On 26th July 2018, a bachelor's degree awarding ceremony for the first group of graduates was held at Bayi School of the Open University of China (OUC). Thirteen undergraduate representatives from different places and different arms of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) gathered in Beijing to attend the degree awarding ceremony. Dressed in their graduation gowns, the graduates went to the podium and accepted the Tassel Turning Ceremony from Mr. Liu Chen, vice president of the OUC.
Sun Jianfeng, adviser to the vocational education bureau of the training management department of the Central Military Commission; Liu Yuxia, deputy director of the OUC’s department of educational affairs; Cong Wensheng, researcher at the Military Academy of Sciences; associate researcher, Lin Gao Song; Professor Zhang Jian of the National Defence University (NDU); Professor Gong Wei Feng and Wei Guoping from the NDU’s Joint Service College; Luo Yinglu, researcher from the research office of NDU’s logistics and equipment management; Zhang Yichen, director of the Bayi School; and other military and local leaders, instructors, and defence teachers attended the ceremony.
Liu Chen delivered a speech at the ceremony. He said that the students had displayed unimaginable willpower and perseverance in studying while they were in the military camp or training field, or even on a peacekeeping post. They have overcome the conflict between work and study, completing their education and obtained a bachelor's degree. At the same time, he also extended his thanks to the teachers of the Bayi School. The teachers’ hard work over the past 18 years has made it possible for distance education for non-commissioned officers to land in the army and good results have been achieved. 2018 is the first year that the OUC has granted bachelor's degrees to military sergeants, a significant milestone in the course of the development of the OUC’s distance education for sergeants. As an important educational component of the OUC, the distance education of non-commissioned officers is undoubtedly a bright spot for the OUC’s open education, which has promoted and highlighted its social value. In the new era, a new atmosphere has emerged and we should have a new mission and take new actions. It is hoped that every student will cherish the memory of studying in the OUC and use their new knowledge, wisdom, diligence, and courage to release their energy and make their own achievements. He hopes that the Bayi School will not forget its original aspiration, will carry forward its mission, and will cultivate more sergeant talents for army construction.
Zhang Yichen pointed out that, over the past 18 years, the OUC’s leadership has made sergeant training one of their indispensable duties. They have elaborately organised, actively made innovations in reform, and created a new way in running the university with an open vision, which has contributed positively to improving the overall quality of the sergeant team and the combat effectiveness of the army. After the adjustment and reform of the army and with the leadership of the Vocational Education Bureau of the training and management department under China’s Central Military Commission, distance education for sergeants has aimed at comprehensively remoulding the complete military vocational education system and scientifically planned the development direction and target for military vocational education. The distance education of sergeants has been incorporated into the general planning of the military vocational education of the entire army. A top level design with a scientific structure has been created and the management system has been coordinated. The system of majors has been optimised and restructured and its education management strictly standardised. A military sergeant distance education organisation system has been set up and a number of majors jointly sponsored by the military college and the OUC have been launched. In autumn 2018, eight majors jointly sponsored by the military college and the local university will be opened to the whole army. The distance education of the sergeants has embarked on a path of institutionalisation, standardisation, and legalisation. As an important undertaker of distance education for sergeants, the Bayi School will not forget its original aspiration, keep its aim in mind, carry forward the spirit of "broadening learning and staying firm in purpose,” strengthen content construction, standardise school running, provide attentive services, and constantly improve the quality of teaching, in order to make greater contributions to the construction of the team of sergeants and the training of sergeants.
Cong Wensheng, a representative of the defence teachers, and Dong Haili, a representative of the instructors, gave speeches at the ceremony.
"I want to thank the Bayi School for giving us a platform to improve ourselves and the opportunity to develop our own space and realise our dreams of becoming an undergraduate student, opening a door for us to pursue our dream of success. The knowledge we have gained in this process will surely benefit our lives. We have learnt the philosophy and wisdom of how to deal with people. Distance education has added vitality to our camp life. We are proud of being able to realise our dreams and also proud of our perseverance," Xiao Jianpeng, a sergeant student representative from the PLA’s garrison in Hong Kong, said.
Nineteen undergraduate students received a bachelor's degree, including 13 students (Su Pei, Hu Jun, Cao Xueyong, Wang Yanfei, Guo Hui, Xie Dingdong, Yan Zhenyuan, Wu Dan, and others) with a bachelor’s degree in management, two students (Chen Xuanxuan and Sun Yanmin) with a bachelor's degree in engineering and four students (Li Rui, Liu Shuyan, Xiao Jianpeng, and Chen Wenhuang) with a bachelor’s degree in law. This is the first group of undergraduates who have been awarded a bachelor's degree from the Bayi School after the OUC was given such a right to grant bachelors degrees in 2015. As of the end of spring, a total of 124 students from the Bayi School were awarded bachelor's degrees.
By Zeng Jianhua , OUC Bayi School