Editor's Notes: The Open University of China (OUC) has initiated a programme to nurture candidates for the inaugural session of "Outstanding Young Teachers," resulting in 104 teachers being bestowed with the esteemed title of "OUC Outstanding Young Teachers."

By sharing the stories of some of these young teachers and highlighting their experiences of learning and personal growth, our aim is to showcase the dedication and enthusiasm of all OUC teachers who are devoted to contributing to the establishment of a lifelong learning society for all.

Ou Xinyu, PhD, was born in Kunming, Yunnan Province. He is a CPC Party member, a professor of Yunnan Open University and a graduate supervisor. He is one of the scholars in “Double High Plan”(construction plan of high-level higher vocational schools and majors with Chinese characteristic) of Yunnan Province, a leading role in Information and Technology, an expert of the national vocational education credit bank review panel, an expert of informatisation and big data intelligence of Yunnan Provincial Public Security Department, deputy chairman of Kunming Network Security Association, postdoctoral in AI key lab of Kunming University of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province, the OUC “young scholar”, advanced individual supporter of RTVU and open education, among one of the first Outstanding Young Teachers from OUC, MOE’s domestic visiting scholar, senior certification lecturer of Baidu ABC Institute. He has released over 30 academic theses, participated in 38 educational, scientific research projects, and won 28 prizes. Under his guidance, his students have won 1 national prize and 4 provincial prizes.

I. Never Forget the Original Aspiration and Adhere to the Belief

I was fortunate to participate in the first session of Outstanding Young Teachers Training Programme of the Open University of China (OUC), which witnessed my growth, and more importantly, transformation. The three years of training experience gave me the chance to study with the excellent young teachers working in the open university field. I have learned a lot of advanced concepts, which empowered me with near unlimited power around my work. During the training programme, I was transferred to the School of Media and Information Engineering, which was my first time to work in a teaching department. When I first came here, I made plans for the upcoming work of the department, hoping to run an artificial intelligence major, improve the department’s experimental teaching environment, promote teaching reforms, innovative team building and to promote the overall improvement of discipline construction.

Later, I was appointed as the deputy director of the department, in charge of the innovation and connotation construction work, such as training bases, scientific research, integration of industry and education, and construction of disciplines and majors.

II. Promoting the Integration of Industry and Education, Boosting the Reform of Vocational Education

"Integration of industry and education" is the focus and foundation of vocational education. We have established the "ZTE Digital Economy College" and the "Neusoft Digital Technology Industry College". Additionally, we have participated in "Bozhong Intelligent Manufacturing College" and several modern apprenticeship programmes. The integration of industry and education has gradually become a good presentation for the School of Media and Information Engineering. The case I submitted, "Exploration of the New 1+N Whole-Process Dimensional Mixed Industry-Education Integration Model", also won the Contribution Case Award at the China IT Education Forum.

III. Relying on School Construction to Comprehensively Promote the Construction of Field Training Bases

Improving the teaching environment is the basis for improving the quality of teaching, and it is urgent to improve the experimental conditions. Through providing feedback to the school leaders, on-campus construction, integration of industry and education, and others, our School was given 8 new additional machine rooms. At the end of 2021, I re-planned all the machine rooms of the school, partitioned them by functions, and formally founded "Training Base of Neusoft Digital Technology Industrial College" and "Training Base of ZTE Digital Economy College".

IV. Through trials, AI Technology Application Major Officially Set Up

With our knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence, we developed a whole set of talent training programmes and piloted them in the software technology major. This system is highly integrated with Baidu's 1+X "Computer Vision Application", and it is this compatibility that has enabled us to achieve 100% integration of courses and certificates in our AI major. In terms of teaching staff, by the end of last year, two teachers with PhDs and two teachers with a Master degree had joined us, and all of them were certified as "1+X" Computer Vision Intermediate Teachers and senior lecturers of Baidu ABC Institute. In addition, the laboratory problem had been solved. The Artificial Intelligence Technology Application major was officially set up.

V. Keeping Up with the Times to Set Up a High-Level Major Group of Information and a Communication Technology Major Group in Yunnan Province

The School participated in the action plan of improving the quality of vocational education and excellent talents, and set up the "Artificial Intelligence Application Technology Major Group". I became the head of the group. Later on, we participated in the selection of the ‘Double-High Plan’ of Yunnan Province, and in order to increase the success rate, we declared the Double-High Plan together with the College of Optoelectronics and upgraded the major group to the "Information and Communication Technology Major Group", I continued to be the head of the group. After the evaluation by the expert panel, the "Information and Communication Technology Major Group" was formally established as a high-level major group (grade A) in Yunnan Province, which is the only professional group of the information category in Yunnan Province.

In the past three years, my biggest gain is that I have changed from an ordinary teacher to an administrator. This transformation has made me look at things differently, from focusing purely on course teaching, only taking ideological education, integration of industry and education, introduction of talents, development of the college, and employment of students in an all-round way into account. This transformation has made my future path broader and more purpose-oriented. I feel have the responsibility and obligation to work hard for the development of the school and the future of the students! This was also my original aspiration.

By OUC News Network