On 19 September 2023, the Lifelong Education Institution of the Open University of China (OUC) hosted an academic forum focused on case studies related to the construction of world-class open universities.
The forum aims to support key initiatives within the university, such as the development of a globally connected digital university and the expansion of the Seniors University of China (SUC). The objective is to broaden the scope of academic inquiry and discuss transferable best practices from various open universities. These endeavours are intended to provide valuable insights and references for the creation of a world-class open university imbued with Chinese characteristics. The forum was chaired by Du Ruo, deputy director of the Institute.
Special presentations on studies concerning the Open University of Japan, Open University Malaysia, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka, and Anadolu University in Turkey were delivered by Yin Shuanxu, Liu Shu, Tan Wei, Jiang Yilu, and Li Shuguang, respectively. Their presentations focused on the universities' historical contexts, distinctive features and highlights, empirical research findings, and key insights gleaned from these studies.
The OUC Lifelong Education Research Institute has been actively engaged in the continuous monitoring and research of global trends in open universities. The institute has spearheaded the Case Studies on World Open Universities book series, with phased achievements that include the research and publication of an initial batch of 12 books in Chinese, followed by a second batch of 14 books in both Chinese and English. Participants at the forum engaged in extensive discussions on topics ranging from teaching and management to digital transformation, quality assurance, and credit transfer. Moreover, the forum provided a platform for deliberation on the criteria for defining a world-class open university and the key indices for constructing a digital university. Attendees included the research and editorial teams for the Case Studies on World Open Universities project, as well as faculty members from various academic departments.
By Liu Shu, OUC