From 8 to 18 June, the Open University of China (OUC) held an online seminar for the backbone teachers from its Civil Engineering (Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering) majors in order to study and implement the spirit of the National Education Conference and put into practice the fundamental task of cultivating learners through fostering virtue, as well as to promote the construction of teaching teams and enhance teachers’ teaching skills and ability to develop the discipline.

The seminar was held online. The participants completed the learning tasks by watching lectures, taking part in discussions online, self-directed online study, and writing reports. The lectures are closely related to the theme of ideology and politics education in courses, as well as“1+X”certificates and cutting-edge developments in the discipline, with experts and scholars from prestigious universities or well-known enterprises being invited to give lectures.

The seminar marks the first attempt by the OUC Faculty of Science and Engineering to hold online training for its teachers, meeting the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, and also representing the exploration of a new type training. Compared to previous years, this year more participants have access to the training, with more than 200 teachers taking part, four to five times the number that can take part in offline training. The participants all said that the seminar was well-designed with rich content, and that they were able to learn more about cutting-edge knowledge and skills, broaden their horizons, and further improve their professional abilities.

By Yan Xiaoyu, OUC