On 9th November, 2017, the Open University of China (OUC) and Guangdong Banwokao Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Banwokao in short) signed an agreement on the OUC Teachers' Qualification Online Education Programme in Beijing.

OUC vice president Qi Yanwei, director of the Department of External Education and Professional Training, Ma Ruolong, deputy director Yuan Songhe, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Department, Zheng Jie, and senior leaders from Banwokao, including Tan Zufei, Cai Wei, and Zhang Hua, attended the signing ceremony, which was presided over by Ma Ruolong.

Qi Yanwei said that the cooperation with Banwokao is the OUC’s first non-degree education programme officially signed after the 19th CPC National Congress. He hopes that during the cooperation the two sides will be able to maintain a clear mind, directly face, study, and solve problems, take a long term view, adhere to a correct direction, offer standard education services, and ensure the sustainable development of the programme, while at the same time taking advantage of the huge market for teacher qualification examinations.

Tan Zufei said that after three years of exploration and operation, and successes and failures in teacher qualification training, Banwokao has accumulated excellent experience and its existing systemised, high quality educational products are a perfect match for the OUCs demands. It is hoped that Banwokao will continue to work together with the OUC in the future and rely on the advantages of the OUC system to help strengthen and expand the programme and achieve better social and economic results.

The introduction of OUC Teacher Qualification Online Education Programme will not only enrich its non-degree education programmes but also help the gradual construction of a complete training system covering teachers from pre- to post-service.

Both sides said that, based on the agreement, they will rely on the advantages of the OUC’s school organisational system and Banwokao’s training platform and curriculum resources and work together in order to quickly promote the OUC Teacher Qualification Online Education Programme in other places across the country, in order to satisfy the online learning and tutoring needs of pre-qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools.

By Zhang Yajun, OUC