The 2025 World Digital Education Conference was held in Wuhan, Hubei Province from 14 to 15 May 2025. During one of the parallel sessions themed "Explore Digitally, Act Wisely: Empowering Large-Scale Personalized Lifelong Learning through Digital Intelligence", the Open University of China (OUC) officially unveiled its new-generation information infrastructure, the Digital Foundation System, a smart platform designed to support lifelong learning for all.

The System integrates several core functions including resource integration, data-driven services, intelligent services, security protection, and open sharing. It consists of five major components: Resource Foundation, Data Foundation, Intelligence Foundation, Security Foundation, and Open Platform. Within just five minutes, it can generate an "Intelligent Learning Companion" agent. Currently, 661 such agents are actively assisting students at OUC.

In open education, the Digital Foundation System has supported over 4.43 million students, providing high-quality educational services to learners across China, especially in remote, border, and ethnic minority regions. In senior education, it bridges the digital learning gap for older adults through age-friendly and intelligent solutions, enabling them to continue their learning, enjoy their golden years, and engage in the society actively. In community education, the data cockpit helps administrators accurately grasp the learning needs of residents and optimise educational resources, serving as a powerful tool for building learning-oriented communities.

Source: People’s Daily Online  Dated 19 May 2025