During its Labour-Appreciation Month in May, the Open University of China (OUC) invited staff and students across its system to share stories of “Craftspeople and Model Workers Around Us.” The call received an enthusiastic response. These stories vividly illustrate how students and staff stay grounded, strive for excellence and devote themselves to serving their communities.

1. Hebei Branch – WAN Junnan: Writing His Story in the Countryside

WAN Junnan, CPC member and 2021 undergraduate in Public Administration at Cangzhou Open University, serves as Party Branch Secretary, Youth League Secretary and Village Committee Director of Yangsi Village, Yangsanmu Hui Ethnic Township, Huanghua City, Bohai New Area, Hebei Province.

Since taking office four years ago, he has helped increase the village’s collective income from 0.3 million to 1.2 million yuan; he led villagers to reclaim wasteland and introduce sweet potato cultivation, creating new revenue streams and lifting per-capita disposable income from 15,000 to 20,000 yuan. In 2024, the State Council named him a National Model Individual for Ethnic Unity and Progress. He also holds titles including National Excellent Communist Youth League Cadre, Hebei Thousand-Village Good Branch Secretary and New-Era Youth Pioneer.

2. Hebei Branch – SUN Xiling: Proving Women’s Worth While Shouldering Villagers’ Hopes

SUN Xiling, CPC member, is a 2015 spring graduate in Rural Management (Public Administration diploma) from Zhangjiakou Open University. She serves as Party Branch Secretary and Village Committee Director of Dashila Village, Changliang Township, Guyuan County, and is concurrently Deputy Director of the Zhangjiakou Women’s Federation and a deputy to the Zhangjiakou People’s Congress. A former deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, she has received honours including National Outstanding Individual in Poverty Alleviation, National March-8th Red-Banner Holder, National Model Worker and Pioneer Leader of Rural Revitalization in Hebei Province, 2020 Hebei Good Person and one of the Top Ten Women Pioneers in Poverty Alleviation in Zhangjiakou.

During her tenure as Party Branch Secretary and Village Committee Director, Dashila Village was awarded the National Model Collective for Ethnic Unity and Progress by the State Council and named a National Demonstration Village for Forest-Rural Creation by the Green China Campaign Committee. The village has also received titles including National Forest-Rural Village, National Eco-Culture Village, Provincial Civilised Village, Provincial Demonstration Unit for Ethnic Unity and Progress and Provincial Forest-Rural Village, while its Party Branch has been recognised as an Advanced Primary-Level Party Organisation.

3. Heilongjiang Branch – LYU Jianfeng: Guarding Justice, Driven by Passion

LYU Jianfeng, CPC member, completed the Law Affairs diploma at OUC Heilongjiang Branch in 2023 and is now pursuing Chinese Language & Literature (teacher education orientation) at the same campus. Recognised as a National Advanced Individual of the Public Security System and a Provincial Model Worker, he has received five personal third-class merits and nine commendations. He is currently a first-class police inspector at the Suihua City Detention Centre, in charge of custodial administration.

4. Heilongjiang Branch – ZHENG Weiguo: Inheriting Father’s Dream, Staying Rooted in the Homeland

ZHENG Weiguo, from Zhaozhou County, Heilongjiang Province, is a CPC member and a 2023 (spring) Law Affairs diploma student at OUC Heilongjiang Branch. He received honours including National Model Worker, National Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Leader, China Outstanding Young Farmer and Provincial Model Worker. He currently chairs the Yuda Dairy-Farming Professional Cooperative of Zhaozhou County.

By OUC