Spring is conscription time. On the evening of 18 March 2021, a coach holding a banner that read, "A Warm Send-off for the First Group of New Spring Recruits from Jinyun County" led new recruits to their barracks. Ding Jianhong, a vigorous young man, and a Law undergraduate at Lishui Radio and TV University (Lishui RTVU), class of Autumn 2019, was one.

A ceremony to celebrate the establishment of Shenzhen Open University (Shenzhen OU), alongside an exhibition of the achievements of the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen Radio and TV University (Shenzhen RTVU), was held on 20 March 2021.

To get first-hand information about frontline teaching as well as measures to control Covid-19 in the new semester at a grassroots Learning Centre, vice president Lin Yu of the Open University of China (OUC) visited the Xinhua Computer Learning Centre at the OUC Experimental School on 17 March 2021. The  delegation also included Guo Qingchun, dean of the Experimental School; Liu Ying, its vice dean; Lv Qian of the Department of External Education and Training; and Wang Hui, principal of the Tianxiang branch school of the OUC Experimental School.

In order to learn and put into effect the guiding principles of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the meeting to launch the campaign for Party history learning and education, put into effect the arrangements and requirements for the Party history learning campaign put forward by the Leading Party Group of the Ministry of Education (MOE), and put into effect the “first-line rule” .

Recently, Sun Jiangtao, a teacher in the School of Social Work of the Faculty of Political Science and Law at the Open University of China (OUC), was named one of the  “Top 100” Chinese social workers for 2020 during an event honouring social workers held by China  Philanthropy Times. Sun Jiangtao was also named an "Excellent Social Worker in the Capital" in the 7th "Looking for the Most Beautiful Social Workers in the Capital" campaign in Beijing.

On the morning of 18 March 2021, the Open University of China (OUC) held the first of a series of Youth Academic Salon "Discussions of the Two Sessions", referring to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) sessions, with the aim of both studying and implementing their guidance in a spirit of urgency and responsibility, and of dedication on the part of young faculty and staff to the great mission of strengthening the country. Ju Chuanjin, OUC vice president, was invited to address the salon, which was presided over by Chen Shougang, director of the Office of Scientific Research Management.

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It is also an extremely crucial year for reform and development of the Open University of China (OUC).

The Open University of China (OUC) held its second online workshop for teachers from the Institute of Teachers’ Professional Development of Mongolia (ITPD) on 16 March 2021, at the invitation of the UNESCO Beijing Office and ITPD. The workshop was themed around online course design with the aim of helping Mongolian teachers master the basic skills of online instruction and improve their online teaching abilities.