Recently, during the national opening ceremony of the 2024 National Lifelong Learning Activity Week, it was announced that the Open University of China (OUC)'s Academician Lecture Series, a decade-long science popularization initiative, was selected for inclusion on the Lifelong Learning Brand Projects list.
Launched in 2012, the Academician Lecture Series is a prestigious initiative for popularizing science, organised by the OUC in collaboration with the Bureau of Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Centre for Strategic Studies of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Since its inception, the project has hosted 120 academicians from both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with experts from top universities and research institutions across the country, totaling over 400 individuals. They have created 60 series, consisting of 778 episodes and 19,000 minutes of high-quality content aimed at educating the public on scientific topics. The project has conducted learning and promotional activities that blend online and offline participation, engaging 500 million participants and generating significant social impact. The science popularization resources developed by the project have earned 50 national and provincial-level awards.
Moving forward, the Academician Lecture Series project will continue to host esteemed academicians and experts, developing high-quality courses to popularize science. Designed to be both enriching and engaging, this initiative aims to enhance the scientific literacy of the general public. It supports a learning-oriented society and a nation committed to lifelong learning, where everyone can study whenever and wherever they want to. The project aspires to make even greater contributions to these goals.
On 26 April 2024, the general opening ceremony for the 2024 National Lifelong Learning Activity Week was held in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (China National Committee on Aging), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, and the China Adult Education Association. It was undertaken by the People’s Government of Liaoning Province and State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPIC), jointly organised by the Open University of China (OUC), the Education Department of Liaoning Province, and Northeast Electric Power Company Limited under the SPIC. Deputy Minister of Education Wu Yan attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. The conference unveiled the list of 194 national "Common People Learning Stars" in the new era and the promotion list of 191 "Lifelong Learning Brand Projects".
By Wang Xiaodan and Zhou Xiang, OUC