On November 28, 2017, TAL Education Group announced a strategic cooperation with ETS, the global leading education and assessment organization. The two parties will collaborate in TOEFL online test preparation and assessment technology. TAL Education Group’s online international education, Xueersi International, and Shunshun Study Abroad related products will be developed and upgraded based on this cooperation.

David L. Hunt, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ETS, Dr. Xi Xiaoming, Executive Director of ETS New Product Development, Dr. Chen Yonghan, ETS China General Manager, Ron Rong, CFO and President of TAL Education Group International, Sherry Xie, Director of Investment and Strategic Development of TAL Education Group, Zhao Bipeng, General Manager of Online Study Abroad, and Hao Yuefei, General Manager of Xueersi International, and He Liang, General Manager of Shunshun Study Abroad, participated in this meeting.

David L. Hunt and Ron Rong stated that the cooperation in TOEFL online test preparation content usage is a significant breakthrough, opening up new opportunities and possibilities for future cooperation and development in international education for both parties.

Ron Rong expressed TAL Education Group's predictions for the trend of international education and TAL Education Group's layout in the field of international education.

Ron Rong said, "The future of international education will present three major trends: localization, lowering of the age group, and capability enhancement." TAL Education Group will comprehensively cultivate and develop students' six major abilities in the dimensions of long-term capability, and data integration: reading ability, communication ability, inquiry ability, abstract thinking, creative thinking, and critical thinking.

(David L. Hunt, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ETS, delivering a brilliant speech)

From 2008 to 2017, in nearly a decade, major changes have occurred in Chinese international education. According to the 2017 Open Doors data from the United States, the proportion of undergraduate students among those studying in the US has exceeded the proportion of graduate students for three consecutive years, and the number of students participating in compulsory education in developed countries continues to grow.

With the development of the Chinese economy, the rise of the middle class, and the upgraded consumption, a new education product upgrade has led to widespread aspirations for international education among parents.

However, due to economic costs, family arrangements, and the widespread optimism for China's development, the number of students studying abroad in the K12 stage, although growing rapidly, is still limited.

Therefore, the future of international education will be localized, but with the improvement of parents' average quality and the early awareness of international education, the overall planning for international education for children will be advanced. Additionally, with the development of artificial intelligence and the updated educational concepts among the new generation of 80s parents, the demand for abilities will increase.

The international education brands under TAL Education Group will be laid out around three aspects: long-term capability, data integration, and capability enhancement. Xueersi International, Online Study Abroad, and Shunshun Study Abroad will cover K-12, 18-24 years old, and international education training and study abroad consulting business, helping students achieve their dreams of international education while acquiring lifelong abilities.

(The launch ceremony of the strategic cooperation between TAL Education Group and ETS)

David L. Hunt said, “We are looking forward to working with TAL Education Group to provide better testing and learning products for more learners in China.”

In this collaboration, Xueersi International will comprehensively introduce the TOEFL product series as a third-party assessment, and build a long-term training system for K12 international education.

This time, Online Study Abroad will carry out in-depth cooperation with ETS in TOEFL online test preparation content and cutting-edge technology, including the introduction of authentic TOEFL test preparation materials, as well as a deep cooperation in the fields of TOEFL speaking and writing automatic correction and feedback technology, aiming to provide personalized, efficient, and high-quality online study abroad services for students.

Shunshun Study Abroad will introduce the TOEFL test evaluation system, deeply integrating it with the existing research and teaching systems, developing more suitable and professional study abroad exam courses for Chinese test-takers, enabling every Shunshun Study Abroad student to scientifically prepare for exams and effectively improve their language scores and English academic abilities.

This press conference is of great significance to TAL Education Group's international education and marks the beginning of a new journey in the field of international education. Both parties stated that there are still great possibilities for future cooperation, and believe that with TAL Education Group’s market influence and operational capabilities in the education sector, as well as ETS's professionalism and technological level in the assessment field, it will bring more possibilities to the Chinese international education market.