On April 23, Jiangsu Open University (JSOU) and JD Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the Dinghuaimen Campus. The ceremony was attended by JSOU Party Secretary Ding Rongyu, JD Group Vice President of Public Business Wei Xiaohui, and other representatives. The event was hosted by Deputy Party Secretary Niu Yutao.
Secretary Ding Rongyu noted in his address that the two parties have built a solid collaborative foundation since jointly establishing their first specialized college in 2015. He described the new agreement as a step from fragmented exploration to systematic integration. He expressed three expectations for the partnership: deepening industry-education integration to align talent cultivation with industry needs; strengthening regional service by focusing on digital retail and smart logistics to develop high-quality applied talent; and setting a replicable example for future collaboration. He stressed that tangible outcomes remain the priority.
Deputy Secretary Niu Yutao, who moderated the ceremony, mentioned that President Zhang Yingchun had held multiple rounds of talks with JD Group prior to the signing. He stated that the partnership allows JSOU to stay current with industry trends and invigorate its educational offerings, while enabling JD to expand its engagement with the education sector. He emphasized that the collaboration is driven by shared vision and complementary strengths, and that JSOU will ensure effective implementation of all cooperative projects.
Wei Xiaohui spoke highly of JSOU’s educational philosophy and its achievements in lifelong and vocational education. He noted that JSOU’s strengths in intelligent manufacturing, digital media, and modern services align well with JD’s strategic focus on supporting the real economy and serving consumer needs. He expressed that by co-establishing an industry college, the two sides will integrate JD’s resources in retail, logistics, chain operations, and technology with JSOU’s expertise in vocational and open education, creating a dual-education model that brings real business operations into the classroom.
Following the signing of the agreement between Niu Yutao and Zhang Kun, JD Group’s head of university-industry cooperation for East China, the “JSOU-JD E-commerce Practice Center” was inaugurated, with Wei Xiaohui presenting the plaque to Zhou Xiaojun, Dean of the Business School. Secretary Ding Rongyu also appointed Zhang Kun and Chen Huali as “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mentors” of JSOU. The two corporate mentors were paired with the heads of the International E-commerce Department and the Marketing Management Department to collaborate on program development, internships, and start-up incubation.
After the ceremony, the two sides held in-depth talks on talent cultivation, resource coordination, social services, and industry college development.
