On 17 June, the Open University of China (OUC) organised a deployment event for the final exams of the spring term 2024. Li Song, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of OUC, attended the event and delivered a speech.

Gu Xiaohua, director of the Academic Affairs Department, presided over the event.

Li Song highlighted that this year signifies the commencement of the implementation of the Outline for Building a Leading Country in Education, coinciding with the 45th anniversary of the OUC's establishment. The university is fully committed to the Action Plan for Expansion of Excellence and Quality Enhancement. Currently, the OUC is undertaking comprehensive planning for the next five years of open education, with examination work being a critical component and a top priority for future teaching reforms.

Li Song emphasised that advancing examination reforms is essential for the high-quality development of open education and the construction of a strong educational sector. He outlined three requirements: Firstly, to deepen the reform of examination content, focusing on "testing abilities and application skills," enhancing the efficiency and quality of test paper development, summarising successful experiences, expanding pilot projects, and improving talent cultivation quality. Secondly, to promote the digitalisation of examination assessment, expand the scale of online exams, enhance the functionality, data accuracy, and security confidentiality of the "One Network, One Platform," explore intelligent learning evaluation, and elevate examination service levels. Thirdly, to strengthen examination discipline, combining technological and human prevention, intensify penalties for misconduct, and implement preventive measures and strengthen students' integrity education to ensure ethical conduct in exams., and fortify the defense line of educational quality.

Gu Xiaohua stated the necessity to focus on both reform and standardization. Firstly, to advance examination reforms, particularly content reform, with the entire system participating, promoting, and implementing collectively. Secondly, to ensure the standardization of examination organisation, mastering the foundational skills in exam administration and management, and each test centre must fulfill the basic conditions, work, and requirements of examination organisation, solidifying the foundation of examination work.

Gao Yuanyuan, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Department, outlined the overall situation of the examination work for the spring term 2024, proposed requirements for the organisation of the final exams, and identified current issues with exams, clarifying the subsequent work plan.

In the next phase, each branch (college) will, based on their specific circumstances, organise examination work meetings for their affiliated branches and study centres in line with the guiding principles and requirements of this event, ensuring accountability at every level and enforcing responsibility throughout the hierarchy, to jointly ensure the success of the final exams for the spring term 2024.

Relevant personnel from the headquarters' Academic Affairs Department and the Experimental College responsible for examination work attended the meeting in person. Meanwhile, examination coordinators and their staff from 63 branches (colleges), along with their affiliated branches, study centres, and test centres, participated in the meeting remotely.

Written by Liang Chunhui, photo by Zhuge Huanyu