The Open University of China (OUC) held its 2020 Teaching Work Conference in Hangzhou from 26-27 November 2020.

The aim of the conference was to study and implement the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, promote the implementation of the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan, and drive the in-depth development of the education and teaching reform of the OUC and improvement of the quality of personnel training. More than 200 people attended the meeting,  including Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and OUC president, Yang Xiaotang and Lin Yu, two OUC vice presidents, leaders of universities (schools) in charge of teaching work, heads of educational administration and teaching departments of 45 OUC branches and 18 industry and corporate colleges and specialised schools, and responsible personnel from relevant departments of the OUC headquarters, the OUC Press, the Resource Centre, the OUC  Online and RTVU Online.

Jing Degang delivered a themed report entitled "Studying and Implementing the Guiding Principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and Promoting the High Quality Development of Open Education.” He pointed out that the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee has pointed out the direction for the high-quality development of open education. He also summarised the progress of education and teaching over the past year and put forward the key work to be done in implementing high-quality development. He stressed that it is necessary to accelerate the construction of the OUC system in accordance with the requirements of the OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan. The change in the name of open universities is a change in their fundamental form, however, the more important change lies in the transformation of their the educational philosophy from expansion to enhancement, from a focus on qualifications to one on knowledge, from providing degrees to enhancing skills, and from predominately online teaching to the integration of online and offline teaching. He hopes that open universities will become a major platform for lifelong and online education and a platform for flexible education and external cooperation.

Lin Yu gave a work report entitled "Vigorously Promoting the Implementation of the Strategy of Creating Excellence and Improving Quality.” His report covered three aspects: the general environment faced by teaching, the main progress made in 2020, and the work plan for 2021. He pointed out that in 2020, improvements and breakthroughs have been made in the teaching system, measures have been taken to control and improve quality, information transformation and upgrading has broken new boundaries, and a new path has been charted in experimental and demonstration projects and transformation. Looking forward to 2021, it is necessary to consolidate the foundation of teaching work, find support, strengthen the guarantee, and stimulate vitality. Unremitting and continuous efforts should be taken to promote the high-quality development of education and teaching in open universities.

The winners of the first and second prizes and best organising award for enrolment work of the OUC were commended and awarded medals.

Ye Zhihong, director of the OUC Academic Affairs Department; Han Yi, director of the Department of Quality Monitoring and Control; and Chen Kun and Qi Wenxin, vice directors of the Academic Affairs Department, gave reports entitled "Deepen Education and Teaching Reform, Improve the Quality of Personnel Training,” "Take New Measures to Strengthen Internal Governance and Help the OUC to Create Excellence and Improve Quality,” and "Improve the System Design and Quality of Education, Actively Promote the Construction of First Class Disciplines and Majors in Open Education,” respectively. The also gave the Report on the Construction of the Teachers’ Team centring on the management and evaluation of education and teaching, discipline and major construction, and the teaching team.

Representatives from OUC branches shared their experiences of teaching work. With reference to "One Class of Ideological and Political Education for Beijing,” the Beijing Branch introduced its practice in serving teachers and students in the system and improving teaching quality with the help of high-quality teachers from the industry and school running system, and through integrating the teaching needs of majors and courses. The Fujian Branch, using labor and social security, tea art and tea marketing, family farm and management as examples, presented the main measures and achievements of joint major construction from the perspectives of talent training plans, resource sharing models for majors, and teaching team construction. Starting from the implementation of the fundamental task of moral education and serving lifelong education for all, the Xi'an Branch introduced the concept and ideas of open learning and exchanged their experiences and practices in talent training model exploration, vocational skills improvement, and teaching process implementation. The Zhejiang Branch shared their best practices for how to continue to improve the "Talent Training Model of Open Universities Guided by Appropriate Demands and Evaluation" and contribute "Zhejiang Strengths" to the teaching construction of open universities.

The meeting, by complying with the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and relevant work reports and conforming to requirements of "Several Opinions of the OUC on Improving the Quality of Education and Teaching,” focused on strategies for creating excellence and improving quality in academic education. Group discussions were held on topics such as major and discipline construction, teaching team construction, the development of pilot projects for education and teaching reform, the educational evaluation of OUC branches. The attendees gave opinions on the revision of Standards for the Teaching Process of the OUC, Measures for Exemptions from Taking Courses and Examinations of the OUC, and the Implementation Plan for the OUC Rural Revitalisation Talent Training Program. Representatives from each group exchanged views at the meeting, where heated discussions were held.

Lin Yu summarised the meeting from four aspects. First, the meeting was invigorating. He said that the teaching work conference was held during a special period and put forward a requirement for more exchanges and frequent communication among members of the OUC system. Second, a consensus was reached in the meeting. It achieved initial results in quality improvement at the preliminary stage based on the insistent efforts of all involved, which strengthened determination for further implementation. Third, it conveyed pressure as well as a driving force to the OUC branches. The OUC has released corresponding policies, which need each branch to pass on to all levels of the OUC members. Fourth, concepts and ideas were exchanged. All branches should seize the window of opportunity of the construction period and give full play to their initiative and form joint forces.

 By OUC News Network