On 11th and 12th October, 2018, a seminar on graduation comprehensive practice and degree application procedures for undergraduates was held by the Faculty of Agroforestry and Medicine of the Open University of China (OUC) in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, with the majors covered including Horticulture, Nursing, and Public Service Management (Health Management direction).

In the seminar, the dissertation and degree requirements of the OUC and the responsibilities of dissertation supervisors were addressed, along with the specific requirements of the three majors.

104 people, including teachers, graduation and dissertation specialists from 28 branches and study centres, department administrators, anchorpersons of graduation dissertation defense and Agroforestry and Medicine degree sub-committee members; Hu Lifeng, deputy director of the OUC Academic Affairs; and Guo Xiaoxia, director of the Faculty of Agroforestry and Medicine, participated in the meeting.

Hu Lifeng delivered a report titled OUC Comprehensive Practice and Degree Conferment , in which he reviewed degree criteria and evaluation as well as teacher management at the OUC. Guo Xiaoxia delivered a report titled Undergraduate Comprehensive Practice and Degree Application in Agroforestry and Medicine, introducing the overall situation of the faculty, requirements for dissertations and graduation, and work still to be carried out.

Teachers from the OUC Faculty of Agroforestry and Medicine introduced the graduation practices and degree requirements for its majors, the situations of the new areas of specialisation (Rural Development and Pharmacy), and the prospects for three others: Landscape Architecture, Health Services and Management, and Public Service Management (Elder Care). The Guizhou branch gave a briefing about the practices and degree application for its Medicine graduates, while the Xi'an branch did so for Agriculture and Medicine.

Teachers attending the meeting were divided into four groups and exchanged views about practices, dissertations, degree requirements and curriculum reform in agriculture, medicine and related areas.

The meeting has clarified the tasks and requirements of degree conferment for Agroforestry and Medicine undergraduates, and enhanced communications related to the teaching at each branch. The participating teachers agreed that the event was timely and effective, and will strengthen teacher cohesion, improve the quality of dissertations, and promote teaching reforms at the OUC.

By Tang Yiting,OUC