The Open University of China (OUC, or SUC) held a joint ceremony to boost strategic cooperation with the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) on 25 May 2023.
Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the OUC, and Zhou Yu, secretary of the Party Committee of the CNSO, signed an official agreement on behalf of their respective sides. The occasion comes as the education campaign to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is being strengthened among the Communist Party of China (CPC).
After the signing ceremony, the CNSO held a concert titled "Refined Art on Campus" for both the OUC and general public, viewable both in-person and online. The event was attended by leading management and officials from both sides. These include Yin Bo, deputy head of the CNSO; Lin Xi, deputy secretary of the CNSO Party Committee, secretary of the CNSO Discipline Inspection Commission and deputy head of the CNSO, as well as Cao Guoyong, executive deputy secretary of the OUC Party Committee. Ju Chuanjin, vice president of the OUC, also attended, along with Liu Chen, deputy secretary of the OUC Party Committee. They were joined by Li Song and Fan Xianrui, vice presidents of the OUC, as well as the heads of relevant departments from both sides.
The agreement on strategic cooperation aims to implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on aesthetic education work, as well as the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. It focuses on strengthening aesthetic education, exploring new teaching modes for online aesthetic education so as to give full play to the role of music in uplifting the mind and spirit, and nourishing and fostering virtue. The goal is to cultivate students so they can discover, feel, appreciate and enjoy beauty. An additional objective is to enhance the humanity, accomplishments and overall quality of the students of the OUC, upgrade the musical and cultural literacy of the public, and build a new model of public service that promotes culture and serves the lifelong learning for all.
Both the OUC and CNSO said they will draw upon their experience and resources, including high quality music teachers, curriculum development and online education. They said they will jointly explore the development of aesthetic education, including courses on the appreciation of music and music courses for seniors and training. They also said they are ready to create online cultural products for the public that are both immersive and competitive, including online concerts and teaching content via the OUC education platform. The two sides are also looking to promote the sharing of artistic resources, popularise artistic education, enhance humanistic qualities, and expand the channels of knowledge.
The concert was conducted by Chen Xieyang, honorary conductor of the CNSO. The repertoire was rich, with revolutionary works in homage to the Party and motherland such as "Singing a Folk Song to the Party," "My Motherland," "I Love You China" and "My Chinese Heart". In addition, there were selections from legendary Chinese works such as "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, the Butterfly Lovers" and “Dance Music of the Yao Ethnic Group”. There were also western symphony classics, including the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s "Symphony No. 40 " and the first movement of "Divertimento in D Major". To the delight and applause of the audience, the CNSO encored with "Lift Your Veil" and "Radetzky March".
Accompanied by the OUC leaders, the delegation of the CNSO also visited the exhibition hall titled "Opening a New Chapter of Senior Education in China" of the SUC.
Approximately 200 people from various OUC departments watched the concert in-person. It was also broadcast live to the general public through the OUC’s lifelong education platform, learning network, and senior education platform.
By Jin Hongyu，OUC