The Core Ideas of Contemporary Distance and Open Universities

Contemporary distance and open universities in China are founded on the Radio and TV University, and its core ideas are embodied in three concepts: inclusive education, lifelong education, and competitive advantage. Inclusive education involves providing education for all in an objective and fair way which meets their needs, with the core values of collectivism and cooperation. The concept of lifelong education refers to a person’s desire to continue to learn throughout life and embraces the sum of all the education received at all stages of life. The idea of competitive advantage in contemporary distance and open universities involves the pursuit of an effective balance between high quality and low cost, so as to maintain their core competitiveness. Together, these three concepts, which are indispensible, support the effective development of contemporary distance and open universities.