To deeply absorb and thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and in response to the call for “Strengthening the promotion of standard spoken and written Chinese language,” the Open University of China (OUC) initiated a five-day intensive training course on the standards and norms of spoken and written Chinese for the military personnel of the Eastern Theatre Command, beginning on 25 June 2024.

Guided by the Department of Language Information Management under the Ministry of Education and robustly supported by Ningbo Open University (OU), the event's kickoff was marked by the presence of distinguished personalities. Noteworthy attendees included Zhou Tianming, vice president of OUC; Hu Yang, director of the Department of External Education and Training at OUC; Chen Shu, vice president of Ningbo OU; and Guo Xinxiang, second-level inspector and a member of the Leading Party Group of the Ningbo Municipal Committee Office for the Integration of Military and Civilian Development, along with relevant military leaders.

 

Zhou Tianming highlighted the intrinsic linkage of language to national security, underscoring the importance of mastering and implementing the specified norms and standards of language for adhering to societal and economic development needs. The training primarily seeks to augment the trainees' understanding and application abilities of the national standard Chinese language, with the goal of elevating the overall quality of linguistic endeavours.

The OUC meticulously designed the curriculum tailored for the participating servicemen from the Eastern Theatre Command. Covering a broad spectrum of topics including policy theories, normative standards, and practical language usage, the programme offered both theoretical insight and practical relevance. Moreover, the OUC assembled an elite teaching team to secure exemplary training quality and outcomes.

Looking forward, the OUC is poised to further harness its intrinsic capabilities, eagerly heeding the national directives and requirements. By fostering collaborations and dialogues with relevant entities, the OUC is committed to significantly contributing to the high-quality progression of language initiatives.

 

Written by Li Yan, photo by Zhang Hangbo, OUC