Life is like a melody. We are gathered in this glorious age. At the time when people of all ethnic groups in China are celebrating the 60th birthday of our motherland, the Open University of China and China radio and TV universities (CRTVUs) in most parts of our country are celebrating their 30th anniversary. It is a landmark in the development of CRTVUs. On this occasion, we are extending our most sincere gratitude and highest respect to all the leaders, alumni at home and abroad and friends of all circles who have cared and supported the construction and development of CRTVUs for all these years.

In the past 30 years, we have strived for the development of the Open University of China. In order to meet the need for talents, Mr. Deng Xiaopeng proposed and approved to establish RTVUs all over China. During the last 30 years, in the great era of the opening and reform and with the tremendous development and changes in the education field in China, CRTVUs have gone through all kinds of hardships but made beneficial exploration in the open and distance education with China's characteristics. At the beginning of their development, CRTVUs provided degree higher education for those who lost the opportunities of education in the Cultural Revolution period, and helped to fulfill the dreams of going to college for thousands of young people in China. At the end of the last century, CRTVUs improved teaching modes and methods, and carried exploration in education through various ways and forms, and provided great services for the social and economic development of grassroot levels, industries and remote areas in China. In the last 10 years, CRTVUs have seized the opportunity of national policy to develop education and encourage modern distance education and vigorously promoted the open and distance education. The students scale of CRTVUs is the biggest in the world. They have made historical contribution to the popularization of higher education in China.

In the last 30 years, CRTVUs took educating people as their basic principle. Their students are everywhere. Since the establishment, CRTVUs have brought up more than 7 million graduates who are now working in all walks of life around the country. In the recent 10 years, the Open University of China enforced the "One-College-Student-for-One-Village Initiative" approved by the Ministry of Education. Its aim is to extend higher education to rural areas through modern open and distance education, to cultivate "capable, retainable, and excellent" technical and managerial professionals. We have also established Bayi School, Zongcan School and School for the Air Force in order to provide academic education for soldiers and military officers. The School of Tibet was also set up to provide excellent education resources to people in the snow-covered plateau. CRTVUs not only turned out millions of high-level professionals, but also provided non-degree education to 50 million people. The development of CRTVUs has exerted great influence on the world. The Open University of China acts as a chair unit in Asian Association of Open University and a member of International Council of Open and Distance Education and has made great contribution to the communication and cooperation in the field of distance education in the world.

Time flies like an arrow. All friends come to celebrate the anniversary. In 2009, The Open University of China will organize a series of anniversary celebrations. We will carry on the excellent tradition in running school, demonstrate achievements in the past 30 years, look forward to more development in the future, accumulate impetus for advancement in the new era and join hand in hand with all RTVUs for the new glory in the coming years. We sincerely hope friends at home and abroad and alumni all around China can gather in Beijing to fresh our friendship and celebrate our achievements together. We also sincerely invite leaders and social talents to gather at the Open University of China and witness this great occasion. This announcement is released for a public notice.

Schedule for Celebration:

• 12 Oct 2009 to 17 Oct 2009 is the celebration week. A series of academic exchange events, alumni parties, campus culture activities and international exchange activities will be held during these days.
• 12-14 Oct are the days when the alumni return to school. On, 15 Oct, the national annual conference of higher education institutions on distance education in China will be held. International Forum on Open and Distance Education will be held on 16 and 17 October.
• 18 Oct 2009 is the day of 30 years' anniversary celebration day. A grand celebration will be held in the People's Great Hall.
   

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Tel: 010—66490083,66490061
Fax: 010—66419025
Address: No.160 Fuxingmennei Street, Beijing, 100031, China,The Open University of China, Anniversary Celebration Office