Esteemed faculty and staff:

On the occasion of the 36th Teachers' Day, I, on behalf of the Party committee of the Open University of China (OUC), would like to extend greetings to the faculty and staff who are working on the frontline of teaching, scientific research, management, and services and express my heartfelt thanks to the staff members who have made contributions to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.

I would also like to pay tribute to the retired comrades who have devoted their life to open education and the large number of teachers and employees now working diligently at their posts.

2020 has been an extraordinary year. On 15 January, Sun Chunlan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, inspected the OUC, pointing out the direction for the reform and development of open universities. Confronted with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, we pulled together and made sure that we were working toward the same direction, and as a result, we have delivered important phased results. We focused our work on the management of enrolment and teaching problems, with the aim of improving quality. Education for older adults and external training are now pressing ahead in an orderly manner. The National Credit Bank for Vocational Education has been put into operation. The construction of information technology has been accelerated. Remarkable results have been achieved in our poverty alleviation efforts and new breakthroughs have been made in reform and development. On 17 August, the Party Group meeting of the Ministry of Education deliberated on and approved the Comprehensive Reform Plan of the OUC, meaning the long-expected renaming of the Radio and TV Universities will soon be realised. Minister Chen Baosheng put forward new requirements for the construction of open universities, that is, to make open universities into the "main platform for lifelong education and online education and a platform for flexible education and international cooperation.” This will be the new goal and direction of our work and represents a new opportunity and a new leap forward for the reform and development of the OUC.

The goals have been set, and now, our key work is to implement these goals. Under the guidance of the socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in the new era proposed by Xi Jinping, we will vigorously implement the "1233" project. We will make firm efforts to improve quality and not withdraw such efforts until results have been achieved. We will consolidate and strengthen our operational foundations and overcome difficulties in a down-to-earth manner, in order to make the OUC into a national-standard team of "Internet plus education.” a vibrant and widely respected university, and a new university of global influence in the open education field. I hope that all members of the OUC will not forget their original intention and mission, will keep forging ahead in the new era, and keep drawing a brand-new blueprint, in order to seize the moment and live up to our time.

Finally, I hope that everyone is healthy and does well at work. Happy Teachers' Day!

By OUC