On March 4, the Provincial Symposium on Social Education was held at Jiangsu Open University. President Ding Rongyu, also Director of the Provincial Social Education Service Guidance Center, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Yin Yazhu, a Director from Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, chaired the session, and Professor Jin Ying from Nanjing University gave a keynote report.
President Ding extended a warm welcome to all participants on behalf of the university. He stated that the symposium provided an excellent opportunity to collectively advance social education across the province. The university has been committed to its mission of “serving lifelong learning for all and serving the people of Jiangsu”, adhering to a tripartite educational framework driven by open education, vocational education, and social education. Leveraging its strengths in deeply integrating information technology with education, JSOU is accelerating its development into a digitally intelligent and innovative university, and enhancing its capacity to provide social and senior education services across the province. President Ding emphasized that, under the guidance of the Provincial Department of Education, both the Provincial Social Education Service Guidance Center and JSOU have the confidence, determination, capability, and foundation to play a leading role in the field of social education.
Professor Jin Ying’s report was titled “AI-Driven Transformation in Social Education: Technological Empowerment and Governance Innovation.” She systematically explored the inevitability of digital transformation in education in the AI era from four dimensions: technological foundations, multidimensional impacts, systemic restructuring, and policy innovation.
In her concluding remarks, Yin Yazhu emphasized that with accelerating urbanization and increasingly diverse public needs, social education must undergo a comprehensive transformation and upgrade. She expressed hope that the Center and JSOU should continue to serve as leaders in this field, working in coordination with local education departments to overcome systemic barriers.
Officials from education bureaus in prefecture-level cities participated in discussions focused on the status of social education work and plans for 2025, particularly in the areas of institutional support, infrastructure development, and workforce capacity building.
