On 26 Nov. 2013, the Textile School of the Open University of China (OUC) was officially launched.
The establishment of the OUC Textile School is necessary for the development of our country's economy and is an important component of continuing education for practitioners in the textile industry. The School is directly under the headquarters of the OUC, and its main task is to follow the relevant policies and unified standards of the OUC, adhere to the working ideology of "industry education serving the innovation and development of the industry," and provide vocational and diploma education with industry characteristics for practitioners in the textile industry. It also offers non-degree education in professional skills and talent development. Through the mechanism of the OUC's "Credit Bank," the School realises effective connection and integration between non-degree continuing education and degree education, and constructs a "bridge" for talent development.
To strengthen the major construction for textile industry, the School uses an existing expert committee, and its Advisory Committee on Major Construction, for intellectual and technical support. It makes full use of internet+ distance-education teaching resources, follows a new teaching model, strives to build several OUC textile-enterprise branches (study centres), offers professional and skills training relevant to the industry, and combines national-level vocational certificates with industry skills certificates.
Features of the OUC School of Textiles
◆ Faculty
The School cooperates with textile-industry colleges, research institutes, and large and medium-sized enterprises, bringing together well-known teachers in China's textile and clothing industry. It has an expert committee, and its Advisory Committee on Major Construction, for intellectual and technical support, and offers professional training to support the domestic textile industry.
◆ Dual Certification in Degree Education
Students who have studied on the OUC learning platform and passed the examinations can obtain a graduation diploma at the secondary and junior-college level, recognised by the state, as well as national- and industry-level vocational certificates.
◆ Credit Bank
The "Credit Bank (Textile) Accreditation Sub-centre" of the OUC is located at the Textile School. The School is aimed at practitioners in the textile and clothing industry in China, and provides the function of credit identification, accumulation, and transfer for lifelong education. It builds a "bridge" between non-degree education and degree education, as well as between different educational levels, to establish a lifelong learning education platform for learners. Through the Credit Bank, the School helps learners establish their lifelong learning records.
◆ Multi-level Education
Currently, the School offers vocational and diploma programmes at the secondary and junior-college levels. The School is currently developing a design that integrates the secondary, junior-college, and bachelor's degree levels in the textile and clothing industry to achieve an education resource-saving learning process. Additionally, the School collaborates with relevant units to conduct various short-term professional and technical training programmes.
◆ Diverse Learning Approaches
Theory and practice are combined online and offline, making full use of modern internet technology, with online theoretical courses supplemented by offline practical teaching and face-to-face tutorials and guidance, implementing the sharing of high-quality learning resources across the country to facilitate students' learning anytime and anywhere.
◆ Practical Courses
The courses offered by the School are closely linked to practices in the textile and clothing industry, are needs-based, and follow a variety of formats, with equal emphasis on knowledge and skills, providing students with a broad space for career development.
◆ Nationwide Enrolment
Enrolment in the School is open to students nationwide, providing a platform of lifelong education for every learner.