Xinxiang Open University (OU), formerly known as Xinxiang Radio and TV University, underwent an official renaming in 2022.

Alongside this renaming, the university unveiled the designations of "Xinxiang Community University" and "Xinxiang Seniors University." Embracing this new beginning, the university places its focus on the central goal of "establishing an education system that caters to lifelong learning for all." It firmly establishes its roots at the grassroots level, upholds fundamental principles while embracing innovation, and actively explores a path of integrated development that combines degree education and non-degree education. The university has emerged as a vital driving force in promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all and serves as a robust pillar in the construction of a skilled society.

Top-level Design  

In recent years, Xinxiang OU has embarked on a path of high-quality development, aligning itself with the various directives and mandates issued by the state and Henan Open University. This approach is driven by the educational guiding ideology of "New Era, New OU, and New Image," which emphasizes the need for innovation and progress in the field of education.

Deepening Educational Reform 

Teaching quality forms the foundation of a university. The institution has undertaken comprehensive reforms and innovations across all levels of teaching. It has placed a strong emphasis on enhancing secondary vocational education with notable achievements, while also adopting innovative approaches to the development of elderly education and community education.

It is worth mentioning that the university swiftly implemented an open enrollment policy for elderly education since its designation as a pilot program in 2018. This initiative has greatly benefited a larger number of older adults through the continuous expansion of elderly education on the principle of "completely free for public welfare". In order to ensure the learning and well-being of senior students, the university has devoted consistent efforts to develop specialized courses tailored to their needs, such as smartphone applications, digital photography, the art of tea, and piano introduction for older adults. Additionally, the university constantly innovates its teaching methods to ensure that senior students enjoy a vibrant campus life. This is achieved through a combination of online teaching, field study tours, and opportunities for learning through exhibitions or performances.

"The university's courses are aligned with the changing times and possess significant practicality. The teaching methods employed by the instructors are also innovative and engaging," stated the representative from Xinxiang Open University. "Within a short span of time, it has gained immense popularity among a vast number of elderly individuals, resulting in consistently high registration numbers. Over the past five years, it has rendered over 100,000 services to the public," added the responsible party from Xinxiang Open University.

Integrated sharing

It is the unwavering mission of Xinxiang OU to build the university around its people. In its pursuit of high-quality development, the university effectively leverages both internal and external resources, promoting integration and sharing to foster a dynamic environment.

The university effectively integrates its internal resources to enhance efficiency. Teachers are encouraged to develop themselves into versatile educators capable of undertaking diverse teaching tasks at all levels within the university. They are also encouraged to explore opportunities such as opening internship training rooms and multi-function classrooms for students, as well as utilizing various teaching tools and instruments to facilitate comprehensive education. This enables them to contribute their expertise in a wide range of educational scenarios.

The university proactively leverages external resources to broaden its influence. Xinxiang OU collaborates with local educational administrative departments, enterprises, and institutions to advance the development of community and elderly education initiatives. As a result, an elderly education service network encompassing the city, county or district, township or sub-district, and village or community levels has been effectively established. Currently, five lifelong learning experience bases, 23 learning workshops, and six city-level branches dedicated to elderly education have been inaugurated. These initiatives comprehensively cater to the learning needs of the elderly population. Additionally, in 2022, the university established a culture and art expert database and a volunteer service team comprising literary and artistic professionals for lifelong learning. This collaboration involved 15 professional associations, including the Xinxiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Such partnerships have significantly enhanced the quality of the teaching staff.

Serving the society 

In addition to fulfilling its core responsibilities, Xinxiang OU demonstrates great enthusiasm in shouldering social responsibilities, serving the community, giving back to society, and facilitating the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

Here stands the city's first "Love Relay Station," dedicated to providing free breakfast for sanitation workers. Here stands the city's first "Honest Library," committed to sharing good books with community residents, united by honesty... Today, public welfare and compassionate initiatives have become defining characteristics of the university.

Furthermore, Xinxiang OU has established a community education village demonstration in the Pochezhuang Village, which falls under its paired assistance responsibilities, as part of its contribution to rural revitalisation. A range of training programs have been implemented to enhance the cultural literacy and practical technical skills of farmers. These initiatives include providing knowledge on e-commerce, live delivery technology, and more. Through practical actions, the university aims to contribute to the development of beautiful rural areas and add radiance to their construction.

In recent years, Xinxiang OU has proactively undertaken explorations and played a leading role in the establishment of a learning society, receiving widespread recognition from various sectors. The university has earned several prestigious accolades, including the titles of "National Excellent Adult Continuing Education College," "Model for Prefectural-Level City Seniors University in Henan Province," and "Advanced Unit of Adult Education Teaching and Research in Henan Province." Looking ahead, Li Ruirui, president of Xinxiang OU, expressed the university's commitment to keeping pace with the times, proactively embracing the digital, intelligent, lifelong, and integrated education development trends. The aim is to construct a lifelong learning system that is more flexible in its approach, abundant in resources, and convenient for learners. The university aspires to make significant contributions to the development of Xinxiang as a learning society and a skilled society.

Reprinted by the OUC News Network from China Education Daily