The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) held its 34th Annual Conference from 1 to 3 June 2021 at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The conference was held both online and offline, and its theme was “Opening minds for a sustainable future: Re-orienting ODL to surmount challenges”. The paper submitted by the Open University of China (OUC), titled “Best Practices of Poverty Alleviation through ODE: A Case Study from the OUC” received a silver medal of AAOU Best Practice Award.

Ju Chuanjin at the Annual Conference of AAOU

Yang Xiaotang at the AAOU Executive Committee meeting

To take part in academic exchanges, discuss the management issues of international organisations, keep abreast of the latest international academic and practical achievements, and contribute China’s experiences to the growth of open and distance education in Asia, the OUC arranged for seven personnel to attend the conference online. These included Ju Chuanjin and Yang Xiaotang, OUC vice presidents; Zhang Zhijun, director of the Poverty Alleviation Office; and Shi Yunzhi, deputy director of International Department. Both Yang Xiaotang and Shi Yunzhi attended the AAOU Executive Committee meeting, while Shi Yunzhi also attended the AAOU General Body meeting discussing the AAOU’s internal management. A paper co-authored by Ju Chuanjin, Zhang Zhijun, and three others, titled “Best Practices of Poverty Alleviation through ODE: A Case Study from the OUC” received an AAOU Best Practice silver medal after two rounds of selections from 90 papers. It was the first time for the OUC to receive this award, and the second time for the Chinese mainland since the establishment of the award in 2014.

By Niu Ben, OUC