2019 marked the 70th anniversary of new China as well as the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Open University of China (OUC).
In 2019, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the OUC thoroughly implemented the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Second, Third, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, and the National Education Conference, and responded to the work requirements of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education (MOE). It engaged in fundamental tasks such as serving the state's major development strategy and promoting educational equality and the construction of a learning society, making the improvement of educational and teaching quality a fundamental requirement. The OUC will further liberate its thoughts, explore reform and innovation, and work hard to overcome the difficulties it faces in order to comprehensively advance reform and construction and take root in China.
1. OUC Announces List of 115 Outstanding Young Teachers for Training Development
The Open University of China (OUC) recently announced the results of its first group of outstanding young teachers. One hundred and fifteen teachers including Wang Gaizhi from the Tianjin Branch will be given training development as “OUC Outstanding Young Teachers.”
2. OUC Convenes Conference with the Theme of “Stay True to Our Original Intention and Keep Our Mission Firmly in Mind” to Deploy Educational Work
On 13 June 2019, the Open University of China (OUC) convened a conference with the theme of “Stay True to Our Original Aspiration and Keep Our Mission Firmly in Mind” in order to deploy educational work. At the conference, it was stressed that the OUC will keep its mission of fostering students through virtue firmly in mind and engage in in-depth educational reform and innovation in order to improve the quality of learner development and explore a pathway for open universities with Chinese characteristics. The OUC should make effort to substantially advance educational work from the following four aspects: consolidate academic foundations, conduct research work, seriously review problems, and implement strategies.
3. Conference Celebrating 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the OUC Kicks Off
On 21 June 2019, the conference to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Open University of China (OUC) was held. Member of the MOE Party committee and deputy minister of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Sun Yao attended the conference and stressed that a new era must have new actions. It is necessary for the OUC to make full use of modern technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence to promote the in-depth integration of technology and education, and integrate and share quality education resources in order to benefit more members of society. It is necessary to open universities and RTVUs across the country to form a joint force for reform and innovation. It is hoped that the OUC will make new contributions to accelerating the modernisation of education, making China an education power, and satisfying members of society through the education cause.
4. MOE Party Committee Appoints Jing Degang as Secretary of Party Committee and President of OUC
On 10 July, the Open University of China (OUC) convened a conference for cadres and teachers. Sun Rao, member of the Ministry of Education (MOE) committee and deputy minister of the MOE, and Zhang Donggang, director of the MOE Department of Personnel attended the meeting. It was announced at the conference that Jing Degang was appointed as secretary of the Party Committee and president of the OUC.
5. OUC Commended at Meeting to Celebrate 2019 Teachers’ Day and Commend Advanced Units and Advanced Individuals Recognised by the National Educational System
On the occasion of the 35th Teachers’ Day, a meeting to commend advanced groups and individuals recognised by the national educational system was held on 10 September 2019. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC, president of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with the awarded representatives. Jing Degang, secretary of the OUC Party Committee and president of the OUC, and Li Linshu, vice president of the OUC, attended the meeting. The OUC’s “The Systematic Construction of a National Credit Bank System for Vocational Education” was awarded a first prize in the National Teaching Achievement Awards for Vocational Education.
6. General Secretary Xi Jinping Visits Dongyue Village
The 17th of September, 2019, is a day I will remember all my life. General Secretary Xi Jinping came to our village to look into efforts at poverty alleviation and industrial development.Yang Changjia, student of Guangshan RTVU, Henan Branch of the OUC and Party secretary of Dongyue Village reported to general secretary Xi Jinping about how economic development and poverty alleviation have been handled there. As of September 2019, the OUC had invested more than RMB 1.2 million in Guangshan County, directly benefiting 639 people.
7.Delegation Headed by Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council Ding Xiangyang Visits OUC to Investigate and Guide the Construction of the National Credit Bank for Vocational Education
On 24 September 2019, Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council, visited the Open University of China (OUC) with a delegation in order to conduct research and guide the construction of the National Credit Bank for Vocational Education, along with Sun Yao, vice minister of Ministry of Education (MOE).
8. OUC 2019 Teaching Working Conference and 3rd Session of the General Assembly of the OUC School Affairs Committee Held in Beijing
From 10 to 11 October 2019, the OUC 2019 Teaching Working Conference and Third Session of the General Assembly of the OUC School Affairs Committee was held in Beijing. Jing Degang, director of the OUC School Affairs Committee, made a work report titled "Concentrating on Quality and Focusing on Creating Distinctive Features.” Jing Degang stressed that it is necessary to take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a guide, focus on “China Education modernisation 2035”, maintain the OUC's 40 years of running school experience, proceed from China's national conditions, take root in China, adhere to the principle of nurturing talents through virtue, make the OUC into a world-class open university with Chinese characteristics within the open university system, and become an important pillar for a learning society in China.
9. Fundamental Norms for the Professional Behaviour of OUC Teachers Released
On 26 November, the Open University of China (OUC) issued a notice on Fundamental Norms for the Professional Behaviour of OUC Teacher to its branches and schools. The notice pointed out that each branch and school should understand the importance of strengthening the construction of its teaching team and standardising the professional behaviour of its faculty and staff. The construction of teaching teams the ethical development of teacher should be considered important long-term tasks.
10. OUC Holds Quality Management Work Conference
From 28-29 November 2019, the Quality Management Work Conference of the Open University of China (OUC) was held in Shenzhen. The conference focused on implementing the spirit of the 4th Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, advancing the OUC's strategy of "creating excellence and improving quality", systematically summarising quality management work experience, and developing new models and ideas for quality monitoring, evaluation, and supervision.
11. OUC Teaching and Scientific Research Meeting Kicks Off
From 5-6 December 2019, the 2019 OUC Teaching and Scientific Research Meeting was held in Haikou, Hainan Province. The meeting aimed to study general secretary Xi Jinping’s important thinking on education and the spirit of the National Education Conference, comprehensively implement China Education Modernisation 2035, systematically summarise the achievements and experiences of distance higher education reform and development in China over the past 40 years, and promote the construction of an open university with Chinese characteristics through scientific research. The theme of the meeting was "unite to build a strong foundation to create a new situation in scientific research.”
12. Achievements of the OUC's ‘Realising Dreams of Further Education’ Programme Reported by Media Delegation
From 16-20 December 2019, the media delegation for the OUC's ‘Realising Dreams of Further Education' visited the OUC branches in Guangdong and Fujian for in-depth interviews related to this programme; it was accompanied by the OUC Publicity Department (Press Centre) and the Office for Industrial-worker Education. The interviews were conducted with both enterprise personnel and students in order to determine the changes the programme had brought about in the lives of workers. The delegation was made up of 11 reporters from 9 media outlets, including Guangming Daily, the People's Political Consultative Conference News, China Youth Daily, Farmers’ Daily, Workers’ Daily, China Education Network Television, People’s Daily Online, China Online, and E-Learning.
By OUC News Network