It is important to have project managers both in the UK and in China who are able to work together to plan the achievement of key project tasks and project visits. Both project managers need to have a knowledge of e-learning and have the authority to draw on resources and make strategic links in their institution. In the UK, it is very important that the project manager has knowledge of Chinese higher education.

We also found it important to have a senior academic leading the project for both teams. It is important that the project is enriched by expert academic knowledge and research, as this enables the project to achieve more substantial knowledge exchange and achievement of research.

A senior academic at professorial level will also have more influence in their institution to maintain strategic support for the project, and to facilitate use of resources and facilities as required.

The Sheffield team were experienced e-learning practitioners, researchers and e-tutors. We were also able to include in our team web designers and producers from the Learning Development and Media Unit.

The staff we worked with at BNU were mainly instructional designers, some of whom were undertaking research and doctoral study in e-learning and who also undertook e-learning production. They did not have experience of e-tutoring, and this is something that they wish to develop further.

We believe that learning more about e-learning to improve their own professional practice and opportunities for undertaking research into e-learning was a key motivator for both project teams.

Both project teams drew extensively on their own institutional support staff, including secretarial, administrative and finance staff, technology staff, porters and drivers.