It was reported at the promotion meeting for the transformation and development of the Hebei Open University (Hebei OU) held on 19 December 2020 that Hebei Provincial People’s Government has approved the renaming of Hebei Radio and TV University (Hebei RTVU) to Hebei OU. Relevant RTVUs at municipal and county levels in Hebei Province were also renamed as open universities.

After the renaming, Hebei OU’s original status as an undergraduate higher education institution and its relationship between administrative subordination, its management system, and its existing right to run degree and non-degree education remain unchanged. As the regional centre of Hebei province, Hebei OU will be included into the school running system of the Open University of China (OUC) and receive the OUC's guidance and management in terms of business development.

The unveiling ceremony of Hebei OU

After the renaming, with a mission of promoting lifelong learning, Hebei OU will undertake the tasks of serving lifelong learning for all and promoting the construction of an educational system in Hebei region, as well as exploring the integrated development of higher education, vocational education, and continuing education. Hebei OU will focus on the national development strategy and actively serve the region’s economic and social development and coordinate the harmonious development of both degree and non-degree education. Furthermore, it will improve teaching quality and efficiency in an all-round way and speed up its transformation and development so as to develop into the main platform for lifelong and online education in Hebei Province, as well as a platform for flexible education and external cooperation. It will become a major support mechanism for serving lifelong learning and developing a technological society.

Ji Jixian, secretary of the Party committee of Hebei RTVU, noted: “Hebei OU will use the renaming as a turning point to implement the requirements put forward by Hebei Provincial People’s Government in the document ‘On Approving the Renaming of Hebei RTVU as Hebei Open University,’ and will pull together different strengths and resources to promote the expansion of study centres in townships (streets) and tutorial centres in villages (communities) so as to give people in the province access to more and fairer educational achievements, making Hebei Open University a true “university for the people.”

By OUC News Network, reprinted from Hebei Daily