In order to deeply study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, implement the strategy of the Open University of China (OUC) in creating excellence and improving quality, improve the professional competence and quality of the OUC's teaching team of the Calligraphy major, and promote the high-quality development of education and teaching, from the 14th to the 17th of November, 2023, the No. 23Y03 workshop for backbone teachers of hard-pen calligraphy, in the Calligraphy major, was held at the Ningbo Open University. 37 backbone teachers from 25 OUC branches attended the workshop.
Pang Zhonghua, distinguished professor of the OUC, famous hard-pen calligrapher and educator, Jin Yan, deputy director of the School of Art, and Guo Wei, vice president of Ningbo Open University, attended the opening ceremony of the workshop.
In his welcome speech, Guo Wei introduced Ningbo's urban characteristics and deep cultural heritage, as well as the operation of Ningbo Open University and its achievements in the field of lifelong learning.
Jin Yan made a mobilising speech, in which she introduced the basic situation and work objectives of the School of Art of the OUC, as well as the construction and development process of the Calligraphy major, and put forward the requirements on the curriculum arrangement and assessment methods for the workshop, in the hope that all the teachers of the majors could learn effectively, upgrade substantively, and enhance an accurate goal at the workshop.
The workshop was initiated based on the actual needs of the hard-pen calligraphy teachers. It was designed to provide a comprehensive and multi-level course content for the learners. Additionally, it made use of online live broadcasting, which attracted approximately 300,000 viewers. It also provided offline learning opportunities for teachers of Ningbo Open University, members of the Ningbo Hard-pen Calligraphy Association, and learners of the Seniors College,. This fully demonstrated the workshops openness and lifelong learning for all.
The workshop boasts a strong teaching faculty, with many famous artists being invited to the workshop. China's famous hard-pen calligrapher and educator Professor Pang Zhonghua brought excellent lectures for the participants. Shou Hong, an associate Professor of Lanting School of Calligraphy, Shaoxing University, Luo Bingsheng, national first-level artist, from Guangdong Calligraphy and Literature Research Institute, made a themed lecture regarding the form of a Chinese character of the hard-pen calligraphy, the method of calligraphy imitation and innovation.
All the participants of the workshop listened attentively, practised, and carried out practical studies of hard-pen calligraphy. Under the professional counselling of the lecturers and the teaching assistant team, they completed over 150 pieces of hard-pen calligraphy practice, imitation, and creation works. Throughout the four days of the workshop, there was a strong learning atmosphere on-site. Xu Hang, a teacher from the School of Arts presided over the graduation ceremony. Deng Qiwen, a teacher from Shenzhen Open University shared her learning experience on behalf of the participating students.
The workshop focuses on the combination of calligraphy theory, calligraphy teaching, and calligraphy practice. Through the workshop, it strengthened the calligraphy theory knowledge and calligraphy writing skills of the teachers of the Calligraphy major of the OUC, enhanced the teaching quality, strengthened the exchange of insights on the construction of the Calligraphy major in each branch of the OUC, played an effective role of cohesion, mutual learning, and mutual progress, and promoted the high-quality development of education and teaching in the Calligraphy major.
Written by Xu Hang, photographed by Xu Hang and Xie Fan, OUC