On December 24–25, Jiangsu Open University (JSOU) convened its 2025 System-wide Research Work Conference in Nantong, concurrently launching the JSOU Nantong Industry-Research Service Center. The event was attended by Yu Lizhong, Vice Mayor of Nantong Municipal People’s Government, along with JSOU and local open university leadership.
In a keynote report, JSOU Party Secretary Ding Rongyu emphasized deepening industry-research integration by prioritizing human capital, enterprise collaboration, and shared benefits. He outlined five focal points for research development within the open university system: organized research, regional engagement, value incubation, collaborative ecosystems, and intelligent applications.
On the morning of December 25, the system-wide research work conference was held. JSOU Vice President Zhang Xiao noted that this conference, the largest and most focused to date, demonstrated the university's strong commitment to research innovation. She highlighted four key signals: research innovation as a core institutional priority; building a province-wide research collaboration network for cross-level resource sharing; shifting research evaluation toward industry-academia-research-application to engage faculty with industrial challenges; and deepening provincial-city-county coordination to drive regional innovation.
For the next phase, Zhang proposed three core requirements: optimize incentive mechanisms; advance organized research under the "1+5+2+X framework"—AI-driven, focusing on five areas (rural revitalization, digital economy, marine economy, low-altitude economy, silver economy), two priority disciplines, and multiple research directions; and accelerate technology transfer with strengthened training. She called on the system to implement the "Three-Three-Three Industry-Research Integration Action Plan" for high-quality development.
A major outcome of the conference was the inauguration of the JSOU Nantong Industry-Research Service Center—the first of its kind in the provincial open university system. The center will serve as a bridge connecting JSOU’s expertise with local industries such as shipbuilding, high-end equipment, the low-altitude economy, and digital technology.
The conference also featured a thematic session on Nantong’s low-altitude economy, including expert lectures, enterprise presentations, and a site visit to a drone training facility. Awards were presented for outstanding research achievements, teams, and management contributors.
The meeting marks a step forward in system-wide research collaboration and industry-education integration, supporting JSOU’s role in regional development and innovation.