From May 9 to 10, 2016, a teaching-working conference for the OUC Experimental School was held in Nanhai, Guangdong Province.

A total of 57 people attended the conference, including OUC vice president Liu Chen, dean of the OUC Experimental School Guo Qingchun, deputy dean Hu Chunwang, heads of relevant departments of the OUC, leaders from Bureau of Education in Nanhai District, Nanhai Experimental School, Taiyuan Experimental School, and Dabieshan Experimental School, as well as heads from Study Centre of Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE), Statistical Study Centre, Wontone Automobile Maintenance Study Centre, Nanhai Experimental School, and its subordinated Study Centres. At the conference, they presented a summary on the progress made so far and reviewed problems faced in the past year; focused on the construction of the OUC, the positioning, mission, and task of the OUC Experimental School in the new era; and clarified the goal, task, and specific implementation methods of education teaching reform and innovation for this year. The conference marks the launch of "micro OUC" construction for the Experimental School and as the part of the OUC's new pattern of branch development, indicating that OUC physical education has entered an historic new stage.

At the conference, the award ceremony for "2015 OUC Experimental School Online Teaching Skills Contest" was held first, with awards going to eighteen full-time and part-time teachers in commendation for their active involvement in online teaching innovation at OUC Experimental School.

Subsequently, the OUC signed renewal agreements with Nanhai Experimental School and Taiyuan Experimental School for continued cooperation in school management. A signing ceremony was also held between the OUC and the newly founded Dabieshan Experimental School. The agreements specified the experimental and demonstration tasks and goals for these three experimental schools: Nanhai Experimental School will focus on exploring how the open universities can serve and meet the demands of people in developed areas for lifelong learning and the local demand for learner training; Taiyuan Experiment School focuses on how to serve people in less developed areas and meet their demand for lifelong learning and local learner training; Dabieshan Experimental School is co-founded with Xinyang Vocational and Technical College, aiming to explore the smooth integration of learner training between the students in higher vocational colleges and the undergraduates of the OUC. It is also a new exploration for OUC’s future system construction. On behalf of the OUC, vice president Liu Chen signed agreements with the above three experimental schools respectively.

Liu Chen also delivered a report entitled "Moving Forward in Exploring a New Road for Experimental Schools". In the report, he analyzed the development of continuing education in the "13th Five-Year" period. By referring to the construction background, progress, and main tasks of the OUC in 2016, he clearly put forward the strategic positioning of the experimental school—namely, as a physical entity of the OUC, a miniature version of the OUC, a branch of the OUC, and a comprehensive experimental teaching reform area of the OUC. He added that the development orientation of the OUC Experimental School matched OUC’s school-running orientation with the collaborative development of both degree and non-degree education. He further explained that the experimental school should play a leading, experimental, and demonstrative role in the construction of the OUC. He also clearly put forward the specific tasks and goals for experimental schools in OUC system construction, education / teaching innovation, and breakthrough. He stressed that accelerating and strengthening infrastructure construction is a priority for experimental school construction, including school base construction; undertaking the construction of a team capable of fulfilling "experimental and demonstrative" tasks; and constructing a digital environment that adapts to learner development requirements. At the same time, in the construction of the experimental schools, the OUC should establish and improve quality standards and management norms, and should have an overall plan and pay attention to the overall layout.

The dean of the OUC Experimental School summarized the overall work of the school in the past year and explained the main tasks that have been addressed and carried out. Deputy dean Hu Suwang elaborated the procedure for Bachelor degree awarding. Assistant director Xu Gang gave an interpretation on the Management Measures on the Experimental School and Study Centre of the OUC (draft for discussion). Heads from Nanhai Experimental School, Taiyuan Experiment School, Wontone Automotive Education, OUC Study Centre, and DUFE Study Centre gave speeches and exchanged views with each other.

At the conference, the delegates had a heated discussion on relevant key issues, the follow-up tasks for the experimental schools, and how to explore its experimental and demonstrative role. They are confident in future development, expressing that under the well-planned instruction of the OUC Experimental School, these experimental schools will make positive efforts to complete their own innovation tasks, realize "first trial, first practitioner" achievements that can be copied and applied within the OUC system, thus making due contributions in fostering the development of the OUC.

By Qi Kun, OUC