Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world's largest university press, publishing over 4,000 new titles a year. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and journals.
Most of these publications are produced by the two major publishing centres, in Oxford and New York, but there are additional publishing programmes in many countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, and Spain. Some of the titles published are targeted directly at local communities, but many of them, particularly those from Oxford and New York, are sold around the world.
OUP is governed by the Delegates of the Press who are appointed from the academic staff of the University. The Delegates are responsible for determining policy, meeting fortnightly during term-time under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor. They are actively involved in the publishing programme: all books are referred to them for approval and individual Delegates maintain a dialogue with editors in their specialist subject areas.
Key to OUP's continuing development are the talent and dedication of staff worldwide. OUP boasts a highly skilled and motivated workforce in all areas of activity. Loyalty to OUP and its ideals of scholarship and education is very strong and many staff remain with the organization for their entire careers. Through developing the potential of its staff, OUP is best placed to develop the potential of the business as a whole.
In fulfilling its objective of the furtherance of learning and culture, OUP is committed to continuous development of its scholarly and educational publishing, responding to the growing need for school, college, and academic books and information via diverse media, and extending and strengthening its international activities.
Oxford University Press (China) Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oxford University Press, which in turn is a department of the University of Oxford. Today, OUP China's headquarters are in Hong Kong, and it employs over 300 members of staff and publishes near 500 new titles annually.
Historically, however, OUP's first presence in China was established in Shanghai during World War I, and catered both to the book-buying fashions of that cosmopolitan city and to the market for bibles in China. That office was closed in the late 1930s, and it was not until 1961 that the Hong Kong office opened. From that rebirth, the present operation has grown.
In Hong Kong itself, OUP China is a significant publisher of educational books, at all levels, and both in English and in Chinese. Courses for the teaching of the two languages in primary and secondary schools are widely used; and texts in the sciences and humanities also occupy dominant positions.
For regional and international markets, OUP China publishes English-Chinese dictionaries and a broad range of college, academic and general titles about and for China, again both in English and in Chinese.
In Mainland China, OUP China works jointly with educational and scholarly publishers to produce titles appropriate to local markets. These range from English language course materials for schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou, through simplified character versions of English-Chinese dictionaries, to translations of academic works first published elsewhere by OUP in English.
OUP China is also active in Taiwan, which has become a substantial market for English Language textbooks and other materials. Both here and throughout the rest of the territory for which it is responsible, OUP China develops markets for the publications produced by OUP around the world. The range, again, is wide: dictionaries, ELT courses, and the college and academic books and journals published in Oxford and New York.
In all of these areas of activity, OUP China works towards fulfilling the educational, scholarly and cultural objectives of the Press and of the University as a whole. In so doing, it reinforces OUP's reputation for maintaining the highest standards in its publications and business practices.
These objectives are encapsulated in OUP China's Mission Summary.
Mission Summary
Oxford University Press (China) Ltd will contribute to educational progress through the publication of educational, reference, academic and general materials, conceived both to satisfy market needs and to embody the highest quality standards. These activities will be backed by services which achieve a very high level of customer satisfaction.
OUP China is committed to pursuing these objectives in a manner which is ethical, socially responsible and prudent; and thereby to satisfying its diverse responsibilities to all of its stakeholders.
