On November 20–22, 2025, the Tenth Lifelong Education New Horizons Academic Forum, hosted by Jiangsu Open University (JSOU) and organized by the Lifelong Education Research Editorial Office, was successfully held in Nanjing. Centered on the theme of “Advancing the Digital Education Strategy and Optimizing Public Services for Lifelong Learning,” the forum brought together over 150 experts, scholars, young researchers, and representatives from open universities across the province to explore how digital technology can drive educational transformation and empower individuals’ lifelong growth through improved public services.
In her welcome address, JSOU President Zhang Yingchun emphasized the forum’s alignment with national policy directions and highlighted the university’s commitment to building a digitally innovative institution that integrates open education, vocational education, community education, and education for older adults. She called for new conceptual frameworks, technological breakthroughs, and collaborative ecosystems to better serve lifelong learning.
Keynote speeches were delivered by Jiang Kai, Dean of the School of Education at Peking University, who elaborated on educational policies outlined in the national 15th Five-Year Plan; Liu Xuanxuan, Deputy Party Secretary of the Open University of China, who discussed digital empowerment in open education teacher development; and JSOU Party Secretary Ding Rongyu, who analyzed the characteristics and construction pathways of an open education ecosystem with Chinese characteristics, emphasizing innovation in organization, resource allocation, and integration of digital and human elements.
Parallel sessions on lifelong learning, educational digitalization, and continuing education focused on paradigm shifts, technological applications, and practical pathways—including AI-supported learning, legal frameworks for lifelong education, community education models, and the role of continuing education in rural revitalization.
The forum concluded with a shared commitment to guiding lifelong education toward high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable development in the digital era.
