The Open University of China (OUC) launched an online teaching skills training for Mongolian teachers engaged in vocational education, the third of its kind, at the invitation of UNESCO from 8-9 December 2021.
The training, conducted via remote video, attracted 42 teachers and technicians from four Mongolian vocational colleges, Construction Polytechnic College (CPC), Polytechnic College Engineer Technology (PCET), Mongolia Korean Polytechnic College (MKPC), and Production and Art Polytechnic College (PAPC) to participate. The training represents another important practical way that the OUC is implementing the memorandum of cooperation signed between the OUC and UNESCO in May 2020 and consolidating the cooperative partnership between the two sides.
Fan Xianrui, OUC vice President, delivered a video speech at the opening ceremony. Fan Xianrui first expressed her heartfelt thanks to the Secretariat of the China National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Beijing Office for their guidance and support. She pointed out that China and Mongolia are two friendly neighbouring countries with adjoining mountains and rivers. Mongolia, as a country along the Belt and Road route, is one of China’s important cooperative partners. Over the past year, training sessions launched by the OUC for Mongolian teachers were highly praised by UNESCO as “a vivid practice in realising cooperation in the field of education between China and Mongolia,” which is “conducive to strengthening the resilience of Mongolia’s education system after the Covid-19 pandemic.” She introduced the theme of the training event, “TV educational programme production skills” and “student-centred online teaching” and expressed her wish that all Mongolian teachers and technicians participating in the training would make further outstanding achievements. She also hoped to take this opportunity to enhance understanding and mutual trust between the OUC and relevant institutions in Mongolia so as to jointly promote educational exchanges and cooperation at a deeper level and in a wider range of fields.
Robert Parua, educational programme specialist of the UNESCO Beijing Office, also delivered a speech. He expressed his gratitude to the OUC for its careful preparation and hard work, which ensured the success of the training. He also said that he was pleased to see UNESCO and the OUC working together once again to provide online teaching skills training for teachers and technicians of vocational colleges in Mongolia. He pointed out that in the face of sudden and severe outbreaks of Covid-19, every country needs to establish a stronger education system to help a wide range of people, including vocational educators, cope with the crisis. He hopes that UNESCO and the OUC will continue with their cooperation in 2022 and provide targeted training and strong support for Mongolian teachers and technicians to build their capacity in terms of information-based teaching.
The training was presided over by Shi Yunzhi, deputy director of the OUC International Department (the Centre of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language). Cui Qin, chief instructional designer of the OUC Digital Learning Resources Centre, and Liu Xiaoqian, a full-time teacher from the OUC Experimental School, were invited to give lectures.
Written by Hou Songyan; photos by Li Donghai,OUC