III. Several Considerations and Proposals on Strategic Development of International Cooperation and Exchanges in China’s Open University System
Due to policy restrictions and a raft of differences between China and other countries, no significant progress has been made in international cooperation in China’s open education. In the meantime, there is little research being conducted on international cooperation and exchange in open education. The author searched the CNKI (China National Knowledge Internet), using “international cooperation of open universities” as the key word – no document was found. This also justifies the difficulty that open education in China has in international cooperation. The National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) carries as a guiding principle “borrowing advanced foreign practices for reference in an effort to improve the educational level of open universities,” which is also highlighted in Opinions on Building up an Open University System promulgated by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2016. At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), “improving online education” was clearly written in the Work Report. In consideration of these challenges, the author proposes the following work practices for consideration by leaders of the OUC and its system.
The Open University of China Should Lead the Development of International Cooperation in China’s Open University System.
It’s well-known that China’s open university system is made up of a headquarters and 45 branches, including 5 local open universities and 38 radio and TV universities. The author has made a careful and profound investigation into the institutional structures of all branches. This investigation found that four units have established divisions of international cooperation and exchanges, or schools of international exchanges, inside the OUC headquarters of the OUC, at five local open universities, as well as in 38 radio and TV university systems. Six units have international cooperation and exchange businesses attached to other departments, such as the university office, personnel division, the CPC committee office, research department, etc. The remaining 35 units have no such departments as divisions of international cooperation and exchanges or business establishments. The details are shown below.
Institutional Organisation of International Cooperation and Exchanges Divisions Inside the Open University System in China
That is to say, as many as 78% of the units within China’s open university system have no business or otherwise international cooperation and exchange departments. On the one hand, it shows that the overall capacity of international cooperation and exchanges is rather weak inside China’s open university system. On the other hand, only leadership at the headquarters can enable China’s open universities to upgrade their professional quality and capacity on the whole under the current national and international conditions.
In terms of leadership at its headquarters, the Open University of China has been at the fore with projects such as the Sino-British Fellowship. Since 2013, the OUC has actively applied to the National Ministry of Education, and other relevant ministries and commissions, in the hopes of providing regular opportunities for management personnel and teachers within the system to study or receive further training abroad. In addition, the OUC invites foreign experts and scholars to China to give lectures at regular intervals. OUC staff are encouraged to attend these lectures so as to improve the capacity of international cooperation and exchanges across the entire system.
Changing and Improving Ideas
Accomplished teachers or researchers are sent to foreign open universities worthy of learning from. After completing their study abroad, scientific research results are converted into practical teaching and management practices. In such a manner, improvement to the OUC can be made through regular exchanges. Cooperation with foreign universities must be based on existing domestic educational markets and needs. Specific divisions must be made, according to market needs, which target high level foreign universities with reasonable prices. Then, the OUC must work with these universities to jointly design international educational projects that meet society’s needs.
Seeking Policy Support and Making Pilot Explorations into Sino-foreign Cooperation Operating Open Education Schools
As far as promoting international cooperation and exchanges within the OUC and its system is concerned, explorations need not to be made on whether to advance them, but on how to advance them. Internationally, many open universities - such as OUUK, Athabasca University of Canada, Catalan Open University of Spain, and others - are able to confer not only bachelor’s degrees, but also master’s and even doctor’s degrees; open education in other countries is no longer a novelty. In China, open universities can only provide junior college and limited undergraduate degree education. However, students in China’s open university system come from different work backgrounds, and their learning aims are not exactly the same. Some want to improve their educational level, and others want to renew and expand their knowledge because of workplace demands. To those groups who hope to improve their education and increase their knowledge, the degree education offered in China’s open university system are obviously not a good fit with market needs. With the development and improvement of people’s awareness, such supply and demand conflicts will become more evident. This will not only cause a loss of students in the open university system, but also lead to distrust in the quality and brand of open education. Therefore, China’s open university system must address and solve this problem as soon as possible.
In this respect, many open universities abroad have significant experience. In order to avoid costly misadventures, we can learn from the experience of open universities in other countries. Both parties may first offer master's degrees through cooperative pilot programmes. Open universities in China won’t issue their own independent master's degree certificates until the industry matures. Therefore, open universities must first explore policy support which breaks through current restrictions. For example, master’s degree certificates from foreign open universities can be conferred through trial programmes subject to WTO regulations before open universities in China have obtained the right to do. Such pilot programmes must earn approval from government departments. At the same time, open universities in China should try to earn the right of granting master's degree independently, thus gradually meeting the needs for high-level academic adult education degrees in China.
IV. Conclusion
The concept of international cooperation and exchanges in China's open university system is no longer new. Many experts and scholars have expressed the necessity of developing international cooperation and exchanges in open universities. However, whether it is the headquarters of the Open University of China, or branches throughout the system, any international project implemented should be centered on the needs of teachers and students. In 2016, the open university system in China consisted of a faculty of over 80,000 staff members, and there were as many as 3.4 million students (The Open University of China, 2016). Providing teachers and students with better and more compliant education products is a core issue China’s open university system must urgently consider. First of all, the headquarters of China’s open university system should coordinate with every local branch to make a detailed classification of teachers and students according to their needs, then select individuals to support with international cooperation and exchange programmes. Following that, considering China's huge education market, numerous foreign educational institutions wish to cooperate with Chinese institutions, not only on academic issues, but also concerning cultural, political and ideological factors. Therefore, it is necessary take these selections seriously.
Because of its early establishment, the Open University of China (using the Open University UK as a reference), with the advocacy of Deng Xiaoping, has more advantages for international cooperation than other branches. The OUC has access to higher quality international resources, and possesses international influence. For example, the Open University of China has served as an ICDE executive member for two consecutive terms, and has been the seat of the AAOU secretariat. According to Zeng Tianshan, in the course of implementing “the Belt and Road” national strategy, international online education cooperation should be conducted to establish virtual universities in various countries which provides convenient and affordable online education by making full use of the OUC platform, while fully leveraging the role of each university’s online school. As such, the OUC can play an active role in coordinating projects and resources for international exchange and cooperation, such as holding regular trainings and lectures on international cooperation, so as to promote the development of international cooperation and exchanges throughout the entire open university system across China.
By Hou Songyan, OUC