The opening ceremony of the Jiangxi Branch of the Open University of China (OUC) was held at Jiangxi Radio and TV University (RTVU) on December 27, 2013. Yang Zhijian, President of the OUC, and Shi Rongrong, Deputy Secretary of the Education Working Committee of Jiangxi Province and Secretary of Jiangxi RTVU Party Committee,  jointly inaugurated the branch.

At the opening ceremony, Yang Zhijian pointed out that Jiangxi RTVU is a major representative of the Radio and TV Universities (RTVUs) in central China. Jiangxi RTVU has gradually developed its own characteristics through the process of open and distance education. Progress has been made in many aspects, such as teaching reform, learner support, teaching quality, and non-degree vocational training, all of which have provided a solid foundation for the OUC Jiangxi Branch. He hopes that, under the leadership of Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee (JPPC) and the provincial government, and with the guidance of the Education Working Committee of the JPPC and Jiangxi Provincial Education Department, Jiangxi RTVU can further strengthen the construction of the system and operating mechanism, digitization and credit bank,  continue to deepen educational and teaching reform, and promote teaching quality, in order to further contribute to the lifelong learning system and the development of a learning society in Jiangxi.

Shi Rongrong hopes that Jiangxi RTVU will view the opening ceremony as a new start and learn from the experiences from other RTVUs in municipalities and cities around China. It should aim for the overall construction of a learning society and lifelong learning system in Jiangxi, continue to promote system construction and teaching quality, form its own characteristics, and be a model for the development of distance higher education in Jiangxi province.

In addition, five pilot schools – Jiujiang, Pingxiang, Yichun, Shangrao, and Ganzhou  – and 15 pilot learning centres, including Xiushui and Duchang, were inaugurated during the meeting.

Those present at the opening ceremony included the leaders of provincial RTVUs in Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Gansu, Xi’an, Guangzhou and Qingdao, functionaries from relevant departments in the OUC and the Education Department in Jiangxi Province, university authorities and mid- to high-level cadres from Jiangxi RTVU, and functionaries from the local pilot schools and learning centres.

By Jiangxi RTVU