To implement the requirement of building a leading country in education, drive the digitalisation of national education, and accelerate the development of a digital university, the Party Committee of the Open University of China (OUC) and the Ministry of Education's Department of Personnel approved the renaming of the Information Technology Department at the OUC to the Department of Digitalisation in January 2024.
The primary role of OUC's Department of Digitalisation is to lead the university's comprehensive digital overhaul, bolster its technical capabilities, and foster cross-departmental collaboration to propel digital innovation in line with its strategic objectives. Core responsibilities include supervision of network security and digital initiatives, formulating the university's strategic roadmap and technology framework, establishing management systems and standard guidelines pertaining to digitalisation. Additionally, the department is charged with overseeing critical infrastructure, including networks, cloud computing, and the development of public platforms such as databases, intelligent systems, and security mechanisms. It takes the lead in coordinating digital governance and construction across various departments, driving digital upgrades and transformations in core business units. Moreover, the department is entrusted with monitoring emerging technologies, promoting application innovation, and evaluating the effectiveness of digital initiatives.
With the renaming of the Department of Digitalisation, the university aims to capitalize on emerging opportunities arising from the development of digital education, the latest wave of technological revolution, and industrial transformation. By integrating information technology, the university aspires to propel digital transformation and intelligent enhancement across various business sectors. It aims to harness data as a foundational resource and catalyst for innovation, promoting deep integration between next-generation information technology and education. In doing so, the university is committed to expediting the digitalisation of open education, contributing to the establishment of “a digital university that connects the world,” and more effectively supporting the quality development of open education.
By OUC