2017 marked the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Open University of China (OUC).
It also witnessed the successful convening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, during which General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated that it was necessary to “successfully operate continuous education, facilitate the construction of a learning society, and improve the quality of the Chinese people.” This has given us a direction for the construction and development of the OUC. The 13th Five-Year Plan for the Reform and Construction of the OUC (Guo Kai Fa 2016 No. 18) was issued in 2017, the first five-year plan formulated since the unveiling of the OUC in July 2012. The plan defines seven major tasks and seven projects for implementation. The OUC will continue to adhere to the “1314 project” and focus on key work, lay a solid foundation, make up for any shortcomings, leverage our strengths, and define our characteristics in order to make new breakthroughs in all aspects of reform and construction.
13th Five-Year Plan for OUC Reform and Construction Published
The 13th Five-Year Plan for the OUC’s Reform and Construction (Guo Kai Fa 2016 No. 18) was issued. It is the first five-year plan formulated since the unveiling of the OUC in July 2012 and it defines seven major tasks, seven projects for implementation, establishes twenty-five plans and proposes four safeguard measures.
37 Courses Awarded OUC Quality Online Open Courses in 2016
In the recent 2016 annual OUC online open course review, 37 courses were recognised as quality online open courses. Among them, 13 courses came from OUC branches and 24 from various OUC teaching departments. Eight courses were recognised with individual awards.
OUC to Complete Construction of 100 Cloud Classrooms in 2017 to Intensify Educational Informatisation
The Ministry of Education recently issued a document entitled Key Work Points for 2017 Educational Informatisation (hereinafter referred as Key Work Points), which stated that further measures should be taken to promote the construction of digital and smart campuses. In response to this initiative, the OUCplans to construct 100 more cloud classrooms in order to achieve full coverage of RTVUs at grassroots levels in China’s central and western regions. In addition, it will begin the construction of a VR-based experimental field-training platform and complete the construction of an Internet Plus Smart Education demonstration base.
OUC Lectures on Science Popularisation by 100 Academicians and Experts Receive Sixth Biennial Chinese Excellent Publication Award
The Sixth Biennial Chinese Excellent Publication Award was recently unveiled in Beijing. Lectures on Science Popularisation by 100 Academicians and Experts, which was jointly planned by the OUC and the Work Bureau of Academic Division of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and produced by OUC Multimedia Press, received a publication award in the audio-visual and video game category.
OUC President Yang Zhijian Discusses the Construction of a Learning-Oriented Society and the Development of Open Universities
On the morning of 7th March 2017, the president of the OUC, Yang Zhijian, visited the office of www.china.org.cn. Deputy chief editor of the website, Xue Lisheng, greeted the OUC delegation. Later, Yang was invited to appear on the programme "Educational Celebrity Lectures” run by the website’s education channel, in which the president shared his views on lifelong learning and the construction of open universities.
The Military Ends Correspondence Education, Military Personnel Offered Education with the OUC
As reported by the PLA Daily, beginning this year, military institutions will gradually fade out the use of correspondence education. Correspondence education was intended to be an important channel for thousands of military personnel to upgrade their education level, leaving them with great memories of military college life. For the next step, continuous degree education in the military will focus on self-taught higher education and OUC distance education for non-commissioned officers.
OUC Student Rong Jing Wins Huge Vote as Top Ten People in the News for Chinese Undertakings for the Disabled 2016
The results of the “Top Ten People in the News for Chinese Undertakings for the Disabled 2016” were unveiled recently. Rong Jing, a member of the China Wheelchair Fencing Team and an OUC student, achieved the most votes and successfully entered the selection.
OUC Launches Pilot Programme for Online Teaching Team Construction
In order to further enhance the quality of teaching, implement the requirements of the “Six-Network Integration” training model, and strengthen the construction of the teaching team put forward in the Comprehensive Reform Scheme for the OUC, the OUC launched a pilot programme for the construction of 188 online teaching teams, including 84 for the headquarters and 104 for its branches. A working meeting about the pilot work required for online teaching team construction was convened in Beijing from 23rd to 24th March, 2017.
OUC Launches “Long March Belt” Educational Project Targeted at Alleviating Poverty in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province
On 7th April 2017, the OUC “Long March Belt” project seminar and opening ceremony was held in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province. OUC President Yang Zhijian attended the ceremony, which was hosted by OUC vice president Liu Chen, and gave a speech. Zhu Aiying, president of Jiangxi RTVU; He Fuzhou, a leader from Jiangxi municipal government; and university leaders from the Hebei branch and the 12 OUC branches along the path of the “Long March Belt”, responsible personnel from related departments of OUC headquarters also attended the ceremony.
Work Together to Realise Win-Win Cooperation, Working Conference on the Preparation of the OUC Council Held in Nanning
From 12-13 May, 2017, a working conference on the preparation of the OUC Council was held in Nanning, Guangxi Province. The main contents of the conference were as follows: consultation on the OUC construction work report; discussions on the OUC Charter (Draft) and the OUC Council Charter (Draft); summarising the preliminary work on the construction of the OUC Community and its future plan; discussions on the preparation work for the OUC Council.
The Earth is a Living Body Selected as One of one Hundred Outstanding Publications to be Recommended for Young People in 2017
China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) recently announced a list of one hundred outstanding publications (in the audio-visual and electronic publication categories) to be recommended to young people in the country in 2017. The Earth is a Living Body, published by the OUC Multimedia Press was among the list.
Academic Lecture Series Held to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of the OUC
On 26th May 2017, a lecture entitled The Opportunities and Challenges of Innovative Development for Open Universities in the “Internet Plus” Era delivered by Professor Chen Li, vice president of Beijing Normal University, kicked off a series of academic lectures to mark the fifth anniversary for the OUC. The lecture series was jointly sponsored by the OUC President’s Office and the Education Research Institute. University leaders including Yang Zhijian, Li Linshu, Liu Chen, Yang Xiaotang, and Qi Yanwei presided over the lectures.
OUC and Wuzhou Municipality Cooperate to Establish “OUC Lingnan School for the Elderly”
On 13th June, 2017, the OUC and the People’s Government of Wuzhou Municipality held a signing ceremony in Beijing for a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will jointly build the “OUC Lingnan School for the Elderly.”
OUC Launches First Teaching Skills Contest for Teachers of Education Majors
The first session of the OUC teaching skills contest for teachers of education majors was held in Beijing from 10-11th June. Ninety-six teachers from 33 branches joined the final. After a rigorous competition, prizes for best teaching, best online teaching design, and comprehensive teaching skills were selected for each major, including two first prizes, five second prizes, ten third prizes, and several prizes for excellence. In addition, five OUC branches were awarded prizes for being excellent organisations.
OUC Presents Bachelor’s Degrees to 978 Graduates
From the 29-30th June, the OUC held a working conference for its Bachelor’s degree evaluation committee for the spring 2017 semester in Beijing. Wang Yating and other 977 graduates were presented with OUC Bachelor’s degrees.
OUC Alumnus Wang Zhongxin Awarded “Bayi Medal”
In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, a conferral ceremony for the “Bayi Medal” and other honorary titles was held by the Chinese Central Military Commission on 28th July at the Bayi Building in Beijing. As reported by Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China and chairman of Central Military Committee granted medals and certificates to “Bayi Medal” winners.
Vice Minister of the MOE Sun Rao Visits OUC for Working Research
On 23rd August, vice minister of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Sun Rao headed a delegation including Wang Jiping, director of the MOE Department of Vocational and Adult Education, and Wang Yangnan, director of the Institute of Vocational Technology Education Centre, to visit the OUC for working research. They also held a symposium with the OUC leadership.
OUC Online Open Courses Released on www.icourse163.org
Recently, two high quality online open courses from the OUC, Computer Assisted English Teaching and Learning and Android Smart Phone Programming, were released on www.icourse163.org, a Chinese MOOC platform which gathers courses from universities across China.
OUC President Yang Zhijian Attends Seventh OUJ-OUC-KNOU International Seminar
From 7-8th September 2017, the 7th OUJ-OUC-KNOU International Seminar was held at the Open University of Japan (OUJ). The seminar’s theme was “Supporting Various Learners in Open Universities”, with the sub-themes “Educational Aspects” and “Technical Aspects.” Presidents, scholars, and experts from the OUC, OUJ, and Korea National Open University (KNOU) held in-depth discussions on the theme. A delegation of five people headed by Yang Zhijian, president of the OUC, attended the seminar.
The OUC and Tibet University Sign Agreement on Co-construction of OUC’s Tibet Branch
On 16th September , 2017, Tibet University hosted a signing ceremony on an Agreement to Provide Assistance for Tibet University in the Co-construction of an OUC Branch in Tibet during the 13th Five-Year Plan.
Vice Minister of the MOE Sun Rao Conducts Research at Shannan Study Centre of the OUC School of Tibet
On 17th September, vice minister of the MOE Sun Rao visited Shannan area in Tibet and paid a special visit to Shannan Study Centre of the OUC School of Tibet for investigation and guidance, accompanied by OUC president Yang Zhijian and vice president Qi Yanwei.
Following Continuous Promotion of “Brilliant Life: A Lifelong Learning Plan for Women,” 10 Cities Join Second Pilot Group
On 28th September, a pilot city working promotion meeting for “Brilliant Life: A Lifelong Learning Plan for Women” was jointly held by the publicity department of the All-China Women’s Federation and the OUC in Beijing. The meeting aimed to exchange and summarise the experiences of the first batch of pilot cities joining the plan and thus further advance the plan.
CMC Training and Administration Department Signs Agreement with OUC to Explore New Distance Education Model for Non-Commissioned Officers
On 29th September 2017, the Training and Administration Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC) signed a strategic and cooperative framework agreement with theOUC. According to the agreement, the two sides will comply with the CMC’s overall deployment of military and vocational education reform, and fully rely on OUC’s educational resources to leverage the advantages and features of military schools, and carry out distance education to the entire military, for the purpose of building a distance education system for military officers that possesses scientific standards, a unified management, is of high quality and efficiency, open, and flexible, and has distinct characteristics.
OUC Delegation Attends 31st AAOU Annual Conference
The 31st Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 27-29th September 2017. The vice president of the OUC led a delegation of nine people to attend the conference.
Vice Minister of the MOE Sun Rao Puts Forward Three Requirements for the Implementation of the OUC’s Targeted Educational Poverty Alleviation Work
On 20th December 2017, vice minister of the MOE, Sun Rao, led a delegation to carry out research work on poverty alleviation in Qinglong Man ethnic minority autonomous county in Hebei province. Sun also attended the opening ceremony of an educational project targeted at alleviating poverty sponsored by the OUC at its Qinglong county study centre.
OUC Awarded ICDE Institutional Prize of Excellence
The 27th World Conference of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) was held in Toronto, Canada from 16th to 19th October, 2017. Prior to the conference, through a review of institutions who made important achievements and outstanding contributions to open and distance education area during the past five years, the independent international assessment commission decided to award the OUC the sole ICDE Institutional Prize of Excellence.
OUC’s First Overseas Study Centre Founded in Zambia
The inauguration ceremony of the first overseas study centre of the OUC, the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia, was held at Chambishi park in Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ), in Chambishi. The OUC Zambian study centre will adopt the model of “one centre with a number of tutorial centres”. The headquarters of study centre is located at ZCCZ headquarters building. The first three Tutorial Centres are located at ZCCZ, NFC Africa Mining PLC, and CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines PLC.
OUC Five Years On
On 25th September 2017, the “Five Years On” exhibition was held at Beijing Exhibition Hall. The exhibition consisted of ten themed areas and one experience area, using multiple exhibition methods and elements to showcase the OUC’s historic transformation to the Communist Party of China and other state causes. The exhibition also presented an introduction to the OUC.
OUC Launches Next Generation Open Learning Platform - Online Credit Bank - to Boost Lifelong Learning
To implement the spirit of operating an efficient continuing education system, accelerating the construction of a learning society, and strongly enhancing the nation’s quality, goals put forth at the 19th National Congress of the CPC central committee, a "Lifelong Learning, U-Learning, and Future Learning" themed Launch Seminar for the Online Credit Bank & Credit Bank Construction was held in Beijing. The next generation open learning platform, the joint OUC, Research Institute of New Education, and Chaoxing Group’s Online Credit Bank, was officially opened, marking the credit bank’s entrance into a brand new development phase with MOOCs as its core application model.
OUC Vice President Yang Xiaotang Receives Brilliant Contribution Award by UNESCO UNITWIN Network in Distance and Open Learning
The 20th anniversary of UNESCO UNITWIN Network in Distance and Open Learning was celebrated in Shanghai on 20th November 2017. OUC vice president Yang Xiaotang attended the celebration, and received the Brilliant Contribution Award.
Record of the “A Trip to the OUC: Stepping Into the ‘One College Student Per Village Programme’” Media Experience
From 13-17th November, a media group with the theme of “A Trip to the OUC: Stepping Into the ‘One College Student Per Village Programme’” organised by the OUC visited Hunan province and carried out in-depth investigations into the cultivation of rural college students by OUC Hunan branch (Hunan RTVU). Eleven media attended the activity, including People’s Daily, Guangming Daily, Farmers’ Daily, China Education Daily, www.china.org.cn, China RTVU Newspaper, E-learning magazine, Hunan Daily, REDNET.CN, Hunan Education TV, and hunan.voc.com.cn.
OUC Experimental School Holds Graduation & Degree Conferring Ceremony
On 3rd Dec., 2017, to the rhythm of the school song, the OUC Experimental School Graduation & Degree Conferring Ceremony was held at Wukesong Campus, the OUC’s headquarters. Fifty-one graduates went up onto the platform, shook hands with and saluted president Yang Zhijian, and received their graduation certificate. Twenty-six students were conferred Bachelor’s degrees.
The Plenary Session of the Second OUC Academic Committee held in Beijing
On the 25th and 26th of December, 2017, the plenary session of the Second Academic Committee of the OUC was held in Beijing. The Second OUC Academic Committee consists of seven sub-committees with a total of 106 members.
By OUC News Centre