At the invitation of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), Fan Xianrui, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of the Open University of China (OUC, also known as Seniors University of China, SUC), participated in an online interview with experts from UIL's Education Project Group for Older Adults on 11 November 2024.

The purpose of this interview was to introduce to UNESCO the intergenerational learning practices in elderly education in China.

Fan Xianrui presented the intergenerational learning case of the Shangsi Bamboo Horse Dance. This project uses the teaching and performance of bamboo horse dance skills as a medium to promote artistic participation among elderly learners, enhance their well-being, and simultaneously stimulate young learners' interest and enthusiasm for traditional culture. This initiative fosters intergenerational understanding and achieves a cross-generational blend of art and education.

This interview is part of the efforts to implement the cooperation intentions between the OUC (SUC) and UIL leadership, as discussed during the 2024 World Digital Education Conference. The UIL Intergenerational Learning Research Project aims to collect and analyse best practices in intergenerational learning from around the world to promote effective intergenerational learning models for educators, policymakers, and researchers globally. The intergenerational learning project of the OUC (SUC) will represent the practical experience of intergenerational learning in education for older adults in the Asian region, providing a reference for the global community.

Interviews were also conducted respectively with Jiang Xiao, dean of Hangzhou Xihu District Community College, Zhejiang Branch of the SUC, along with an elderly learner Chen Ping and a young learner Liu Yichi from Zhuantang Street Community School.

Contributed by SUC’s Comprehensive Management Centre, College of International Education

Photo by Zhuge Huanyu