The 7th Forum of Elderly Cultural Education Successfully held in Beijing

On May 9, as one of the sub-forums of The 7^th China International Senior Services Expo, Forum of Elderly Cultural Education was successfully held in Beijing. The meeting was jointly hosted by China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service and The Open University of China, organized by Zhongfu Elderly Senior Service Co., Ltd, Beijing Zhongfu Elderly Welfare Cultural Media Co., Ltd and Magazine of Welfare China. A total number of 300 experts and professors from the field of education, culture, communication and provincial industries attended the meeting.

Zhang Mingliang, vice-president of China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service attended and addressed the meeting.

In his speech, Zhang Mingliang said currently over 7 million elders study at university of elders, and thousands of elders have participated in learning through various forms such as community education, long-distance education. China has already formed an elder education development pattern which is pushed forward by many departments in different forms. In recent years, CASWSS has conducted many beneficial explorations in elderly cultural education. To construct social service system, promote effective integration of welfare cultural construction projects with the cultural needs of welfare institutions. CASWSS initiated the project of Welfare Culture into Thousands of Families, which has greatly enriched the content of the elderly cultural services together with Zhongfu Concert of Elderly Culture & Art and the Most Beautiful Elderly Photography Exhibition. The development of elderly cultural education was an important measure to actively respond to the aging of the population, improve the quality of life of the elderly, and promote social harmony. At the same time, we must clearly understand that China’s cultural education for the elderly still has insufficient supply of resources, unbalanced development between urban and rural areas and regions, unsound protection mechanisms, urgent need for strengthening departmental coordination, and the need to further expand the depth and breadth of participation of social forces and resolve these issues. The issue of promoting the sustained and healthy development of elderly cultural education would be an urgent task in current and future to actively respond to the aging of the population and vigorously develop the service industry and industries for the elderly.

Xie Laiyi, Director of the Office for Development and Integrated Management of the Open University for the Elderly, the Open University of China, delivered a speech on the theme of “ Promoting the Innovative and integrated development of the Open University for the Elderly Building a New Pattern of Distance Education for Senior Citizens ”, shared the efforts and practices of carrying out academic and non-diploma education toward elders and senior service employees since its foundation. He believed that the Open University for the Elderly is not only a platform for learning and exchanging between the elderly and senior service employees, but also an important platform for cooperation and exchange between the elderly cultural education industry and the aging industry. He focused on creating an innovative model for building a new pattern of long-distance education from the aspects of “new era, new mission, new university, new ideas, new development, and new pattern”.

Li Jianguo, President of the Beijing Senior Industry Association, made a wonderful speech on the theme of “Innovative cultural service is a new era in the industry associations.” He introduced the the creative ideas and processes of "The Song of the Older Workers," practical results in elderly cultural service in recent years, and expressed the true feelings of the elderly in the new era to actively participate in aging career.

Liu Ming, president of Sichuan Senior Service Industry Association, Zhang Jinchun, Deputy Head of the Old Artists Orchestra of the Ministry of Culture, Zhao Baoquan, Proprieter of the Happy Elderly Newspaper, Wang Lanyun, President of Jiuhuashan Senior University, Anhui Province, and Bao Xiaoyu, Planning Director, Beijing Gongchuang Zhiye Cultural Development Co., Ltd., and other experts and cultural professors shared innovative practice of exploring and developing cultural services for the elderly in their speeches.

Bao Xiaoyu, Planning Director, Beijing Gongchuang Zhiye Cultural Development Co., Ltd. delivered a themed speech

This forum provided theoretical guidance for senior cultural educators and shared innovative practices. Guests shared innovative practice and research results in their respective segments. Participants listened and made notes carefully, and passionately interacted during the forum. Everyone expressed that they had expanded their thinking, learned their experience, and found a direction for future career. The forum was a complete success.