Yet its rapid uptake since 1994, when access to the Internet first spread beyond China's elite academic and scientific circles, suggests demand will be huge.
"Through the English Baccalaureate, we want to make sure all pupils have the chance to study the core academic subjects which universities and employers demand, " he said.
However, a wealth of academic research has shown that when a company opens a plant abroad, demand in its home country gets a boost too: sales by the parent company grow and jobs and exports at home tend to rise.
This is the first time SAS has supported a massive online course using SAS On Demand, its free offering, said Jerry Oglesby, senior director for global academic and certification programs at the company.