On 2nd November, 2017, the 2017 China International Distance Education Conference’s opening ceremony kicked off in Beijing. The education gala was held one week after the conclusion of the remarkable 19th National Congress of the CPC. It was sponsored by Distance Education in China, and enjoyed international participation. Thousands of people, including network educators, managements, practitioners, and researchers in the continuing education field, gathered in Beijing to discuss perspectives on network education and the development of continuing education.
At the morning’s opening ceremony, lecturers explained the implication of an education with socialist, Chinese characteristics, and its effects in the new era, including on mission, goal, and tasks, as well as discussed differing points of view on continuing education in the new era. Through their talks, participants gained confidence and identified an end-goal. The gala embodied the spirit of the 19th National Congress of CPC, and inspired learning in the fields of network education and continuing education.
In Ge Weiwei’s speech, he covered the remarkable 19th National Congress of the CPC, and a major recent political conclusion. There is a contradiction in our education between unbalanced and inadequate development, and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. This key historic change has put forward new requirements on the CPC for national tasks such as education. The nation is marching into a new era. The CPC has put forward a new task of “operating continuing education smoothly, accelerating the construction of a learning society, and strongly improving quality across the nation." Operating continuing education programs well is not only an important aspect in meeting people's needs for a better life, but also a strategic choice for improving quality across the national.
Department of Vocational and Adult Education Deputy Inspector under the Ministry of Education, Ge Weiwei, delivers a speech
Deputy secretary of the Party Committee at the OUC, Yang Xiaotang, delivers a speech
The OUC’s Party committee deputy secretary, Yang Xiaotang, delivered a speech on behalf of OUC president and chairman of the China Association for Educational Technology, Yang Zhijian. In the speech, Yang Zhijian said, the meeting held great significance. The conference’s theme was "transformation." Over the four decades since the reform and opening up began in 1978, the Communist Party of China has been leading the Chinese people in their transformation towards the future. It has achieved great success, but the transformation is a process of realization. Success in one stage implies the start of a new transformation in another stage. Transformation has become a common call across distance and open education in the new era. Transformation requires courage, and even more, reform and innovation.
MOE’s director of the Comprehensive Reform Department, Liu Zicheng, delivers a report
The MOE’s director of the Comprehensive Reform Department, Liu Zicheng, delivered a report entitled The Significance of the 19th National Congress of the CPC in Chinese Education. He said the 19th National Congress of the CPC had put forth new thoughts, judgments, goals, and initiated a new journey. It would have a profound impact on the world. What is the significance of the 19th National Congress of the CPC in terms of Chinese education? What should we do?
He summarised the way forward in five points. First, the 19th National Congress of the CPC signifies the upcoming of a new era. We should value education deeply. Second, the 19th National Congress of the CPC signifies that China's education has new guidelines. We need to cultivate builders and successors to a socialism with Chinese characteristics, and train a new generation that can undertake a national rejuvenation, rather than train opponents and spectators. Third, the 19th National Congress of the CPC signifies that supply and demand in China's education system have undergone a new change. Fourth, the 19th National Congress of the CPC has imposed new requirements on China's higher education. A stronger education will provide support and service in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Fifth, the 19th National Congress of the CPC signifies that China's education system has begun a new journey. We should offer practical education for the people.
General-secretary of National Education Consultation Committee Zhang Li delivered a report entitled Deeply Implement the Spirit of the 19th National Congress of CPC to Accelerate the Modernisation of Education. He stressed that the 13th "five-year" period will be a decisive stage for building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. We should take Xi Jinping's thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era as fundamental guidelines, deeply adhere to them, and incorporate the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC into the education system. We should take morality building as a priority, education quality improvement as the means, educational equality as key concern, deepening of comprehensive reforms as a driving force, guarantee law-based education, and enhance the modernisation of the education system and its capabilities to build a more powerful educational system.
NCET Education Library Curator and Party secretary Wang Zhuzhu gave a report titled New Era, New Journey, and New Tasks for Education Modernisation. She said the new era has opened a new journey for the informatisation of education. New tasks lie ahead, such as building new forms of smart education, and accelerating the modernisation of education. To accomplish the new tasks, it is important to define the demands of education in this new era, find out the driving force(s) behind technology, and accurately plan. Network education is believed to soon emerge as a solid prospect.
Stephen Downes, senior researcher of the Canada National Research Committee, gives a report
Stephen Downes, senior researcher at the Canada National Research Committee, and the father of MOOCs, gave a report titled Online Learning and MOOCs: Visions and Pathways. He responded to those who stated MOOCs are dead, as well as analysed various current MOOCs, and pointed out that MOOCs are about personal learning, rather than personalised learning. In the future, he said, the students will be the tutors. He concluded that tremendous MOOC developments are yet to come.
Executive deputy director at the Open Edutainment Distance Education Centre and general manager at the Beijing Open Edutainment Distance Education Centre, Ltd., Zhao Min, delivered a theme report titled Quality is the Lifeline of Open Edutainment People. The president of Chaoxing Group, Shi Chao, delivered a report titled Mobile Learning, Change the Future. The president of Hongcheng Education Group delivered a theme report titled Link the Learners to A Better Future.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhao Wei, president of Distance Education in China. The main forum in the afternoon was presided over by Feng Lin, chief editor of Distance Education in China.
In the main forum, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s deputy general secretary, and vice chairman of China Association for Promoting Democracy Central Committee, Zhu Yongxin, the CEO of Dangdang Li Guoqing, director of Technology and Digital Publishing Department of China Publishing Group Corporation, and general manager of China Publishing Group Corporation Digital Media Co. Ltd., Lai Xuemei, the general manager of the OUC Publishing Group, Kuang Guiqiu, the deputy general manager of Suzhou Qingying Feifan Software Technology, Ltd., Chen Wenxin, the professor and PhD tutor at Beijing Normal University, Zhang Weiyuan, the director of the Taiwan Consultation Policy Committee Digital Education Research Institute’s Study Centre, Liao Zhaohong, respectively delivered a reports titled Credit Bank and Future Education, "Internet+": Challenges Faced by Publication and Education, Path and Practice of Publication Integrated Development, Practice and Exploration of Digital Publication of Distance Open Education, Heavier or Lighter--Crossroad of Content Transformation, Learning Outcomes Accreditation Mode and Future Development in the International Viewpoint, and Future Development Trend and Technology Innovation Mode of Industry Enterprise Learning.
The team behind the innovative CCTV documentary Foresee the Future of Education, China Education Television (CETV), and other media interviewed most guests on-site.
The conference was sponsored by Distance Education in China, under the guidance of the Chinese Society of Education, China Association of Higher Education, the China Adult Education Association, China Association for Educational Technology, Cooperation Team of National Higher Education and Modern Distance Education, and the OUC. Open Edutainment Distance Education Centre, Qingying Feifan, Hongcheng Education, and Chaoxing Group co-sponsored the conference. From 2002 to 2017, the conference has been held 16 consecutive times, and has an authority with profound influence, especially in the fields of distance education and corporate learning within China and the Asian Pacific. It is the premier annual ceremony in China's education industry, and is of special significance in the development of Chinese modern distance education and corporate learning.
By Liu Zenghui, E-Learning