To meet the demand for applied media professionals in line with Chinese educational modernisation, align academic courses with industry needs, enhance the quality of professional development, and build a "dual-competence" teaching team empowered by AI, the Open University of China (OUC) recently hosted a seminar for the Media-Related Majors Teaching and Research Central Group.
Zhuang Li, secretary of Party Committee of Fujian Open University, held discussions with teaching representatives. Li Zhengguang, a member of the Party Committee and vice president of Fujian Open University, and Chen Xiangrong, secretary of the Party Committee and president of Quanzhou Open University, delivered speeches. The event focused on the actual needs of the media industry for emerging talent, providing new vitality for the innovative development of media-related majors in the context of digital empowerment and university-enterprise integration.
To precisely align with the development needs of society and enterprises, members of the central group visited Lanyan Company, the practice base of the Silver Award winners of the 8th China International "Internet+" College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, for a tour and discussion. They conducted in-depth research on how to adjust talent training programmes in line with current trends and deepen teaching reforms. Through focus group discussions, representatives used competition project cases as entry points to deeply analyse the innovative models of live-streaming e-commerce and the strategic paths of brand communication. They further clarified the core position of new media talents in market promotion and brand building, gained a deeper understanding of enterprise employment needs, and jointly discussed how open education teachers should create media courses that combine academic and market orientations. This exploration aims to find effective ways for universities and enterprises to jointly cultivate high-quality applied media professionals that meet the demands of the new era. Students from Quanzhou Open University and representatives from Lanyan Company provided suggestions for adjusting the talent training program based on their practical experiences.
In the AI Empowerment for "Dual-Competence" Teachers session, Professor Jiao Jianli from South China Normal University and Lecturer Liu Shuhui from Huaqiao University shared innovative applications of AI models in teaching and research. Jiao Jianli led practical training for teachers in a workshop format, while Liu Shuhui provided on-site and online consultations on the precise application of AI in research and question formulation. Xiong Wei, deputy general manager of the OUC Online, introduced the construction and application of the OUC Intelligent Base, a platform that offers a convenient and intelligent teaching application field for AI-empowered education.
The seminar was chaired by Liu Yiqing, director of the Research Department at Ningbo Open University and head of the central group. Yu Qingyao, deputy director of the Media Department at the OUC’s School of Humanities, introduced the proposed new Network and New Media major to be launched in spring 2025. Participants engaged in heated discussions on professional development, talent cultivation, and reform empowerment.
Looking ahead, the central group members will combine advanced concepts and methods with market frontier needs, leveraging AI to innovate teaching and research, and help students adapt to the rapidly changing new media landscape.
Seventeen professors and associate professors from 15 open universities nationwide attended the seminar.
Written by Wen Jing, OUC
Photo by the School of Humanities