China Blue School Network

DCC-OCC was endorsed by IOC-UNESCO to play a global coordination role in implementing the Ocean Decade in June 2022. It was hosted by the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources of China. DCC-OCC also serves as the official National Coordination node of the Blue Schools Global Network (BSGN) in China. To this end, DCC-OCC aims to build a national platform that connects ocean literacy resources across China with the BSGN community.

To advance ocean literacy nationwide, DCC-OCC has initiated and coordinated a series of national initiatives. On 8 June 2024, together with national partners, DCC-OCC launched the Ocean Decade on Campus Alliance, bringing together nearly 70 organizations, including international organizations, universities, research institutes, government agencies, professional associations, enterprises, primary and secondary schools, museums, foundations, and NGOs. The Alliance serves as a collaborative platform for implementing Ocean Decade educational activities across China. Until now, DCC-OCC has organized eight Ocean Decade campus outreach events, both online and in person, engaging more than 10,000 students through partnerships with institutions such as East China Normal University, Southern University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangxi University, Xiamen University, and Xiamen Yingcai School.

In January 2026, DCC-OCC also took the lead in establishing the Ocean Literacy Committee under the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA), creating a national coordination mechanism dedicated to advancing ocean education in schools. The Committee currently connects more than 500 schools across China and serves as a national platform for advancing ocean literacy in primary and secondary education. Its work focuses on developing curriculum resources and evaluation frameworks, strengthening teacher capacity, promoting student engagement through experiential learning, and facilitating collaboration among schools, researchers, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

In the coming years, the Committee will expand nationwide ocean education programmes, develop demonstration schools and regional networks, and provide research and policy support to strengthen ocean literacy education across China. Internationally, it will deepen BSGN and other global partners to promote knowledge exchange, share China's experiences and best practices, and contribute to ocean literacy under the UN Ocean Decade.

Looking ahead, the official launch of the BSGN China National Coordination is scheduled for September 2026. This event will mark an important milestone in the development of China's Blue Schools network and further strengthen collaboration between national and international partners to promote ocean literacy and sustainable ocean stewardship.