Nationwide Opening Ceremony Held for 2018 National Lifelong Learning Activity Week

On 25 October 2018, an opening ceremony for the 2018 National Lifelong Learning Week was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

The event was sponsored by the Vocational and Adult Education Division of the Ministry of Education, the Secretariat of the China National Commission for UNESCO, and the Chinese Adult Education Association, and hosted by Zhejiang Education Department and Ningbo Municipal Government. With the theme of Serving Major National Strategies and Promoting Lifelong Learning for All People, the event aims to develop continuing education with Chinese characteristics in the new era to a new stage.

The event stressed that it is an important political task for all local departments to study and implement the spirit of the important speeches given by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the National Education Conference. The people-centric development of education should be adhered to and the OUC should strive to give everyone the opportunity to receive education, speed up the construction of a more open and flexible education system that will accompany a person throughout their life, and give equal opportunities for everyone. These are the goals and fundamental rules for the development of continuing education in the new era. The OUC should vigorously develop continuing education, successfully run education for the elderly and communities, promote the construction of learning-oriented organisations such as learning-oriented cities, give full play to the role of the lifelong learning activity week platform, take a higher historical stance, seize opportunities, make advanced layouts, serve the major national development strategy, and promote lifelong learning for all. The OUC should create an environment in which everyone can learn anytime and anywhere, accelerate the construction of a learning society and a large learning country, and strive to successfully run continuing education with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The event, carried out around the theme of promoting a wide range of community-based learning activities, as well as launching resources for various schools and educational training institutions in the community, nationwide reading, and the selection, identification, and publicity of "Common People Learning Stars" and the "Lifelong Learning Brand Project", has put more of an emphasis on opening education resources to all members of society, advancing the development of continuing education with academic qualifications, non-degree continuing education, education for the elderly, community education and the construction of learning cities, as well as giving people a sense of acquisition and participation.

At the opening ceremony, the 13-year history of the National Lifelong Learning Week was reviewed, 154 "Common People Learning Stars" and 256 "Lifelong Learning Brand Projects" from companies selected in 2018 were introduced. A community education lecture was launched and a curriculum catalogue with 50 items was issued. Actions were taken to promote resource sharing in the community and elderly education, and to carry out university-business cooperation to train high-speed rail and rail transit personnel. A list of the sixth group of learning cities was released and a declaration of the Learning City Construction Alliance was issued in Ningbo. Twenty-seven community colleges in eastern and western regions were paired up.

The opening ceremony of the 2018 National Lifelong Learning Activity Week

National commendation ceremony for 2018 "Common People Learning Stars"

OUC exhibition area

Participants visiting the OUC exhibition area

By Shi Wangyin,China Education Daily