CDEL Named as Recipient of 58 Industry Awards in 2013; Chairman and CEO Named a Top Leader in China's Education Industry

BEIJING, January 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- China Distance Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) ("CDEL", or the "Company"), a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education, is pleased to announce that it has received a total of 58 awards that were presented to the Company at various education industry events during the course of 2013. Additionally, the Company's Chairman and CEO, Mr. Zhengdong Zhu, received a number of prominent education industry awards throughout 2013, further validating the Company's leadership position in China's online education industry.

Mr. Zhengdong Zhu, the Chairman and CEO of CDEL, commented, "These awards represent a strong endorsement of CDEL's leadership and influence in China's online education industry. Our high quality courses were offered to a total of 2.7 million students during the 2013 fiscal year. Our deep understanding of students' education needs, combined with the rich resources of our teachers, content and student learning support personnel, effective and efficient online and mobile learning platform and our track record of success in the industries in which we provide courses positions CDEL as an ideal partner for Chinese students and professionals. The honor of receiving these many awards underscores the quality and success of CDEL's results-oriented business model and student-centric growth strategy. We will continue to focus on providing high quality courses and outstanding services to our students to help them achieve professional success."

To view the full list of awards, and for further information on China Distance Education, please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Select Awards Received by CDEL include:

• "2013 Most Comprehensive China Education Brand" awarded by the Xinhua Net
• "2013 Most Influential Online Education Group" awarded by NetEase
• "2013 Most Trustworthy Education Brands" awarded by Reference News
• "Education Model" awarded by the Beijing Youth Daily
• "Top Ten Leading Brands in China Distance Education Industry" awarded by the People's Daily
• "Consumer Trustworthy Brand" awarded by China Consumer Protection Foundation
• "Renowned Brand in Beijing" awarded by the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce

Select Awards Received by CDEL's Websites and Schools include:

• www.chinaacc.com: "2013 Best Online Education Institution" by Sina
• www.med66.com: "China Leading Online Education Institution in Ten Years" by Tencent
• www.jianshe99.com: "2013 China Top Ten Best Online Education Institution" by the Xinhua Net
• www.chinalawedu.com: "Best Online Education Institution in Beijing" by the Star Daily
• www.chinatat.com: "2013 Most Trustworthy Online Education Brands" by Reference News
• www.g12e.com: "Best Online Education Brand" by the Beijing Morning Post
• www.ck100.com: "Model Distance Education Institution" by the Beijing Youth Daily

Select Awards Received by Mr. Zhengdong Zhu include:

• "2013 Outstanding Contribution to the Education Industry" awarded by Sina
• "2013 Outstanding Leader in China Education Industry" awarded by Sohu
• "Annual Education Industry Leader" awarded by Tencent
• "2013 Annual Education Industry Leader" awarded by the Beijing Morning Post
• "Prominent Leader Influencing Education Industry in the Past Sixty Years" awarded by the Beijing Evening News

About China Distance Education Holdings Limited

China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education. The courses offered by the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals and other course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting, healthcare, construction engineering, and other industries. The Company also offers other professional education courses for the national judicial examination, English proficiency test for professionals, computer application skills, and other occupational certifications or skills, online test-preparation courses for self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, test preparation courses for university students intending to take the nationwide graduate school entrance exam, and online language courses. For further information, please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

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