Recently, the Open University of China (OUC) hosted the kick-off review meeting for the National Education Science Planning Project on Interpreting the Spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Conference on Education, titled "Empowering the Construction of a Learning Society through Digital Education".
A panel of experts, including XIE Weihe, Senior Professor of Humanities from Tsinghua University; ZHU Zhiting, Lifetime Professor at East China Normal University and Specially Appointed Professor at OUC; CHEN Li, Vice President of the China Association for Educational Technology and Professor at Beijing Normal University; LI Xingzhou, Professor at Beijing Normal University; and LI Qing, Professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, reviewed the initiation of the project and provided strategic guidance during the session. The project was led by WANG Qiming, President of OUC. Vice Presidents LI Song and ZHOU Tianming, along with members from Shanghai Open University and various departments at OUC, including the Lifelong Education Research Institute, the Department of Digitalisation, and the Credit Bank, participated in the meeting. The Lifelong Education Research Institute organised the meeting, which was presided over by the head of OUC's Department of Reform and Development (Office of Research Management).
During the presentation, the project team outlined the objectives, research design, practical value, and four sub-projects from a problem-oriented perspective. Especially, they highlighted the latest progress and preliminary findings since the project’s inception. The expert panel praised the project’s innovative approach, feasibility, and its significant role in advancing the development of a learning society. Considering the project's specialty and time constraints, the experts recommended deeper analysis of exemplary cases and pilot studies, further research on critical policies, and alignment with national goals of building a leading country in education and Chinese modernisation.
President WANG Qiming expressed his appreciation to the experts. He noted that their insights had provided valuable guidance for enhancing and refining the research further. In response to the expert recommendations, the project team plans to select additional practical cases for detailed study and develop high-quality policy recommendations. Furthermore, they will be committed to promoting research-driven practice, supporting national strategies, and utilising OUC's unique capabilities to effectively advance digital empowerment in lifelong education. With efforts of its research team, OUC will further contribute to building a learning-oriented society and nation and advancing Chinese modernisation.
Written by YIN Shuangxu, DU Ruo
Photo by LIU Fang, YIN Shuangxu