In the afternoon of July 11, 2011, the Open University of China (OUC) Multimedia Press and U.S.-based Berkshire Publishing Group signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing for a large-scale audio-visual publication project named China Panorama—Video Encyclopedia of China. The two parties will work together on the content, translation, marketing, publication, and sales of the project and strive to lay a good foundation for the adoption and propagation of the product in the U.S.
The 2011 annual conference of the European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN) and celebration of the 20th anniversary of its establishment was held June 19-22 in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. A delegation from the OUC attended as the sole representative from China.
EDEN is the most influential and comprehensive distance education and e-learning organization in Europe. Though it is a regional organization, its annual conference has been developed into an international conference. This year's theme was "Learning and Sustainability:
On the morning of June 16, 2011, the award ceremony for "College Student of the Year 2010" was held in the Science Hall of the Beijing Jiaotong University, and Tie Feiyan, a student registered in 2010 to the Law Diploma programme in Yunnan Radio and TV University was chosen as one of the "College Students of the Year 2010". Liu Yandong, Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC and State Councillor, attended the ceremony, conferred the prize and took a photo with her.
Recently, Chairwoman Anne Elizabeth Ely, Vice Chairman Peter Ely, and Trustee Ling Thompson of the Sino-British Fellowship Trust (SBFT) visited China to attend the ceremony to re-sign the "Sino-British Fellowship Trust Project" agreement. They also attended three seminars held in the eastern, northwestern, and southwestern areas, featuring scholars who formerly participated in the project. After a comprehensive review of the academic activities of the scholars since their return to China, they gave an assessment of the success of the project thus far.
Changchun School for the Disabled of the Open University of China (OUC), also named School of Special Education of Changchun Radio and TV University, was founded on May 10, 2011. In its initial phase, the School is offering diploma programmes in digital media design and production as well as social work. It has enrolled 43 students in the spring of 2011, and provided each disabled student with 500 RMB in financial aid.
Yan Bing, vice president of the Open University of China (OUC) and leader of the Education Support Group to Xinjiang, led a delegation of five members to make a survey and investigation trip to Xinjiang on education support and open university construction from April 25 to 26.
The delegation went to Xinjiang Radio and TV University and Xinjiang Corps Radio and TV University,
Positive progress has been made in the research and development of the OUC online platform. The development of the basic framework of the platform has been completed and a pilot version will be presented in this May.
In line with the OUC Development Scheme, the online platform under construction
On April 14, 2011, the Open University of China （OUC） and the OUC School of Xizang co-organized the training of volunteers for the OUC's Action Plan to Support Tibet with Voluntary Online Teaching through a real time conference system, which marked the start of the project.