A ceremony to celebrate the establishment of Shenzhen Open University (Shenzhen OU), alongside an exhibition of the achievements of the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen Radio and TV University (Shenzhen RTVU), was held on 20 March 2021.

Wang Qiang, member of the Standing Committee of Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and director of Shenzhen Publicity Department; Nie Xinping, member of the Party Group and vice mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government; Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the Open University of China (OUC); Chen Qiuming, secretary of the Education Working Committee of Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee; secretary of the Party Group and director of Shenzhen Education Bureau; and Lin Yu, OUC vice president, attended the event and jointly unveiled Shenzhen OU.

Leaders unveiling Shenzhen OU

Nie Xinping, vice mayor of Shenzhen, delivering a speech.

At the unveiling ceremony, Nie Xinping, on behalf of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, praised the achievements of the university over the past 40 years. He pointed out that the establishment of Shenzhen OU signifies that the development of adult higher education has reached a higher starting point with higher requirements. The Shenzhen Party and government took this measure in order to promote the construction of an education system serving lifelong learning for all and develop Shenzhen's first demonstration zone, as well as to implement the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. He said that he hopes that Shenzhen OU will become a major force and location for lifelong learning for all, and will make efforts to cultivate more and better talents to meet the needs of the country, the city, and the times. He pledged that the Municipal Party Committee and Government will, as always, provide sufficient support and a strong guarantee for the further reform, construction, and development of Shenzhen OU.

Secretary Jing Degang giving a speech

In his speech, Jing Degang stressed that over the past 40 years, Shenzhen OU has trained nearly 200,000 undergraduate and junior college talents and provided non-degree education and training to nearly 1.5 million people, which has offered foundational support for and made positive contributions to the reform and opening up of Shenzhen. Standing at this new starting point, he hopes that Shenzhen OU will realise the four transformations “from seeking quantity to strengthening quality, from a focus on qualifications to one on knowledge, from providing degrees to enhancing skills, and from prioritising online teaching to the integrated development of online and offline teaching” so as to construct a main platform for lifelong and online education, a platform for flexible education, and a platform for external cooperation, and concentrate efforts on building a high-level open university.

Zhong Zhihong, secretary of the Party Committee of Shenzhen OU, giving a speech

Zhong Zhihong, secretary of the Party Committee and president of Shenzhen OU, said that the university will bear in mind the sincere instructions of the municipal government and the OUC, and make efforts to transform the university into a demonstration zone for ideological and political education, a place for pioneering Internet Plus lifelong learning, and a place for the education and quality improvement of Shenzhen’s citizens. It will also be a venue for cultural exchanges in open education in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, so as to make new contributions to the “Construction of Two Zones” and the pilot projects for comprehensive reform in Shenzhen.

Also present at the event were leaders of some other government institutions, including the Publicity Department and Shenzhen Organisation Department of Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, as well as university personnel in charge of branch schools and tutorial centres, university leaders above middle-level, retired leaders, alumni representatives, news media, and university partners. The university also received 57 congratulatory letters from the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, the OUC, twinned institutions, open universities within and outside Shenzhen, outstanding alumni, and other units and individuals. The meeting was presided over by Xiong Kun, vice president of Shenzhen OU.

Outstanding alumni receiving commendations

Faculty and staff who have worked in the university for 30 years receiving commendations at the ceremony

Dong Ming, an outstanding alumni representative and National Moral Model, giving a speech

The official launch of the Shenzhen i-Learning lifelong learning platform

During the event, outstanding alumni, as well as faculty members who have worked at the university for more than 30 years, received commendations. Dong Ming, an outstanding alumni representative and National Moral Model, made a speech. The Shenzhen i-Learning lifelong learning platform was also officially launched at the ceremony.

By Shenzhen OU