An advanced seminar on the construction and development of Liaoning Open University (Liaoning OU), co-organised by the Open University of China (OUC) and Liaoning OU, was held in Beijing from 11-14 October 2021. A total of 95 people, including Yi Huanbin, Liaoning OU Party secretary, Guo Yongxin, president of Liaoning OU, Wang Hongyu and Li Dongqing, vice presidents of Liaoning OU, as well as student representatives from relevant departments of Liaoning OU and various branches at the prefecture, district, and county levels in Liaoning Province, participated in the seminar.
The seminar included expert reports, visiting Red Education sites for Party history learning, and a summary session. Guo Yongxin chaired the meeting.
Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and President of the OUC, gave a report entitled “Sparing no efforts to promote the high-quality development of the OUC under the guiding principles of the General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech on 1 July.” Jing Degang comprehensively explained a series of thoughts and measures to promote the high-quality development of the OUC in the new era from four aspects, including vigorously carrying forward the great spirit of party building and improving the quality of education and teaching as a whole. He also pointed out that members of the OUC should engage in in-depth learning of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech made on 1 July, carry forward the great spirit of party building, and bear in mind the instructions General Secretary Xi Jinping gave to Chinese youth in the new era. The OUC should remain committed to its original mission, stay steadfast in the direction of its development, and carry forward its fine tradition. He also stressed that education quality is the foundation of the survival of open universities and pledged that the OUC would build “Four Platforms” to achieve “Four Transformations,” and build a world-class open university in a “three-step” manner.
Zhang Lei, director of the Higher Continuing Education Division, Department of Vocational and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, gave a report on the “New situation and new tasks of higher continuing education reform and development in the new era”. He elaborated on higher continuing education from four aspects: its historical contribution and basic experiences, the current development status and existing problems, the importance and necessity of promoting high-quality development, and considerations in promoting high-quality development in the new era. He made an in-depth analysis of the general ideas and measures of the reform of degree and non-degree continuing education. He pointed out that, in terms of degree continuing education, we should unify requirements, carry out comprehensive reform, apply uniform standards in an all-round way, and improve quality and strengthen the foundation. For non-degree continuing education, we should adhere to an overall demand-driven development principle and focus on the construction of meaningful, problem-oriented development. The report offered valuable guidance for the development of Liaoning OU’s educational business.
Li Yanzhong, director of the Reform and Development Department of the OUC, Han Yi, director of the Department of Quality Monitoring and Control, and Ye Zhihong, former director of the Academic Affairs Department, delivered special reports on the OUC’s reform and development, teaching quality, and educational reform respectively.
In addition, the seminar focused on the combination of party history learning and education with professional training. Participants visited the OUC’s “Internet +” Operation Exhibition Centre, as well as the Xiangshan Revolution Memorial Hall and the Old Revolutionary Site of Xiangshan Revolution of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The visit encouraged them to remember the glorious course of the CPC’s century-long struggles, inherit and carry forward the modest, prudent, and hardworking spirit of the revolutionists of the older generation, inherit the revolutionist’ red genes, and gather strength to advance bravely.
OUC vice presidents Ju Chuanjin, Yi Huanbin, Guo Yongxin, Wang Hongyu, Li Dongqing, and other related representatives, attended the closing ceremony, which was presided over by Wang Hongyu. During the summary of the seminar, Yi Huanbin praised the training results and summed up three characteristics of the training event, which was characterised by high-level training with high-quality and high levels of effectiveness. At the same time, he hoped that all trainees would take this training session as an opportunity and apply what they have learned in their work so that they can work together to promote the high-quality development of open universities.
At the end of the seminar, Ju Chuanjin and Yi Huanbin jointly awarded certificates of completion to the trainees.
The seminar, with its careful training plan, effective organisation, and strong teaching team, has enabled trainees to reach new achievements. It represents an innovative way to promote coordination among members of the OUC system with the driving force of the training project, and also a positive exploration of the construction of a social training brand for the OUC. Through special reports, party history education, field visits, interactions, and sharing, the seminar strengthened communication among the OUC headquarters and its branches, schools, colleges, and study centres, building consensus and clarifying development concepts. The seminar is of great significance to the further implementation of the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan, promoting the high-quality development of the OUC, and constructing an educational system serving lifelong learning for all.
By OUC