Journalists from China are preparing to report on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with the help of De Montfort University in Bedford.

DMU has joined forces with Chengdu Sports University, which is responsible for training Chinese journalists for the Beijing Olympics, to set up a course to teach the journalists how to report on such a huge event, which will be China's first Olympic Games.

The course will focus on sport media and culture and officials from Chengdu and DMU met yesterday to discuss the programme and content of the course which will start in Bedford next year.

Dr Fan Hong, reader and China project director at DMU, who is also part of the planning team for the forthcoming Olympics in China, said: "In Bedford we can offer a high quality course designed by professionals in sport media and culture.

"It is another exciting opportunity for De Montfort to get involved with the Beijing Olympics and to expand our close links with China. The setting up of the course also testifies that DMU is highly regarded in the field of sport education in China."

DMU Bedford has also been shortlisted, along with Loughborough, Nottingham and Bath Universities, to run a course to train and educate Olympic officials in preparation for the 2008 Games to learn about the English language, western culture and the international media in order for them to be prepared for the Beijing Olympics.