On September 21st, at the invitation of the National Academy of Education Administration, the Dean of our School of Continuing Education, Xu Deya, gave a lecture at Wuhan University for the national training class on "Reform and Development of Higher Vocational Education Continuing Education". Over 80 persons in charge of continuing education schools (centers) of vocational colleges and adult colleges across the province participated in this special training.
Under the theme "Reflections on the High-Quality Development Path of Higher Vocational Continuing Education in the Perspective of the Development Report on Higher Continuing Education", Xu Deya focused on the annual report on the development of higher continuing education. He delved into the relevant policy documents issued by the Ministry of Education and the Provincial Education Department, providing a comprehensive interpretation. He thoroughly summarized and generalized the current situation, achievements, contributions, and shortcomings of the development of higher continuing education in Hunan Province. From the perspectives of standardized development, connotative development, transformation development, distinctive development, brand development, and high-quality development, he proposed considerations for the high-quality development path of higher continuing education in vocational colleges. Based on the research and analysis of the annual data of higher continuing education development in the province, he emphasized that the current period is a crucial time for the transformation development of higher continuing education. Vocational colleges and adult colleges should seize the opportunity for transformation development, pursue a path of distinctive development, shift the focus of work from continuing education in academic qualifications to non-academic education, community education, and elderly education. They should develop social training into a distinctive brand, boldly explore new paths for participating in community education and elderly education, and serve the regional economic development and the construction of a learning society.
As the key undertaking institution for the commissioned project "Annual Report on the Development of Higher Continuing Education in Hunan Province" by the Provincial Education Department, HNMMC, under the leadership of the Provincial Education Department, led the formation of the project team, formulated the project implementation plan, guided more than 100 colleges and universities in the province to compile annual reports on the development of higher continuing education, report annual continuing education data, and write characteristic cases. Based on a comprehensive review and analysis of the data from various colleges and universities, HNMMC coordinated the compilation of the provincial annual report on the development of higher continuing education. Since 2018, the project team has compiled six years of the "Annual Report on the Development of Higher Continuing Education in Hunan Province", all of which have been adopted by the Provincial Education Department and submitted to the Ministry of Education. Among them, the reports for 2019, 2020, and 2021 have been publicly published.
Relying on the key research project entrusted by the Provincial Education Department, HNMMC has strengthened the research on policies related to higher continuing education, supported Xu Deya and team members in participating in the special rectification work of higher academic continuing education in Hunan Province, and contributed to the drafting of multiple policy documents, including the "Comprehensive Reform Plan of Hunan Open University", the "Setting and Management Measures for Off-campus Teaching Sites of Higher Continuing Education in Hunan Province (Trial)", and the "Implementation Plan for Promoting the Reform of Higher Continuing Education in Hunan Province in the New Era". In recent years, team members have publicly published over 10 academic papers and submitted consultation reports. Among them, Xu Deya's consultation report "Realistic Challenges and Countermeasure Suggestions for Advancing the Modernization of Governance System and Capacity in Off-campus Teaching Sites for Higher Continuing Education in Hunan Province" won the "First Prize for Higher Vocational Colleges Group" in the decision-making consultation report selection by the Provincial Education Department.
