On 9 July 2024, a delegation of 24 overseas postgraduates from the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) at Peking University visited the Open University of China (OUC).

Fan Xianrui, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the OUC, attended the event. More than 20 individuals from the OUC, including department heads and teachers from the College of International Education, Engineering Centre, Seniors University of China (SUC), Department of Digitalisation, School of Humanities, OUC-run enterprises Ubiquitous Age, and Bell & Horn, participated in the seminar. The seminar was chaired by Shi Yunzhi, acting dean of the College of International Education.

Fan Xianrui attended the seminar and delivered a speech.

She warmly welcomed the teachers and students from the ISSCAD, noting that over the past 45 years since its establishment, the OUC has made significant contributions to China's higher education. She mentioned that the OUC is eager to share its experience in open and distance education with many developing countries. The OUC places a high value on international exchanges and cooperation and has developed a comprehensive, internationalised model that spans various fields and levels. She expressed hope that this event would mark the beginning of new friendships with developing countries and lead to ongoing, deep cooperation in building overseas learning centres, sharing international platforms and resources, and facilitating mutual visits and exchanges of teachers and students.

Wang Jinjie, a teacher at the ISSCAD and deputy secretary-general of the Centre for African Studies at Peking University, introduced the centre's work in cultivating high-end talent. Representatives from various departments at the OUC, including the College of International Education, the Department of Digitalisation, the Engineering Centre, the School of Humanities, Ubiquitous Age, Bell & Horn, and the SUC, presented their respective business situations. The participants engaged in lively and in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics such as open education, digital education, resource sharing, and Chinese language education.

The delegation also visited the OUC's "Internet+" university and the SUC exhibition hall. They all agreed that the OUC's experience is worth studying and learning from. They committed to strengthening cooperation and exchanges with the OUC after returning to their respective countries.

The ISSCAD was officially established at the National School of Development at Peking University on 29 April 2016. It operates under the guidance and management of the China International Development Cooperation Agency and the Ministry of Commerce. The delegation includes members from over 14 countries, including Sierra Leone, Zambia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Oman, Peru, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan.

Written by Cao Xiaoyan, OUC

Photos by Zhang Jun, OUC, and Wang Jinjie, PKU