On 26 August 2023, a donation ceremony for the construction of a smart classroom at Xiangxi Open University was held in Shibadong Village, located in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, Hunan Province.
The event was sponsored by the OUC Education Foundation of Beijing. Zheng Jie, the secretary-general of the OUC Education Foundation of Beijing, and Xiao Ming'an, the Party secretary of Xiangxi Open University (OU), signed the donation agreement. The ceremony was witnessed by Fan Xianrui, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the Open University of China, as well as Yang Bin, deputy Party secretary and president of Hunan Open University (OU).
The agreement specifies that the OUC Education Foundation of Beijing will contribute 500,000 RMB to Xiangxi OU explicitly for the development of a smart classroom. This donation is earmarked to advance open education and foster socio-economic progress in the Xiangxi Prefecture.
Zheng Jie stated that Shibadong Village, the birthplace of the "targeted poverty alleviation" concept, has witnessed a significant transformation—lifting the people of Xiangxi from poverty to prosperity. Serving as a pivotal platform for cultivating agricultural talent among farmers, Xiangxi OU has produced a cadre of local leaders who are spearheading rural revitalisation efforts. This donation is set to not only advance open education's role in supporting rural revitalisation but also to establish a precedent for how educational foundations can bolster open education initiatives. It is imperative that Xiangxi OU utilizes this donation optimally to further the economic and social development of Xiangxi Prefecture and to create practical training grounds for talent development in rural areas.
Xiao Ming'an expressed his gratitude for the donation received from the OUC Education Foundation of Beijing. He noted that Xiangxi OU has been diligently contributing to the economic and social advancement of Xiangxi Prefecture, fostering a considerable number of skilled individuals for the region. The targeted funding from the OUC Education Foundation of Beijing will significantly augment the university's capacities in digitalised educational services through the construction of a smart classroom. The university plans to optimally utilize this donation to establish a paradigm for the seamless integration of modern information technology and open education. This initiative will serve as a cornerstone for the development of a lifelong educational framework and contribute to the formation of a learning society within Xiangxi Prefecture.
By Gao Enze, OUC