On 18 December 2020, Shandong Provincial People's Government approved the renaming of Shandong Radio and TV University (RTVU) as Shandong Open University (OU). On 23 December, Shandong OU was formally inaugurated at a ceremony at the Nanjiao Hotel.
Those who attended and made speeches included Wang Suilian, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial People's Congress and chairman of Shandong Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce; Xie Li, deputy director of the Vocational Education and Adult Education Department of the Ministry of Education; Jing Degang, secretary of the Party Committee and president of the Open University of China (OUC); and Xing Shunfeng, inspector-general of Shandong Provincial Department of Education. The unveiling ceremony was presided over by Liu Longhai, secretary of the Party Committee of the university.
Xing Shunfeng read out a document entitled “Approval from Shandong Provincial People's Government on Renaming Shandong Radio and Television University as Shandong Open University.” Wang Suilian, Xie Li, Jing Degang, Xing Shunfeng, Liu Longhai, and Xu Wenmou, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and president of the university, jointly unveiled Shandong OU.
As Wang Suilian pointed out, the renaming of Shandong RTVU to Shandong OU is a major event in the process of higher education reform and development in Shandong Province. Standing at a new historical starting point, Shandong OU will focus on the province’s overall economic and social development, fully implement the Party's educational policy, and conscientiously put into effect the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. It will adapt to the new situation and shoulder new missions in order to find new opportunities and prospects in accordance with the deployment and requirements of the CPC Provincial Committee and the Provincial People’s Government.
Xie Li pointed out that the renaming is a significant achievement of Shandong’s educational reform and development. It is the fruit of The OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan in Shandong and a major milestone in the course of the reform and development of Shandong OU. Xie Li underlined that the new stage of development has brought about new opportunities. It is imperative for Shandong OU to become a major force serving lifelong learning for all by focusing on the needs of society; to build on characteristic development, to implement and detail reform requirements, and to improve quality in an all-round way; to earnestly take the responsibility to b the major force serving lifelong learning for all across the region; to promote the construction of the regional open university system; to explore the integrated development of higher education, vocational education, and continuing education; and to make contributions to developing education to the satisfaction of the people and building a strong province in education.
Jing Degang recognised Shandong RTVU’s important contributions to Shandong's economic and social development over the past 41 years. Jing Degang underlined that renaming was just a material form but the essence was transformation. The inauguration of Shandong OU is a signal for Shandong OU to transform from expansion to enhancement, from a focus on qualifications to one on knowledge, from providing degrees to enhancing skills, and from predominately online teaching to the integration of online and offline teaching. Jing Degang said that the OUC will work together with Shandong OU to create a major platform for lifelong education in China, a major platform for online education, a platform for flexible education, and a platform for external cooperation. It is hoped that Shandong OU will be actively integrated into the new development pattern, cooperate closely with regular institutions of higher learning, collaborate with advanced enterprises, and achieve a new situation of open education in the new development pattern.
Xing Shunfeng pointed out that the establishment of Shandong OU is not only a milestone event in the history of Shandong's educational development but also a new measure to promote educational reform and build a lifelong learning system for all in Shandong Province. He recognised the achievements of Shandong RTVU over the past 41 years. It is hoped that Shandong OU will build a more open, advanced, and integrated university; build a better-quality university based on the transition from expansion to enhancement; deepen reform; and build a more dynamic university. Xing Shunfeng said that the Provincial Education Working Committee of the CPC Provincial Committee and the provincial education department will continue to serve the university and give full support to the construction and development of Shandong OU. It is hoped that Shandong OU will live up to the expectations of the public, make greater achievements, and write a new chapter for the educational cause in Shandong in the new era.
On behalf of all the teachers and students of the university, Xu Wenmou extended a warm welcome to all the leaders and distinguished guests present at the opening ceremony, and extended his respect and heartfelt thanks to leaders at all levels and people from all walks of life who have supported the construction and development of the university. Xu Wenmou summed up the educational achievements and distinctions of the university over the past 41 years. He indicated that the inauguration of Shandong Open University is the start of a new journey, which means higher requirements and more difficult challenges. The university will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, strengthen overall Party leadership, firmly move towards a socialist educational direction, implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, improve the educational system, expand educational fields, improve the quality of talent training, improve the level of university governance, and educate people for the Party and cultivate talents for the country. It is imperative to put into effect the goals and tasks set out in The OUC Comprehensive Reform Plan, to learn from the advanced educational concepts and operation modes of first-class open universities in China and abroad, and to comprehensively improve the university’s educational level and overall strength. All of the above will be done with the aim of promoting the high-quality development of Shandong OU, supporting Shandong in building a quality workforce to achieve the goal of “walking at the forefront of comprehensive initiative,” and making greater contributions to the construction of an educational system serving lifelong learning for all.
Liu Longhai underscored that Shandong OU will strengthen overall Party leadership, leverage the advantages of online education, explore a new path to lifelong learning for all, constantly improve the quality and efficiency of education, strive to train more excellent and practical talents, and make new contributions to building a strong, modern province in the new era.
A total of about 100 people attended the inauguration, including Ju Chuanjin, member of the Party Committee and vice president of the OUC, leading comrades from some provincial departments, responsible comrades from relevant departments of the provincial education department, a number of leading comrades from institutions of higher learning, and all members of the leading body of the university, as well as leaders of some city and county RTVUS, former leaders of the university, and representatives of officials, teachers, and alumni.
After the inauguration, the university held a seminar on “Promoting the Integrated Development of Shandong OU to Serve the Construction of the Lifelong Learning System in Shandong.”
The predecessor of Shandong OU was Shandong RTVU, which was founded in 1979. Over the past 40 plus years, nearly 900,000 junior college and undergraduate students have been trained and more than 5 million people have received various kinds of non-degree education. It has become a platform for people in Shandong to enjoy equal access to education, a ladder for career progress, and a starting point for a more complete life. It has supported competent professionals that have made outstanding contributions to Shandong’s economic and social development. At present, there are about 200,000 active students receiving various kinds of degree education in the university.
By the OUC News Network, reprinted from Dazhong Daily