Tao Wenjie - Director of Department of Lifelong Learning of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SMEC)
Zhuang Jian - Director of Shanghai Senior education Work Office
Li Xuanhai - SUE President
Xiong Fangjie - SUE Executive Vice President
Han Chonghu – SUE Vice President
Ma Xianguo – SUE Vice President
Shen Hong – SUE Vice President
Shi Yongda - IRCSE Deputy Secretary-General
Chu Qin – IRCSE Deputy Secretary-General
Yang Jiemian – Chairman of Academic Committee of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
Fu Jihong – Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government
Wu Qiang – Secretary of Commission for Discipline Inspection of ShanghaiTech University
Du Jian – Principal of University for the Elderly in Xuhui District
Qiu Yongping – Principal of University for the Elderly in Hongkou District
Song Wenzu – Professor of SUE English Department
Li Xuanhai presided the meeting.
Xiong Fangjie briefed some basics about IRCSE. It is subordinated to China Association of Universities for the Aged (CAUA) and located at Shanghai University for the Elderly. Its task is to do in-depth research into senior education in China and abroad and conduct comprehensively comparative study, thus learning from foreign experience and giving full play to the advantages of China’s senior education with China’s characters taken into consideration.
The experts either in international studies or in senior education had a discussion on senior education. Eight experts were invited to be the senior consultants at IRCSE, and they are Yang Jiemian, Fu Jihong, Wu Qiang, Du Jian, Qiu Yongping, Song Wenzu, Jiang Feng (Party Secretary of Shanghai International Studies University), and Yang Deguang (Former President of Shanghai Normal University). Li Xuanhai issued letters of appointment to the experts one by one and invited them to pair with SUE young teachers as mentors, and young teachers presented flowers to their mentors respectively.
Shi Yongda gave a brief introduction to the development of senior education in China. The emergence of senior education is promoted by the development of social economy, the degree of aging and the demand of human development. Over the past three decades, senior education has been developing rapidly in China, which was embodied in a variety of forms, and also in a surge of learning institutions for the senior citizens, as well as in the content of education and teaching. All of these were benefited from the extensive attention of the whole society on senior education, and more importantly, the country also attached great importance to the senior education. CAUA has been actively participating in AIUTA activities since it joined the AIUTA in 1994. CAUA’s leaders hold important positions in AIUTA and are currently the AIUTA’s biggest group member.
Senior consultancy experts listened to the report by Shi Yongda, and gave their suggestions according to the characteristics of senior education and their own research fields. Yang Jiemian said that good senior education will play a positive role in social stability. Shanghai University for the Elderly should adhere to high standards and thus set an example for other education institutions for senior citizens. Senior education in China started later than that of other countries. We should fully learn from foreign experience first, and then conduct international exchanges on this basis, and introduce the senior education in China, especially in Shanghai, to the world to seek international consensus. Fu Jihong said that Shanghai has affluent resources in foreign affairs. Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office will give full play to its role in international research on senior education. Several other experts also shared their ideas,.
Han Chonghu pointed out in his summary speech that the IRCSE will continue to standardize the system, further build a theoretical research platform, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, and cultivate professionals with an international perspective in senior education, so as to build a Chinese mode of senior education and burnish the image of China’s senior education.