On February 25, Guangdong officially launched its Lifelong Learning Platform for all citizens. This initiative, introduced on the second working day after the Lunar New Year holiday, sends a notable strategic signal from the province.

Just one day earlier, on February 24—the first workday of the year—Guangdong’s "First Spring Meeting" was held, during which Provincial Party Secretary Huang Kunming emphasized the coordinated development of manufacturing and services. As China’s largest provincial economy, Guangdong demonstrated its ambition to lead and stay ahead.

On February 25, the province further strengthened its lifelong learning system, signaling a greater commitment to "investing in people" and accelerating the transformation of a "demographic dividend" into a "talent dividend."

This marks a critical step for Guangdong, in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, toward building a learning society where "everyone can learn, everywhere is a learning space, and learning is possible at any time." It represents a strategic and foundational project with significant implications for public welfare, reflecting the core ideal that "lifelong learning enables everyone to shine."

Why is Guangdong building a lifelong learning system? Hu Jinjun, a member of the Guangdong Provincial Party Standing Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, highlighted three key reasons at the launch event: the changing times, Guangdong’s responsibility, and the needs of the people. As a major economic and demographic hub, Guangdong understands that talent is essential to maintaining its leading position, and education lies at the heart of talent development. To continue leading and setting an example, the province must invest in human capital, promote well-rounded personal development, and convert its large population into a strong human resource advantage.

Hu also shared three motivational phrases: "Learning makes everyone shine," "Every effort counts here," and "Lifelong learning is the most impactful investment you can make in yourself." These phrases not only serve as encouragement but also reflect the philosophy behind the system’s design.

As the saying goes, the year’s plan starts in spring. By strategically advancing industrial coordination and establishing a comprehensive lifelong learning framework, Guangdong is providing clear direction for economic growth—demonstrating the responsibility of a major province and setting an example for the nation.

**Investing in People**

As China’s most populous province, Guangdong is home to over 127 million permanent residents and more than 150 million people present in the province at any given time. Last year, through its "Millions of Talents Gather in South Guangdong" initiative, the province attracted over 1.1 million college graduates to work or start businesses locally. By the end of 2025, the total number of skilled workers in Guangdong reached 22.38 million, including 8.43 million highly skilled professionals—both figures ranking first nationwide.

Given this demographic scale, Guangdong recognizes that maintaining its leading role depends on systematically transforming its "population dividend" into a high-quality "talent dividend." The key lies in "investing in people." The provincial government work report explicitly emphasizes this approach, using human capital investment to guide infrastructure and industrial development.

So how is Guangdong "investing in people"? Beyond short-term goals such as employment and healthcare, this year’s government work report clearly outlines the long-term vision of building a learning society where "everyone can learn, everywhere is a learning space, and learning is possible at any time." Among the province’s top ten livelihood projects, accelerating the construction of a lifelong learning system and expanding vocational training resources are highlighted as priorities.

**Building a Lifelong Learning System**

Guangdong’s lifelong learning system is designed as an open, intelligent, and interconnected ecosystem—a closed-loop service framework that systematically addresses core questions such as "Where to learn? What to learn? How to learn?" through a unified platform, a course "supermarket," and blended online and offline learning scenarios.

The system focuses on four key areas: ideological education, skills improvement, cultural literacy, and learning for seniors. It is supported by six major programs that comprehensively cover individual growth and societal development needs:

- The Ideological Education Program serves as a "thought charging station," turning Guangdong’s practical advances in Chinese modernization into high-quality educational content. - The Academic Advancement Program builds a "growth overpass," offering over 300,000 continuing education opportunities annually. - The Skills Enhancement Program acts as a "career accelerator," providing training for more than 2 million people each year in high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing and public services. - The Cultural and Arts Enrichment Program delivers "spiritual nourishment," integrating high-quality cultural resources into daily life. - The "Learn Better in Guangdong" Brand Program offers "tailored service packages," designing learning projects for key groups such as gig economy workers and the elderly. - The Learning Network Integration Program weaves a "unified learning network," establishing a three-tier learning system that connects urban and rural areas and integrates online and offline resources.

**Lifelong Learning in the AI Era**

As early as the 1970s, French educational thinker Paul Lengrand introduced the concept of lifelong education in his book *An Introduction to Lifelong Learning*, challenging traditional views of education. Decades later, the idea of "lifelong learning" has become widely accepted.

The rise of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," led by artificial intelligence, is now a crucial foundation for developing new quality productive forces and enhancing technological competitiveness and social governance. For learners, this is both the fastest-changing and the most promising era.

Some experts, such as Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and president of an AI promotion association, argue that not only humans but also AI systems need "lifelong learning." Most large language models today are "frozen" after initial training, lacking continuous updates, growth, and causal reasoning abilities. In contrast, humans constantly acquire new knowledge and update their thinking throughout their lives. AI, too, can learn iteratively—like a child building with blocks—through trial and error.

If AI is also engaged in lifelong learning, how should humans respond? Yu Yang, a deputy to the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and chief scientist at a big data company, believes that lifelong learning ability will be a vital skill for people coexisting with AI. He emphasizes three key competencies: the ability to identify and frame problems correctly, the capacity to solve them using logical and scientific methods, and the willingness to take responsibility for outcomes within an ethical framework.

At its core, AI operates on algorithms, while human learning is about awakening and growth. Guangdong’s system is designed to ensure that people remain capable of taking responsibility for outcomes, even in an algorithm-driven age.

**Making "Shining" a Way of Life**

Luo Li, a provincial congress deputy and vice president of the Guangzhou Literary and Art Creation Research Institute, cited Cantonese opera as an example. The art form has long faced challenges in attracting younger generations while experienced performers struggle to find successors. The vision of a learning society—where learning is accessible to all, everywhere, at any time—offers a new approach to preserving cultural heritage.

"When Cantonese opera learning is no longer confined to master-apprentice traditions or theater visits, but becomes part of daily life through educational drama, online courses, and short video tutorials, younger people can more easily engage with this deeply artistic tradition," Luo explained. Cultivating such appreciation is a shared goal of aesthetic education and lifelong learning.

Amid ongoing global changes, Guangdong’s "hardcore investment" is not only about external competitiveness but also about fulfilling people’s fundamental desire for a better life—ensuring that the thirst for knowledge is met and upward mobility remains within reach. As Hu Jinjun stated, lifelong learning is the most impactful investment one can make.

As spring sets the tone for the year, Guangdong has made its move. In this race centered on human potential, every lifelong learner in the province represents a powerful "growth stock" for the future.