Upon the invitation of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and the Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, Wang Qiming, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the Open University of China (OUC), led a delegation to the 29th ICDE World Conference.

The conference, held in San José, Costa Rica, from 6 to 12 November 2023, featured a keynote speech delivered by Wang Qiming.

Wang Qiming delivered a keynote speech titled “Building a Global Digital University: Open Education and the Future of Higher Education”. The speech was structured into four main sections: international consensus, China’s action, OUC’s efforts, and future prospects. It detailed the digital transformation in education, China's strategic approach and active steps in promoting digital education, the efforts and achievements of the OUC in developing "a digital university that connects the world", as well as the visions and strategies proposed by the OUC to enhance international cooperation in the realm of digital university development.

Wang Qiming's speech garnered considerable attention and sparked lively discussions among the experts and scholars present. The content of his address received accolades and recognition from various international organisations and leaders of higher education institutions. Attendees expressed a keen interest in pursuing extensive and profound international cooperation with the OUC in the realms of digital and open education.

During the conference, the OUC delegation had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica in San José. There, they met with several key figures from the university, including Rector Rodrigo Arias Camacho, Vice Rector Álvaro García Otarola, and Velia Govaere, director of international affairs. The two parties engaged in discussions about potential cooperation in various areas, such as mutual student and teacher exchanges, joint resource development and sharing, international Chinese language education, and the publication of academic research findings. These discussions culminated in the signing of a memorandum of cooperation.

By Wang Xiangxu, OUC