On the morning of November 13th, 2017, the 2017 Lifelong Learning Activity Week kicked off with a national opening ceremony in Hefei, Anhui Province.
The activity week, hosted by the Department of Vocational and Adult Education(DVAE) of the Ministry of Education(MOE), the Secretariat of National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, and the Chinese Adult Education Association, and sponsored by the Department of Education of Anhui Province and Hefei Municipal Government, was held under the theme of “Promoting Lifelong Learning for All, and Accelerating the Construction of a Learning Society.” The activity week aimed to study, publicise, and implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, and open a new adult education journey with Chinese characteristics.
The activity week emphasised that the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress should be deemed an important component of national lifelong learning activities. Xi Jinping’s thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era should serve as the guiding thought for developing lifelong learning activities. Continuing education is the primary way to construct a learning society, and in so doing, improve citizens’ qualities as a foundation for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The national lifelong learning activity week should be used as a platform, and efforts taken to build an atmosphere where national lifelong learning is able to succeed in creating continuing education opportunities with Chinese characteristics. During the opening ceremony, the 2017 national lifelong learning achievement exhibition was also held. The exhibition demonstrated in a comprehensive manner the achievements obtained in continuing education，especially continuing education geared toward the needs of important groups, such as urban and rural community members, the elderly, workers, both traditional and modern professional farmers, as well as with the acceleration of the construction of all kinds of learning organizations, such as learning cities, as well as the case studies and achievements the national lifelong learning activity week made across the country since the 18th CPC National Congress.
The OUC’s exhibition board attracted many visitors
MOE’s DVAE Director General, Wang jiping, accompanied by OUC vice president, Qi Yanwei, looking at the OUC’s exhibition board
Director Wang Jiping interacts with teachers and students from Xinjiang RTVU through the OUC’s cloud classroom
In the exhibition on the history of the national lifelong learning activity week, the Open University of China’s (OUC) school operations system showed progress and strong results in the exploration of greater resources, construction of a lifelong learning “overpass,” development of educational access for specific groups, community education and education for the elderly, and informatisation, all aimed at serving national lifelong learning, and focused on enhancing school operations since the OUC’s establishment five years prior.
In the opening ceremony, 143 Common People Learning Stars and 209 institutes with lifelong learning brand projects, chosen from across the country, were exhibited. The opening ceremony also kicked off four joint actions, including bringing educational resources to communities, sharing educational resources for the elderly, promoting the construction of learning cities, and linking educational colleges in eastern and western regions. Two alliances were established, the National Alliance of Experimental Zones and Demonstration Zones for Community Education, and the National Alliance of the Construction of Demonstration Counties for Rural Vocational and Adult Education. The official website of the lifelong learning activity week, aiming to strengthen publicity for lifelong learning activities across the country and create a social atmosphere for national lifelong learning, was also launched.
Departments or units including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Working Office of the National Commission on Aging, the State General Administration of Sport, China Association for Science and Technology, and the Central Communist Youth League were all invited to participate in the activity week. More than 600 people from administrative departments, relevant universities and colleges, and continuing education associations in various regions attended the opening ceremony.
By Xu Mingjun,OUC