A signing ceremony for a strategic cooperation framework agreement between the Open University of China (OUC) and Zhejiang Conservatory of Music was held recently at the campus of the latter.
Wang Rui, president of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, and Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the OUC, delivered speeches and signed the agreement on behalf of the two sides. Jia Xiuying, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Yang Xiaotang, vice president of the OUC, and heads of relevant departments from both sides attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Hu Jianxin, secretary of the Party Committee of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.
Wang Rui introduced a series of innovative measures taken and construction achievements reached by Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in terms of disciplines, majors, personnel training, teaching staff construction, artistic creation, and teaching reform. He pointed out that OUC, as a new type of higher education institution, boasts rich teaching, talent, and social resources, a mature open and distance education system, and the advantages of a public service platform spreading throughout China. It is an important force in “building an education system serving lifelong learning for all.” The strategic cooperation between the two universities will further promote the integration of high-quality educational resources with the characteristics of the two sides, enhance the comprehensive educational strength and social influence of both sides, and promote the high-level construction and high-quality development of the two universities.
Jing Degang introduced the basic situation and educational characteristics of the OUC in terms of learner development, teaching team, and social services, and elaborated on the construction plan for creating “a first-class global open university” by linking it with the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan. He said that as a new university, the OUC has a school running system that covers all of China and serves all people, and is striving to build a major platform for lifelong and online education and a platform for flexible and foreign cooperation. This cooperation will effectively leverage the positive role of the OUC as a major platform for lifelong and online education for all and enhance the influence and coverage of the unique, high-quality education resources of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. It will realise the co-construction and sharing of resources of both sides and achieve mutual benefit and a win-win situation. Furthermore, it will create a model for cooperation between the OUC and general universities and explore a new model of development for higher education and art education, so as to jointly promote the construction of a learning society and a lifelong education system.
By Chen Kun, OUC