“China Distance Education Academic Forum”, hosted by the Open University of China (OUC) and co-sponsored by Heilongjiang Radio and TV University (RTVU), Jilin RTVU, Liaoning RTVU, and Distance Education in China magazine, was held in Harbin on 7 June 2014. Fourteen representatives participated in academic exchanges centred on the topic “construction of open universities and old industrial base revitalization in the northeast of China”.
The revitalization of northeast China's old industrial base is an important strategic decision for national economic and social development which was put forward by the Party Central Committee. In 2003, the Party Central Committee and the State Council put forward “Some Suggestions on Implementing Revitalization Strategy of Old Industrial Base in the Northeast of China”. In 2009, the State Council released “Some Suggestions on Further Implementing Revitalization Strategy of Old Industrial Base in the Northeast of China”. Training and cultivation of a large amount of high-quality laborers and professional talents of all kinds would help guarantee the rejuvenation of the old industrial base. The third plenary session of the eighteenth central committee pointed out the new opportunities and challenges faced by the revitalization of the old industrial base in the northeast of China in the move to comprehensively deepen reform. How to meet the social needs and changes in a way that would provide human resources support for the revitalization of the old industrial base was an important topic on deepening comprehensive reform in the field of education.
Over 30 years of developing progress, RTVUs have tried hard to suit the requirements of social development and educational reform via the positive influence of their learner formation and social service functions. Especially, through recent innovation and exploration, much progress and many achievements have been made, while at the same time several problems have been encountered which demanded prompt solutions. In the course of innovations in the construction of open universities and pushing forward the strategic transform of RTVUs, there are many important topics that need to be studied and dealt with in practical ways. These include: how to balance the purpose, orientation, function, and pursuit of quality and features of the open universities; compliance with and service of the revitalization strategy of the old industrial base in the northeast of China and the construction of a learning society in the northeast of China; and in the process of industrial transformation and conversion in economic development mode, how to provide services for effectively enhancing employees’ quality and ability and for lifelong learning of all kinds of members of the society.
Some scholars such as Sun Xianmin, Party Secretary and President of Heilongjiang RTVU, Xiao Kun, President of Liaoning RTVU, and Wu Xian, Vice President of Jilin RTVU, expressed their opinions about the revitalization of the old industrial base in the northeast of China and the mission of open universities. Chen Yongchang, the director of Provincial Scientific Advisory Committee of Heilongjiang introduced the current situation of the promotion and implementation of the revitalization strategy of the old industrial base in the northeast of China and his expectation for learner formation in colleges and universities. Other scholars including Bai Baoyan, Vice President of Harbin RTVU, Wen Jingwen, Party Secretary of Liaoning Science and Technology Institute, Liu Zuobing, Director of Organization Department of Liaoning RTVU, You Hong, Vice President of Shenyang RTVU, Chen Yao, Vice Director of Scientific Research and Planning Department of Heilongjiang RTVU, and Deng Liqiang from Open Education Department of Heilongjiang RTVU, elaborated on their viewpoints about helping revitalization of the old industrial base by RTVUs in central cities, “the view of big vocational education” on professional training aiding the rejuvenation of the old industrial base in the northeast of China, the construction of open universities and the changing social economy and learning needs, digital learning resources, and the construction of a learning society. Chen Hong, Deputy Dean of Food Vocational Institute of Heilongjiang RTVU and the Dean of Food Institute of the OUC, and Liu Xiping, Vice President of Dalian RTVU, expressed relevant opinions about the construction of Food Institute of the OUC and inspiration drawn from case studies based on samples taken from the northern islands.
Yan Bing, Vice President of the OUC and Editor in Chief of “Distance Education in China” expressed at the meeting that the construction of the open universities and revitalization of the old industrial base in the northeast of China had just begun. There were a lot of topics related to the project that were yet to be explored and studied in real practice. He hoped that the RTVUs and their branches and grass-roots level RTVUs in the northeastern China area could find a wide space in which to develop while open universities could also demonstrate their own energetic vitality.
A total of 80 people, including some of the leaders, personnel in charge of relative departments, and related staff from Heilongjiang RTVU, Jilin RTVU, and Liaoning RTVU, several staff from the OUC, and some representatives taking part in the enrollment meeting of the OUC, attended the forum.
By He Jing, the OUC