Cai Chaoyang, an undergraduate Law student at the OUC Bayi School, said emotionally after finishing his thesis defense: “Thanks to the teachers and staff of the Bayi School of the Open University of China (OUC), it was possible for me to defend my bachelor-degree thesis on time. I am deeply thankful for their willingness to help, and to make allowances for the situations of students.” 

Cai Chaoyang answering questions on his thesis

The experts asking questions

Announcing the procedures and requirements for the thesis defenses 

Administration programme thesis-defense site

On 11 May 2021, the OUC Bayi School held its spring 2021 bachelor-degree thesis defenses for non-commissioned officers at its Beijing headquarters. Because of Covid-19, the defenses took place online. Cai Chaoyang was one of students participating.

He is an army technician, meticulous in his work and diligent in his studies, and has been named an “excellent non-commissioned officer”, “outstanding CPC member”, and so on. With the guidance of teachers from the Bayi School, he was able to complete his school work in his spare time. However, on the day scheduled for his thesis defense, he was on a train bound for the northwest. Thinking he would have to miss it, he was surprised when his teachers maintained communication with him and made all the arrangements necessary to enable him to undertake his defense on the train. When it was successful, his joy was beyond words, and he said he would definitely use what he had learned in his work, and contribute to the army.  

The thesis-defense committee consisted of professors from the Academy of Military Sciences and the Lianqin School of the National Defence University. 22 students defended from different locations, including trains, military ships, barracks, and training grounds. Even though the students were spread across the country, the defenses proceeded in an orderly fashion, and with good results.

By Zeng Jianhua, OUC Bayi School