Zhou Jing is a Senior Corporate Trainer for the staff of Hunan Tobacco. She graduated from the Foreign Languages Department of Xiangtan Normal University. From 2005 to 2008, she studied a master’s degree at Hunan Normal University.

From 1993 to 2006, Zhou Jing was engaged in English teaching in the Vocational Education Division of the Hunan Tobacco staff training centre. In 2007 when personnel reform was implemented, she worked as a marketing trainer in the Market R&D Division. The job shift made her aware of the difficulties of transitioning between different positions. In her teaching practice, she found it difficult to shift from linguistics to economics. She had to set up a complete theoretical frame for marketing, combine marketing theory with practical business in a flexible manner, and also teach training class in a lively yet thorough manner. However, this was easier said than done, for a number of reasons: Firstly, marketing involves a wide range of knowledge; secondly, there was nobody to turn to when she had questions during self-study; and thirdly, she did not know where to get the latest teaching materials on economy for self-directed learning. In order to make up for the gaps in her knowledge of marketing, and teach the training courses effectively, she believed that it was necessary for her to re-charge her skill set and study relevant content in a systematic way. Therefore, in the autumn of 2010, Zhou Jing started an open education major in Business Administration for a bachelor’s degree from Xiangtan RTVU.
After being admitted into university, Zhou Jing felt as if she had found a treasure trove of knowledge. She was deeply attracted by the rich course resources available on the open platform. She spent most of her spare time on study. The open education model has fully mobilized her self-regulated learning ability. She arranged her studies in a planned and orderly way according to the learning schedule at the university and kept learning notes. There were many subjects to learn, including Marketing, Financial Management, Management Case Studies, Finance, and Western Economics. She felt that her craving for knowledge was growing day by day. Whenever she had questions, she would raise them via the online platform, or through face-to-face discussion with the tutors. She was also skilled at putting what she had learnt into practice. In her daily teaching practice, she could ingeniously integrate rich course resources into the courses that she taught, greatly arousing the students' learning interest and improving the effectiveness of her training. Her courses on marketing and cigarette commodity sales were rated Class A courses by her students. The instructors of the online open education courses she was taking were all famous professors from across the country. She had the chance to listen to their courses, learn new knowledge, and learn from their different teaching styles. Both their learning content and their teaching styles have contributed to her teaching resources. The editors of the RTVU teaching materials are all famous scholars from well-known universities. In compiling their textbooks, they carefully consider combining theory and practicality. During the course of her teaching, Zhou Jing realized that Baidu alone was not good enough resources to help her understand key terms. For example, in recent years, the tobacco industry has begun to focus on the construction of a CRM system. What is CRM? How could she explain the concept clearly to her students? She found that it was systematically introduced in the textbook Corporate Information Management. In addition, the tobacco industry is now focused on retail terminal construction. What are the industry trends relating to retail terminals? The teaching materials clearly explained the development of the tobacco retail industry. In the Cigarette Marketing course, cigarette inventory ABC classification management method is a difficult learning point, she puts the explanation and cases of inventory ABC classification management illustrated in Financial Management into her teaching, making it easier for students to understand. She always sought out the sources of the teaching points, preparing classes in an intensive and thorough manner.
After years of study, the open education model has greatly influenced Zhou Jing. She has not only improved her teaching level, but also broadened her academic vision. In 2013, in an assessment, the satisfaction level of her students for the course reached 93%, nearly ten percent higher than a few years ago. She has also made a great deal of academic achievements, winning many awards for her papers and research. In 2010, her paper won second prize awarded by the provincial education department. In 2011 and 2012, her paper won the R&D award from the Hunan Tobacco staff training centre. In 2011, she won third prize in the culture story lecture competition within the Hunan tobacco system. In the same year, she had the opportunity to become a member of the culture story lecture panel of the Hunan tobacco system. Her cultural story Stories of an Innovative Team was included into The Soul of Tobacco, a cultural book edited by the Political Work Division of Hunan Province. She studied hard and sought to expand her business knowledge. In 2011, after being recommended by the Tobacco Exclusive Sales Administration of Hunan Province, she attended the training class for examiners and passed the exam, obtaining an examiner qualification certificate for marketing personnel (sales personnel of tobacco commodities) issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of P.R.C.
After years of receiving open education and practical working experience, she gradually grew from an ordinary teacher into an excellent trainer. Her skills in textbook compilation and test library development have continuously improved, with courses such as The Application of Microblogging in Brand Cultivation and The Culture of Tobacco Enterprises being key examples. She was also engaged in the compilation of an industry textbook entitled 300 Questions for Client Managers, and participated in the development of the test library for the new version of skill appraisal examinations for tobacco commodity marketing staff. In 2010 and 2013, she, on behalf of the Hunan tobacco system, undertook tasks involving teaching affairs, test affairs, and tutoring for the collective training of candidates for the national tobacco system. Thanks to her efforts, candidates from Hunan Province won the first prize as the collective unit. She also paid attention to combining theory with practice. She would work in a tobacco company for professional practice for a month every year, proposing suggestions to municipal tobacco companies on a number of occasions, many of which have been adopted. She wrote a number of valuable field reports based on her practical experience. In 2012, she visited a tobacco company in Loudi, Hunan Province, working as a client manager for a year. During her field trip, she upheld the open education concept of prioritizing social practice and overcame her family burdens, putting the knowledge she gained into practice. She excelled at professional field assessments. During the cycle of learning and practice, her comprehensive quality has been continuously strengthened. On a number of occasions she participated in activities organized by the Tobacco Exclusive Sales Administration of Hunan Province on behalf of the university, becoming a member of the report team of the meritorious deeds in the commercial system of Hunan province twice. At the recommendation of the experts in the marketing field of the colleges and universities, she has become a council member of the China Higher Education Marketing Association.
"In order to give the students a glass of water, you first have to have a bucket of water!" Open education has given Zhou Jinga lifetime of resources as a trainer! Learning is a lifelong enterprise, and the RTVUs are an opportunity for everyone who wants and needs to learn.