Sometimes we have to look back in order to move forward.

Editorial Letter

“Sometimes we have to look back in order to move forward.” This is a constant reminder for us all, particularly as some higher education institutions around the world are aiming to reopen the campuses safely and many more are getting ready for the upcoming semesters. Moreover, many experts are also reminding us to remain vigilant and alert, as they seem to agree that COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon.

On a positive note, congratulations are in order, especially for universities in the northern hemisphere which either have started or are starting their Summer holiday. It has been a challenging times for the researchers and frontline healthcare workers, as well as education administrators who were forced to come up with innovative solutions to solve graduation-related problems. One of these institutions is Tsinghua University, which was the first university to shift all courses online in the wake of the global pandemic. And in the spirit of “looking back” as well as mutual learning and support, Tsinghua University will be hosting a webinar on Friday, July 3, 2020, 08:00 am – 10:00 am (Beijing time, GMT+8), to share their experience with university partners and education stakeholders on the very urgent topic of online education during this unprecedented health emergency.

”This unusual journey start at the beginning of 2020 with a sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which has stopped students from returning back to their university campuses. Even with very little knowledge then, Tsinghua University was determined and committed virtually on February 3 that the Spring semester will start on time and on schedule, though students shall postpone their travel back to the Tsinghua campus. It was on February 17, 8:00am, Beijing time that the familiar school bell ringtone was heard in homes of Tsinghua students across the world, and thereby we began the journey of online teaching and learning, online group discussions, online examinations, online thesis defenses, online exhibitions, and online graduations. And five months after the "promise" on February 3, Tsinghua University is inviting all our colleagues and friends to join us as we review our past experiences and future expectations for online education.

Additionally, complementing the invitation of the mentioned webinar. This issue of the newsletter also includes an essay written by the Provost of Tsinghua University, a top university in China and Asia. Upon reviewing the online education effort in the last semester, the author shares eight recommendations for administrators as universities around the world progress through the “post-epidemic” era.

We hope you will find this issue useful. If you have any questions or want to further collaborate on related research projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at office@rcoe.edu.cn.

Yours,

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Prof. Bin Yang (杨斌)

Vice President and Provost, Tsinghua University;
Executive Director, International Center for Engineering Education (ICEE) under the Auspices of UNESCO

Prof. Si Yuan (袁驷)

Director, PRC Ministry of Education Research Center for Online Education (MOERCOE);
Executive Director, International Center for Engineering Education (ICEE) under the Auspices of UNESCO