Recently, the inaugural conference and first seminar of the National Collaborative Consortium for Cultivation of Professionals in Childcare and Management for Infants and Young Children were held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
The event was organised by the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education (CSTVE) and hosted by its Committee for Old Age Health Preservation and Childhood Nurturing Programme, Medical and Health Education Professional Committee, and the Childcare for Infants and Young Children Professional Committee of the China Population Culture Promotion Association. Over 400 experts, scholars, representatives from the industries and academic institutions nationwide attended the event.
Lu Xin, president of the CSTVE and former vice minister of education, attended the conference.
Lu Xin presented plaques to the institutional members, recognising them as members of the "National Collaborative Consortium for Cultivation of Professionals in Childcare and Management for Infants and Young Children".
At the inaugural ceremony, 29 institutions, including the School of Education at the Open University of China (OUC), the Department of Early Childhood Education at East China Normal University, the School of Early Childhood Education at Capital Normal University, and Ningbo College of Health Sciences, were officially recognised as the founding members of the consortium. Lu Xin, president of the CSTVE and former vice minister of education, attended the event and presented plaques to the institutional members, acknowledging their status as members of the "National Collaborative Consortium for Cultivation of Professionals in Childcare and Management for Infants and Young Children."
Fan Xianrui, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the OUC, and executive director of the Committee for Old Age Health Preservation and Childhood Nurturing Programme of the CSTVE, attended the conference and chaired the keynote report session.
The establishment of the National Collaborative Consortium for Cultivation of Professionals in Childcare and Management for Infants and Young Children marks a significant milestone in the field of infant and toddler care services in China. By joining the consortium, the OUC has strengthened its connections with various universities, industry associations, educational research institutions, and outstanding enterprises, promoting the cultivation and collaboration of talent in childcare for children aged 0-3 years. The School of Education at the OUC will seize this opportunity to actively engage in a series of collaborative activities, effectively responding to the national strategic goals of optimising birth policies and promoting long-term balanced population development.
Firstly, the OUC will advance the construction and reform of its programmes. The early childhood education major (with a focus on early education for children aged 0-3) will actively incorporate high-quality courses and teaching resources from consortium members, exploring new models of open education that integrate industry and education. Secondly, the School of Education will collaborate on scientific research, working with other member institutions to continuously research topics such as infant and toddler care theories and practices, healthy growth of infants and toddlers, and the provision of public care services. This research will support industry development and talent cultivation. Thirdly, the School of Education will expand resource sharing, leveraging the OUC's achievements and advantages in educational digitalisation to promote the co-construction and sharing of high-quality childcare and early education course resources for infants and young children across different regions and fields.
Written by Pan Maoming, OUC
Photos by the CSTVE