At the recent graduation ceremony of the Open University of China (OUC, aka China Central Radio and TV University, CCRTVU) Bayi College for experimental classes, a moving scene of beauty unfolded. For the first time, army officers studying via distance education were able to don their own unique graduation gowns. They could hardly contain their great pleasure.

Someone said, “I will show my parents my photo taken wearing a graduation gown and show them that their son has graduated from the army university!”

At the beginning of the year, professional staff was assigned to work on graduation gowns highlighting army characteristics with a fund especially allocated by Bayi College. This action was aimed at enhancing the sense of honour and belonging of the army officers graduating from distance education, to improve their confidence in on-the-job learning, and give them a good start to their army career. Gone are the days when the army graduates had no graduation gowns unique to themselves; this custom follows initiatives pioneered by other military institutions.

The graduation gown is designed and made according to international practice and national criteria in combination with the characteristics of army distance education. It is composed of the square cap, tassel, robe, and hood. The hat is square like a book representing knowledge; the tassel is like a bookmark and is moved from the right to the left when a student gets the graduation certificate, symbolizing the completion of schooling. At the same time, the bookmark between leaves means encouragement to the students for further learning, knowledge enrichment, and continuous improvement; the black robe is steady and generous and cascades naturally when worn; the hood, also known as the cape, red inside and yellow outside, is like two rainbows flying to the barracks, helping numerous army officers fulfill their university dreams; the cuffs are decorated with one red and one yellow stripe, making the entire costume one that symbolizes change; the red and yellow cape together with the coloured cuffs are like the colour of the army flag, indicating the characteristics of the army.

According to the supervisors at Bayi College, the graduation gown has become another prominent component of Bayi College campus culture in addition to the school motto, song, logo, and tenet. It is a significant symbol for Bayi College to train talents who are eager to learn, responsible in their work, and proficient in skills.

By Zeng Jianhua and Wang Su, Bayi College