Guangdong enables lifelong learning for residents through new platform

Guangdong province on Wednesday launched a new online platform to provide lifelong learning opportunities for its more than 129 million residents, as the southern economic powerhouse seeks to strengthen its human resource base amid rapid technological change.

Hu Jinjun, head of the Publicity Department of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said building a comprehensive lifelong learning system is a strategic, pioneering and foundational project planned by the provincial government, as well as a livelihood initiative closely tied to people's pursuit of a better life.

The platform is sponsored by the education work leading group of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee.

Its construction was jointly organized by the Provincial Publicity Department, the Provincial Civilization Office, the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, and Guangdong Open University.

Described as a "super learning ecosystem" and a closed-loop service system, the platform provides a unified entry point for full network access to learning resources.

It features a "course supermarket" offering selected courses from across the province and nationwide, allowing residents to choose classes at no cost and providing opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere.

"In order to continue to take the lead, set an example and shoulder major responsibilities in the country, Guangdong, an economic powerhouse in China, must invest in people, strive for well-rounded human development, and accelerate the transformation of its huge population into a strong human resource advantage," Hu said.

He said the outdated belief that a single skillset can suffice for a lifetime no longer applies.

"Only through continuous and lifelong learning can we keep pace with the times and win the future," he said.

Lifelong learning has been identified by the provincial government as a major strategic task for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

Alongside the platform, authorities plan to roll out a series of public competitions this year covering topics such as national defense literacy and Cantonese folk songs to stimulate enthusiasm for learning, Hu said.

Du Minqi, deputy director of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province, said expanding the supply of quality online skills training is an irreversible trend.

"As Guangdong accelerates the development of new quality productive forces and builds a stronger modern industrial system, new technologies represented by AI are advancing at a faster pace," Du said. "This has given rise to a large number of digital, innovative and interdisciplinary jobs, placing higher demands on workers' skills."

He said authorities have carried out large-scale vocational skills upgrading programs focused on industry, public and development needs, and have built an industry-education-evaluation ecosystem integrating recruitment, training, assessment and employment.

Zhang Taofu, dean of the School of Journalism at Fudan University, said the platform's launch is a strategic and pioneering livelihood project with national demonstration value.

In response to the national strategy of building a learning society and a learning country, the project has taken the lead in developing a unified learning platform, creating a "course supermarket" and integrating online and offline learning scenarios, Zhang said.

"At a time when knowledge production is ubiquitous, knowledge transmission is fragmented and learning demands are diversified, the project treats lifelong learning as an inclusive public welfare initiative," he said.

"It systematically addresses core questions such as where to learn, what to learn and how to learn," Zhang added.

He said the platform represents a leapfrog innovation in learning philosophy and models and amounts to a quiet revolution in education.

Zhong Zhijin, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Sun Yat-sen University, said that amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence, technology can significantly free up human labor and boost efficiency.

In that context, independent learning, the cultivation of values and integrity, and the development of broad knowledge horizons and agile thinking are essential for people to maintain autonomy in a future society shaped by human-machine interaction, she said.

"With a forward-looking vision and a systematic knowledge framework, the lifelong learning platform responds to the needs and inevitable trend of lifelong learning for mankind in the era of human-machine symbiosis," Zhong said.

Chen Jianfu, a retiree from Guangzhou's Tianhe district, said the platform is meaningful for the public as it enables citizens, especially retirees, to continue learning and improve themselves.

Contact the writers at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn