The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 has posed an unprecedented global challenge. Nearly 1.2 billion students in over 160 countries and regions have had to suspend their studies to some extent.
The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) held its 34th Annual Conference from 1 to 3 June 2021 at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The conference was held both online and offline, and its theme was “Opening minds for a sustainable future: Re-orienting ODL to surmount challenges”. The paper submitted by the Open University of China (OUC), titled “Best Practices of Poverty Alleviation through ODE: A Case Study from the OUC” received a silver medal of AAOU Best Practice Award.
On 3 June 2021, the Open University of China (OUC) held a ceremony to launch its ideological and political education centre for teachers and students at Jinggangshan University.
On 25 June 2021, the Open University of China (OUC) held a conference in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as the “July 1” commendation to award commemorative medals celebrating “glorious 50 years as a CPC member” to senior people with five decades of party membership.
A ceremony to sign a Memorandum of In-depth Strategic Cooperation between the Open University of China (OUC) and Beijing Radio and Television (BRTV) was held in Beijing on the morning of 9 July 2021.
The Open University of China (OUC) held a meeting to promote its key work for 2021 on 3 September. In addition to spreading the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s recent guiding principles on promoting key work, the meeting deployed the university’s work for the autumn semester. Jing Degang, secretary of the OUC Party Committee and president, presided over and addressed the meeting.
On the morning of 13 September 2021, a ceremony to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between the Open University of China (OUC) and the People’s Government of Binzhou Municipality, as well as to unveil the OUC Rural Revitalisation College, was held at the Bohai Institute of Advanced Technology.
On 12 October 2021, the National Conference on Educational Materials, and commendations of the winners of the first National Award for Educational Material Construction (NAEMC), took place in Beijing, where Sun Chunlan, vice premier of the State Council and director of the National Committee for Educational Materials (NCEM), delivered a speech. The NECM commended 999 textbooks, 99 collectives, and 200 individual winners.