Beijing, 7 April 2026 - To advance comprehensive reforms in open education, the Open University of China (OUC) held a seminar to push forward the open education “101 Plan”. OUC President Dr. WANG Qiming attended the meeting. All members of the university leadership, deans of academic schools, and heads of relevant functional departments were present. The meeting was chaired by OUC Vice President Dr. LI Song.

Dr. WANG Qiming outlined four priorities:

First, to clarify strategic positioning and set the right direction. Open education should build on its role in developing a lifelong education system and optimising lifelong learning services, using the “101 Plan” as an opportunity to advance digital transformation.

Second, to establish reform goals and map out the tasks. Build a degree and non-degree education system that fits the characteristics of open education, covering the full spectrum from micro-courses and micro-majors to traditional degree programmes. Create a new ecosystem and paradigm for open education, taking small steps to achieve big leaps and driving breakthrough innovations in digitalisation. Make the “101 Plan” a testing ground for “four futures” (future teachers, future classrooms, future schools, and future learning centres).

Third, to focus on core reforms and tackle key challenges. Systematically plan the core elements of the “101 Plan” — programmes, courses, textbooks, faculty, practice, and assessment. Innovate programme development, address critical issues such as repositioning talent cultivation programmes, restructuring core curricula, and leveraging AI for breakthroughs, and enhance the accessibility of open education.

Fourth, to refine implementation pathways and ensure tangible results. OUC will strengthen institutional mechanisms to advance reforms in an organised manner, deepen cooperation with other institutions, fully mobilise system-wide efforts to research, reform, and practice simultaneously, reinforce technical support with AI empowerment at its core to seek common breakthroughs, strengthen staffing and funding support, and establish necessary incentive mechanisms.

GU Xiaohua, Director of the Academic Affairs Department, reported on the progress of the “101 Plan”. Deans of academic schools presented specific implementation plans, and OUC Online Education & Information Technology Co., Ltd, the university-owned enterprise, introduced the development of the new-generation smart learning platform. Participants offered constructive suggestions on reform priorities and challenges, implementation pathways, integrated curriculum design and teaching operation mechanisms, building high-calibre teaching teams, technology empowerment, and organisational support.

It is concluded in the seminar that the “101 Plan” is a key lever for innovation in open education reform and will bring systemic changes to talent cultivation. The implementation plans presented by academic schools were concrete and clear, preliminary work has been solid. Reform consensus and key elements are now clearer. Moving forward, the OUC “101 Plan” will drive high-quality development of open education through deepened teaching reforms, laying a solid foundation for building a learning-oriented society and country.

By Academic Affairs Department

Photo by ZHUGE Huanyu

Published: 9 April 2026