In order to study and implement the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and accurately grasp the meaning of the Lecture Notes of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Exposition on Education, Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the Open University of China gave a live class on “Situation and Policy” to all teachers and students in the system on 4 December 2020.
The topic was Developing Open Education by Putting Down Roots in the Vast Land of China. More than 100,000 teachers and students watched the live class via various platforms.
Jing Degang interpreted the core meaning and deployment requirements of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the specific requirements of “Building a High-Quality Education System.” In his view, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee has set the direction for the development of open education in China. It is essential to take the initiative to adapt to the development trends of digital, intelligent, lifelong, and integrated education, and to make the OUC into a major platform for lifelong education in China, a major platform for online education, a platform for flexible education, and a platform for external cooperation. In this way, it will become a major force serving lifelong learning for all and offer powerful support for a skilled society. In combination with the history, development, and achievements of the university, Jing Degang pointed out that the development of open education must adhere to an open education development path with Chinese characteristics by taking into consideration the reality of the situation in China. He gave a thorough analysis of the opportunities faced by the transformational development of open universities. He underlined that it is imperative to stand at a new starting point to build the OUC using new concepts. It is necessary to view the OUC from an internal perspective to sum up its past experience and remember its history. It is necessary to view the OUC from an external perspective to rethink the present and to have the courage to reform. Finally, it is necessary to view the OUC from a future-oriented perspective to strengthen confidence and forge ahead with determination. He focused on the new mission of the OUC, introduced the “three-step” development goal of building a first-class global open university over the next 30 years, and described the strategies and tactics necessary to achieve this goal.
The live class was well received by many teachers and students. All the OUC branches were active in organising online viewings and after-class exchanges and discussions. People said that the lecture had broad horizons and high-level positioning. After listening to the special lecture, everyone gained a more comprehensive understanding of “running education by putting down roots in the vast land of China” underlined by General Secretary Xi Jinping and a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of the OUC. They all expressed their readiness to build on the foundations of their jobs, to study seriously, to live the day to the full, and to press ahead in an effort to make contributions to making the OUC into a first-class global open university.
By Zhang Liyuan,OUC