From analyzing the scale, age profile, occupational composition, regional distribution and post level of the learners in the Open University of China (OUC), it can be seen that the OUC is a mega-university with millions of learners, a university targeting the general population and embedded in society. The mission of the OUC is great, as well as formidable, for it bears on its shoulders the significant social responsibility of improving the quality of a wide range of workers, boosting the mass higher education and fairness in education and promoting the construction of a lifelong learning society for all people, and it is in this that lies the important difference between the OUC and the regular institutions of higher education, which focus on elite education.
From the 18th to the 23rd of August of 2014, MOE Research & Training Centre for Community Education held the second “Lifelong Learning Lawmaking and Legal System Research Senior Training Class” at Lanzhou city of Gansu Province. The class aimed to promote progress in nationwide legislation related to lifelong education, encouraging more cities to join in establishing their own programmes of lifelong education as soon as possible, so as to provide practical legal protection for the lifelong learning of citizens in our country, and to promote the development of lifelong education.
The First Chinese-American Conference on E-Learning Resources was recently convened in Shengyang. The conference was held jointly by National Digital Learning Resources Centre, American Trivantis Company, Shengyang Radio and TV University (RTVU), and Enterprise and Education Research Centre of Peking University.
There is a special place in the hall of the 1st floor of Gansu Radio and TV University (Gansu RTVU) Open Education Building. It is not large in area, actually less than 100 square meters. However, it fills an important role in ensuring learner support services for all students. Its decoration is not luxurious, but seems very warm. The teachers here are always kind and ready to offer attentive service and sincere concern to the students, and the students feel at home here.
In order to learn about the effects of the implementation of "one college student per village" programme, summarize experience in the degree education of farmers, and work out a new round of “Farmer College Students' Training Programme”, Huaihua Radio and TV University (Huaihua RTVU) in Hunan recently paid a return visit to the "one college student per village" programme participants, investigated and learned about their business start-ups, their living and learning situations after graduation, learn about their self-evaluation of their learning experience in participating in the "one college student per village" programme, and listen to their views and suggestions on the implementation of the "Farmer College Students' Training Programme".
On the afternoon of August 29, 2014, a group of 3 delegates from Korea National Open University (KNOU) headed by Cho Namchul, President of KNOU, visited the Open University of China (OUC). Yang Zhijian, President of the OUC and Zhang Shaogang, Vice President of the OUC participated in the meeting.
On August 6, the Open University of China (OUC) established Yanoda School of International Tourism in Hainan. Jointly founded by Hainan Radio and TV University (RTVU) and Hainan Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, the School aims to set up universities for businesses and train badly needed qualified personnel, through an innovative model combining school-enterprise cooperation and professional training. The founders said they would strive to make Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone the first open education model of a "learning" enterprise in Hainan.
Recently, Anhui Radio & TV University (RTVU) carried out targeted information technology training for teachers from Anhui University who had presided over adult education curriculum reform. As it is undertaking the first national government-led "Online Adult Education Park" project, Anhui RTVU will conduct training for teaching staff from Anhui Normal University, Anhui Agricultural University, Anhui University of Technology, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, and Anhui University of Chinese Medicine.