included the English version of "Important Expositions on Education by General Secretary Xi Jinping," "The Lexicon of Chinese Thought and Culture," "The Rainbow Dragon Chinese Graded Reader Series," "Travelling Across China," and others, covering areas such as China-themed topics, humanities and social sciences, traditional culture, language learning, and children's books. During the exhibition, the delegation also researched the editing and publishing platforms used by international publishing organizations.
