4. Assisting the Growth and Development of New Industrial Workers: 32 OUC Majors Begin to Enroll Students for the First time in Autumn 2014
In autumn 2014, the OUC launched the “Assistance Plan for the Growth and Development of New Industrial Workers (hereinafter referred to as the “Assistance Plan”), which planned to open 32 majors in eight categories covering manufacturing, electronic information, and traffic and transportation. The Assistance Plan, as an important part of the OUC’s development strategy, was oriented towards helping frontline production and service workers to carry out degree and non-degree continuing education. Its aims include: serve the transformation and renewal of enterprises; assist the growth and development of workers; explore new industrial training models and mechanisms that will demonstrate the concept of lifelong learning and the features of the open university; enhance the comprehensive school running capacity of the OUC so that it can offer educational training services for lifelong learning; and explore how to establish an “overpass” for lifelong learning by using the credit bank.
Xue Lisheng: The economic structural adjustment and transformation and renewal of enterprises is a State strategy. The question is: how can it be realized? One of the methods is to raise the abilities and qualities of the industrial workers themselves. The fact that the OUC launched the Assistance Plan and planned to open 32 majors was based on the needs of frontline works. Orienting itself towards frontline workers not only conforms to the current demand to train skilled workers, but also chimes with the school running spirit of the OUC, which will play a stronger role in aiding the training of talented workers.
5. 14 Students from OUC Bayi School Win First Prize for 2013 Outstanding Army Sergeant
The four headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) (the General Staff Department (GSD), the General Political Department (GPD), the General Logistics Department (GLD), and the General Armament Department (GAD) circulated a notice to honor the winners of the first prize of 2013 Outstanding Army Sergeant. 14 students from the OUC Bayi School were presented with the award. Among the 239 awarded sergeants, winners from the Bayi School accounted for 6%.
Zhang Yi: Sergeants have become a significant part of China’s military capacity in the new era. Awarding outstanding sergeants reflects that great emphasis was put on the construction of a team of sergeants and the improvement of sergeants’ capabilities and qualities. It is of great importance in promoting China’s military capacity and fully arousing the enthusiasm and creativity of the sergeants. The OUC Bayi School provides a platform for sergeants to study, as well as helping to train the professionals of the army as a whole.
Wang Xunming: The 14 winners of the 2013 Outstanding Army Sergeants are spokesmen for the OUC. In addition, the news report is presented in a simple, vivid and powerful way. It not only focuses on specific points but also the story as a whole.
6. OUC Continues to Promote the Construction of a Credit Bank and Further Identifies Three Standard Accreditation Models
On August 29, 2014, a Workshop on the Application of Standards for Learning Outcomes Accreditation of the Credit Bank of the OUC was held in Beijing. The workshop summarized experiences in formulating accreditation standards. It also identified several standard accreditation models, including "Course sharing and credit transfer", "Dual-certificate integration" and the "Construction of a lifelong learning overpass”.
Li Defang: From the “establishment of a learning outcomes accreditation system and ‘credit bank’ system” put forward in the National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development(2010-2020) (hereinafter referred to as the “Outline”), to “positively promoting the construction of a ‘credit bank’, to exploring the construction of a ‘pathway’ to lifelong learning by building a system of learning outcomes accreditation, to the accumulation and transfer of credits mentioned in the MOE’s approval notice to the OUC, the OUC is positively connected with the national strategy. Its successes include fulfilling its own mission and organizing and integrating the teaching faculty and experts inside and outside the system, as well as resources from industry, enterprises, communities and all kinds of colleges. This is based on domestic demand, aimed at national standardization and referring to achievements from home and abroad. It has put forward three types of accreditation model: "course sharing and credit transfer", "dual-certificate integration" and the "construction of a lifelong learning overpass”. It has also proposed feasible accreditation standards, policy suggestions and operating models for the construction of national “credit bank” system.
Xue Lisheng: The OUC’s continuous promotion of the construction of the “credit bank” is an effective driver of a new learning system and managerial model. The OUC’s exploration of a new system will play a positive role in educational system reform in China. Looking ahead, it will bring unprecedented levels of convenience to the unified accreditation and accounting of all kinds of learning outcomes.