A launch ceremony for the online course “Appreciation and Creation of Chinese Traditional Landscape Paintings & Moodle Platform”, the first China National Arts Fund project applied for by the Open University of China (OUC), was held at the OUC Wukesong campus on 8th May 2018.
OUC president Yang Zhijian, vice president Liu Chen, president of OUC Harbin branch Huang Yan, vice president of OUC Xi’an branch Zhao Liling, former secretary of the Party committee of the National Ballet of China Zhuang Zhenghua, and renowned painter Liu Cunhui attended the ceremony. Including the above VIP guests, 50 people attended the ceremony, including middle-level management, relevant personnel from OUC Press Group, project team members, and faculty and student representatives. 
The project was approved in August 2017 and is targeted at adult beginners who are keen to learn Chinese traditional landscape painting. The course relies on an internet-based technology platform to quickly improve learners’ painting skills through collaboration and by integrating online and offline teaching. So far, the project’s video resources, Moodle platform, and mobile user terminals have all been completed. The launch of the online course represents the course moving from the preparation stage to the implementation phase.
In his speech at the launch ceremony, Yang Zhijian pointed out that the driving force for the OUC to explore art education is the urgent and real need from the society. This innate impetus demands that the OUC give full play to its educational advantages and does its best to introduce new concepts, methods, and measures. He said the OUC is different from regular colleges, universities or ordinary online education institutions. The OUC's educational mission requires that it not only offers access to diplomas or training for certain skills, but also strives to offer the general public access to learning, channels, and platforms with a more spiritual or cultural angle, i.e. relevant to their interests and hobbies.
Yang Zhijian raised several expectations for the project. Firstly, the OUC should continue to explore a new teaching model with the aim of ultimately creating art education products that are replicable, promotable, and competitive; secondly, the project should make a positive impact in order to realise the value of similar projects funded by the national art fund; thirdly, the project should be a chance for the OUC Faculty of Art Education to develop more art courses and learning resources that meet the diverse needs of the public.
After the ceremony, the attendees scanned the QR code onsite and experienced the online Chinese traditional landscape painting courses for themselves.
By Xu Hang, Li Xiaoqiang, OUC