DHL Sinotrans International Air Courier Ltd, a major express service provider in China, recently set up a foundation dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for students in the country's underdeveloped regions.

The foundation, which is a joint effort between DHL Sinotrans and the Beijing Normal University Education Foundation, will invest 1 million yuan ($149,000) to send a volunteer team to carry out various projects to support education in remote areas.

The volunteer team, which is made of college students from Beijing Normal University, will not only teach lessons to the local kids, but also carry out related academic research to find out more about their reading habits.

Wu Dongming, chief executive officer of DHL Sinotrans, said in a statement that his company has been actively participating in various social public welfare undertakings.

"As the first university for teachers in China, Beijing Normal University has abundant education recourses and experience. This kind of school-enterprise cooperation is expected to create standardized ways to enhance the quality of education, contributing to the development of education in remote areas," he said.

Supported by DHL Education Development Fund, a volunteer team made of more than 250 people, has headed to underdeveloped provinces, including Qinghai and Guizhou at the beginning of July.

They are expected to carry out short-term and long-term teaching projects covering more than 10,000 students across 25 middle and primary schools.

While improving the level of local education, the research team will also monitor, research and summarize the local adolescents' reading status.

DHL Education Development Fund and the National Assessment of Education Quality will jointly issue a study report on China's regional reading quality in October.

DHL Sinotrans International Air Courier Ltd, is part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group, which has a group-wide GoTeach program, aiming to improve educational opportunity and employability of young people, especially those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

According to the company, as many as 110,000 employees in the DHL Group participated in community activities in 2015. Among them, 78,000 employees from 114 different countries shared their skills and experience in volunteer work totaling 260,000 hours.

Ouyang Shijia contributed to this story.

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