After three years of investigation and demonstrations, the Open University of China (the OUC) recently completed its examination and approved the professional project and development scheme for the junior college “Senior Services and Management” programme.

During the April 17 programme approval meeting, experts Lv Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Social Security Capacity Building Centre (EU-China Social Security Capacity Building Centre) of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Li Wei, Director of Information Centre of the China National Committee on Aging, Shang Shaomei, Peking University Nursing School professor, and Shen Bin, former President of Tianjin Medical College, fully affirmed and praised the programme.

Since 2012, the OUC School of Agroforestry and Medicine has started preparatory work on its “Senior Services and Management” programme. A few days ago, after the field investigation and survey of China National Committee on Aging, Beijing First Social Welfare Institution, Beijing Xicheng District Yinling Nursing Home and the Peking University Nursing School, the School of Agroforestry and Medicine finalized the OUC’s “Senior Services and Management” specialty cultivation programme. The approved plan was also based on research into such topics as State pension policy, the current social situation of senior citizens, the curriculums of similar programmes previously opened in several vocational colleges and the National Occupational Qualification Certificate, and assorted seminars and verification meetings. 

The OUC’s junior college-level “Senior Services and Management” programme targets staff who work in elder care facilities, community service for the aged, and home-based senior care. The programme focuses on cultivating applied and professional personnel that have a certain degree of management ability, which, meets the physical, mental and daily care needs of the healthy and disabled aged. The programme curriculum and content selection are in line with the main elementary, intermediate, and advanced content required by the National “Aged Care Worker” Occupational Qualification Certificate.  

During the approval meeting, Vice President Yan Bing, introduced the OUC and the “Senior Services and Management” programme’s current professional development status. Vice President Zhang Shaogang announced his expectations for this programme. Guo Xiaoxia, the Dean of the School of Agroforestry and Medicine, introduced the argumentation process and the makeup of the programme’s curriculum.

Now, as the aging problem in our country becomes increasingly severe, and the problem of supporting older people gradually worsens as a social concern, the need  for professionals to provide service for the aged is increasingly insistent. In August 2013, the State Council clearly stated that accelerating the development of services for the aged, expanding the scale of qualified professional cultivation, facilitating the function of the open universities and fostering continuing and distance degree education on the No.35 File. “Instruction on Advancing Aging Education in the OUC” ([2014] No.4) emphasizes that advancing education of seniors is a necessary aspect of implementing national pension policy. It is also a strategic choice that requires the initiative to undertake the OUC’s social responsibility.

The approval meeting was hosted by Kuang Guiqiu, the Director of the OUC Academic Affairs Department. Ma Ruolong, the Deputy Director of the President’s Office, Wang Qifu, the Dean of the School of Continuing Education, Du Ruo, the Deputy Director the of Department of Teaching Resources Management, together with faculty members from the School of Agroforestry and Medicine, attended the meeting.

Lv Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Social Security Capacity Building Centre of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security

Li Wei, Director of the Information Centre of the China National Committee on Aging 

Prof. Shang Shaomei, Peking University Nursing School

Shen Bin, former President of Tianjin Medical College

By He Jing, the OUC