On 25 June 2021, the Open University of China (OUC) held a conference in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as the “July 1” commendation to award commemorative medals celebrating “glorious 50 years as a CPC member” to senior people with five decades of party membership.

The event also commended outstanding members of the CPC, Party affairs workers, Party branch secretaries, and Party branches and reviewed the glorious history of the Party. It encouraged all Party members and officials to continue to enhance the “Four Consciousnesses,” to hold firm to the “Four Matters of Confidence” and to act on the “Two Upholds,” to constantly improve their political judgment, understanding, and execution, to hold firm the relay baton, and to progress along the Long March of the new era to promote the high quality development of open education.

Jing Degang, secretary of the OUC Party Committee, made a speech at the conference. Cao Guoyong, executive vice secretary of the OUC Party Committee, presided over the conference. Gao Juhui, a contact engaged in Party building affairs of the departments subordinate to the Ministry of Education, was invited to attend the conference.

In his speech, Jing Degang pointed out that over the past 100 years of continuous struggle, the CPC has united and led the people in opening a new path, establishing great achievements, fostering a great spirit, accumulating valuable experience, and making impressive results in the development history of the Chinese people and in the history of human social progress. Facts have shown that the CPC is the core force of China’s national prosperity, a cornerstone for the Chinese people’s unity and struggle, and a fundamental guarantee for the success of China's revolution and construction.

Jing Degang underlined that radio and TV universities and open universities have developed from scratch and continued to grow under the strong leadership of the Party. Over the last forty plus years, a nationwide open education system has been formulated. We have developed a path of “advanced communication means and famous lectures by renowned teachers” and formed a fine tradition of “respecting learning and making it universally beneficial, and providing education for all people with no distinctions.” We have exploited the human resources needed by reform and opening, accumulated Chinese experience in offering higher education at a low cost and high efficiency, and created vocational education oriented towards on-the-job employees. This has demonstrated the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC, i.e., “concentrating efforts on major initiatives.”

Jing Degang put forward three requirements for all Party members and staff members of the university.

The first is to maintain a “pioneering” spirit, a fervour for “creating,” and a style of “acting” to open up new prospects for the development of the cause. The transformation and upgrading of RTVUs and the construction of open universities have entered a new stage and the high-quality development of the OUC is already in progress. We should base our work on the new development stage, implement the new development concept, and formulate a new development pattern. Based on a “pioneering” spirit, a fervour for “creating,” and a style of “acting,” we should try to be down-to-earth hard workers, persistent innovators, and fighters who overcome difficulties in an effort to open up more new prospects for the reform and development of the university’s cause.

The second is to carry forward the “three cattle spirit” to display new responsibilities and realises new accomplishments. The key to building a world first-class global open university and creating the “four platforms” lies in people and actions. It is imperative that we carry forward the “three cattle spirit” (the spirit of serving the people as willing steers, blazing new trails in development as pioneering bulls, and engaging in an arduous struggle as hardworking oxen), adhere to making people and learners the centre; and actively adapt to the development of the times and the changing environment. To this end, we will display new responsibilities and realise new accomplishments during the university’s “14th Five-Year” period.

The third is to promote the implementation of the university’s work with the courage to innovate, the drive to be the first, and a fervour for moving forward. Spirit is a necessary part of entrepreneurship, and we must be ready to be faithful successors of the Party’s glorious traditions and work style and faithful successors of the university’s hard work and perseverance. We should constantly increase our courage, spirit, and vitality, and put into practice a culture of firm conviction, earnest implementation, and responsible accomplishment in order to face the challenges ahead with sincere unity and strict self-discipline. It is imperative that we build a contingent of high-quality professional officials, so that Party members and officials have a strong sense of responsibility. We should foster a favourable environment for work and entrepreneurship, make sure that people focus their minds on to work, demonstrate their responsibilities with their courage to work, leverage each other’s skills to make sure that they are able to work, and meet their goals at work.

Jing Degang asked everyone to rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core. Under the strong leadership of the Leading Party Group of the Ministry of Education, we will embark on a Long March in the new era based on unremitting hard work with a spirit that never wavers and an indomitable attitude of struggle. We will continue to build a world-class university and pay a tribute to the Party’s 100th anniversary through our outstanding achievements.

On his review of the history of the university, Cao Guoyong pointed out that the Party Committee of the OUC has seriously studied and implemented the Party’s line, principles, and policies, adhered to reform and innovation, united and depended on all of its Party members and cadres and teaching staff, forged ahead, and achieved a series of fruitful results. The university’s undertakings have continued to flourish with each passing day and have now reached a new stage. We have deepened the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, strengthened the Party’s comprehensive leadership over the university’s work, and given full play to the core role of the Party’s leadership. We have fully implemented the Party’s educational principles, adhered to the educational orientation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and improved the system and mechanism of fostering virtue through education with the characteristics of open universities. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Committee has organised and carried out the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement of, a Special Education Programme on the “Three Stricts and Three Earnests,” the “Two Studies and One Action” Education Campaign, a Campaign with the theme of “Remaining true to our original aspiration and keeping our mission firmly in mind,” and a Campaign on Party History Learning and Education. The Party organisation’s ability to innovate, power to unite, and energy to fight have all been significantly strengthened, and the exemplary and vanguard role of Party members has been highlighted, providing a strong guarantee for the reform and development of the university.

Cao Guoyong indicated that the university’s Party building and Party History Learning and Education will enter a new stage on the occasion of the Party’s centennial. We will study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks delivered at the meeting celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and turn the results of the study into a powerful driving force to promote the reform and development of the university. We should promote the university’s Party building and Party history study and education in order to make sure that it takes on a deeper and more practical role in people’s minds. We should remain orientated towards problems and their effects and focus on solving the urgent and difficult problems that teachers and students face every day. We should advance the construction of a high-quality open education system to make new greater contributions to serving the construction of a lifelong learning education system for all and to realise the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the conference, deputy secretary of the Party Committee Liu Chen read out the “OUC Decision on Commending Party members with ‘Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member,’” the “OUC Decision on Commending Outstanding Party Members and Party Affairs Workers and Advanced Party Organisations,” and the “OUC Decision on Commending Outstanding Party Members, Party Affairs Workers, Party Branch Secretaries, and Party Branches.”

Jing Degang presented senior representatives with commemorative medals marking “Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member.” Gao Juhui and Jing Degang gave awards to the representatives of commended individuals and units. Sun Meichun, a representative winner of “50 Glorious Years as a CPC Member,” Li Guangde, a representative of outstanding Party affairs workers and secretary of the Party Branch of Faculty of Forestry and Medicine, and Wang Yu, a representative of outstanding Party members and a teacher at the Faculty of Education, made speeches at the conference.

The conference was held on-site and online. Members of the OUC Party Committee, members of the university leadership, secretaries of all Party branches (general Party branches), all middle-level cadres, people in charge of the university-run enterprises and representatives of the university’s senior comrades were at the main conference venue. Other Party members from the university attended the conference online.

Written by Jin Hongyu; Photos by Weng Jianbin, Zhang Jun and Zhuge Huanyu, OUC