The Open University of China (OUC) provides the general public with degree education services. It also attaches special importance to the educational needs of grassroots learners in rural, remote, and ethnic minority areas, offering degree and non-degree education services, undertaking social responsibility, and promoting educational equality.
One College Student Per Village Programme
The OUC has established 18 junior college majors and two undergraduate majors aimed at rural development. The majors have enrolled 600,000 people of which 400,000 have already successfully graduated, cultivating a batch of practical science and technology, and business management professionals that can aid in modern agricultural construction.
Distance Education for Non-Commissioned Officers
The OUC carries out distance degree education for officers and soldiers in the armed forces and the armed police, helping realise their dreams of attending university. The study centres are located in frontier defence, coastal defence, and remote areas where troops are stationed. To date, the programme has enrolled 360,000 people of which 220,000 have already successfully graduated, providing education and training services for 120,000 officers and soldiers.
Education for the Disabled
The OUC conducts higher degree education and on-the-job training for disabled people across China. It has established 51 local schools and tutorial centres, with enrolments reaching 15,373, of which 8,000 people have already successfully graduated. A distance higher education model jointly operated by local disabled person’s federations has been established.
Education for Ethnic Minorities
The OUC gathers and sends the national quality educational resources to the frontier and ethnic minority regions, providing the local learners with more access to higher education and lifelong education for accumulative 280,000 persons.
Cultivate New Industrial Workers and Develop the “Assistance Plan”
The OUC carries out extensive cooperation with ministries, commissions, industries, associations, enterprises, and worker’s federations in order to explore a new model for the cultivation of industrial workers that integrates industry and education in order to assist in industry upgrading and staff growth, with enrolment reaching 72,000.
Action Plan for Realising Dreams of Further Education
In order to respond to and implement the action plan for “Realising Dreams of Further Education” put forward by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the OUC has cooperated with local trade unions to provide staff with a modern educational service model that has advantages such as mobile learning, on-the-job learning, and universities sending education resources to the enterprises. For example, the OUC and McDonald’s (China) have signed a cooperative agreement to provide integrated non-degree and degree education services to the 120,000 staff spread across the 2,200 McDonald’s restaurants in China.
Written by Sun Fuwan, Edited by Yan Jingzhen, www. China.org.cn