On December 5, 2015, Xinjiang School for the Disabled, under the Open University of China(OUC), held a graduation ceremony for its first batch of students. Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, and Vice Chairman of the Region,Erkin Twainiaz,attended the meeting and made an important speech.
Attendees of the graduation ceremony also included the Autonomous Region’s Education Department’s Secretary of the Work Committee and Party Secretary, Liang Chao, the Disabled Federation’s Party Secretary and Director in the Autonomous Region,Zhou Junlin, Disabled Federation member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director over the Autonomous Region, Reyihan Yishamuding,as well as leaders and employees from related departments in Urumqi municipality, faculty from OUC’s Xinjiang School for the Disabled, the 80 graduates, and current students. The graduation ceremony was presided over by Niu Xiaobo, the Party Secretary of Xinjiang Radio and Television University(Xinjiang RTVU).
At the ceremony, the Disabled Federation of the Autonomous Region and Xinjiang RTVU renewed their cooperation agreement to run the school. Over the next three years, the two parties will continue working closely together to contribute to remote higher education for disabled people in Xinjiang.
Erkin Twainiaz pointed out that Xinjiang RTVU and the Disabled Federation of the Autonomous Region established the OUC’s Xinjiang School of Education for the Disabled through cooperative education, initiating exploration of effective ways to help disabled civilians receive higher education. This is not only a vital practice for the implementation of decisions by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Party Committee of the Autonomous Region, but also an integrated platform and effective support for the disabled to enhance their level of knowledge and competitiveness, as well as their social responsibilities, which will provide strong support for more people with disabilities to achieve their dreams of studying at university. The successful graduation of the first batch of students not only displays the outstanding educational achievement in open education for the disabled at Xinjiang RTVU, but also builds experience for the development of higher education for the disabled within the open education environment in Xinjiang.
Erkin Twainiaz further noted that, in the school’s future operation, Xinjiang RTVU should conscientiously implement the spirit of the working conference on education and teachers that was organized by the Autonomous Region’s Party Committee, make good use of the policies and support of the country and the autonomous region, adhere to scientific concepts, innovate and open up development, constantly improve educational mechanisms, strengthen teaching management so as to provide more timely, convenient, and effective educational services for more disabled people, and play a leading, demonstration role in the exploration of a distance education with Xinjiang characteristics for the disabled people of Xinjiang. He hoped the Autonomous Region’s Education Department and Disabled Federation would offer more accurate guidance and support for this work.
The enterprising spirit and the tenacity demonstrated by graduates were highly esteemed by Erkin Twainiaz. He wished the graduates would be thankful to others, work hard, learn throughout their lives, have goals and high aspirations, always hold onto a beautiful dream, and demonstrate and realize a life full of positive energy, all in order to devote their wisdom and strength to long term stability and prosperity in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang RTVU President Patiguli Maimaiti encouraged on-campus students to continue to study hard, strive for better learning results, and successfully complete their studies. She said that Xinjiang RTVU will redouble its efforts to gradually expand coverage of disabled education, accelerate discipline development, and strive to provide quality educational resources and flexible, diversified, and personalized learning support services for disabled people.
Zhou Junlin expressed three wishes for the graduates and current students. First, to put their newly-acquired knowledge into practice, master the socialized work methods and the human-centred service concepts, and continuously improve the ability and level of services for the disabled. Secondly, to keep a grateful heart and cherish the platform provided by the CPC and the government, and to take education for the disabled as an occupation and pursue it as a career. Thirdly, to turn their learning results at the RTVU into motivation for working hard in the future. Zhou Junlin also wished that one day students from all over the country will study at the Xinjiang School for the Disabled.
Niu Xiaobo said that Xinjiang RTVU must seriously study and understand the important speech made by Erkin Twainiaz, a member of Xinjiang Autonomous Region’s Standing Party Committee,thoroughly study the current situation, grasp opportunities, sum up their experiences in education, improve the educational system, and continuously meet the needs of disabled persons in higher education. The school will study and implement the spirit of the Tenth Plenary (enlarged session) Meeting of the Eighth Session of the Party Committee in the Autonomous Region, conscientiously implement the spirits of the working conference on teachers and education, as well as the South Xinjiang Work Conference initiated by the Party Committee of the Autonomous Region, actively explore learner development training, teaching, and management modes and operation mechanisms for distance education for the disabled which are suitable for the region’s unique characteristics, actively explore ways to provide distance education for the disabled utilizing Xinjiang characteristics, and make greater contributions to promoting harmony, stability, and prosperity in Xinjiang.
Vice President of Xinjiang RTVU Nulali Abulihake read the selection results and award decisions regarding scholar ships and grants from the OUC’s Sunshine Scholarship for the Education of the Disabled and the Xinjiang School of Education for the Disabled. Erkin Twainiaz also awarded honorary certificates to outstanding graduates who had won scholarships, and granted graduation certificates to graduate representatives. Two graduate representatives, Wang Chunhong and Mikeliguli Yakufu, spoke at the ceremony.
By Xinjiang RTVU