Recently, the results of the selection of outstanding alumni of the Open University of China (OUC) were announced, recognising 328 alumni from various industries across the country.
These individuals, with accomplishments as their foundation and technology as their wings, demonstrate resilience, confidence, and a pragmatic, enterprising spirit, writing a unique chapter of progress of the OUC people. From today on, the stories of some alumni will be selected for sharing. By reviewing their outstanding deeds and listening to their life insights, the OUC’s achievements in talent development over the last 45 years are highlighted.
Li Shaowei started his study in the Chinese Language and Literature undergraduate programme at the Open University of China in the fall of 2003. Currently, he serves as the political commissar of the Special Service Brigade in the Foshan Detachment of Guangdong Firefighting and Rescue General Brigade and holds the rank of second-level commander. He has been honoured as "National Outstanding People's Police", "Outstanding Firefighting Guard" in the national firefighting field, "Outstanding Party Affairs Worker", "Outstanding Communist Party Member", "Advanced Individual in Duty-Post Training", "Rescue Warrior" in Guangdong Province, and one of the "Top Ten Outstanding Youths", etc., and has been awarded first-class merit twice.
During his 25-year military service, he has been fearless of death and danger. He is a significant advanced model cultivated by the firefighting and rescue teams over the years and is the "Most Beautiful Striver" in the process of the teams' transformation and upgrading.
Braving Fire and Water to Rescue 61 Miners
Li Shaowei has been fighting on the front line of firefighting and rescue, interpreting his passionate original intention of being loyal to the Party and wholeheartedly serving the people with his fearless actions. He has participated in more than 2,000 firefighting and rescue tasks such as handling the "8·28" Lian Guang coal mine fire, the "6·9" Meicheng flood, the "7·10" natural gas leak, the "9·3" sodium hydrosulphite spontaneous combustion, and the "4·11" gasoline tanker leak, and has successfully rescued and evacuated more than 300 trapped people.
In the "8·28" Lian Guang coal mine fire in 2004, the news that 61 miners were trapped underground alarmed the Party Central Committee and the State Council. At that time, Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council issued an instruction that "every effort must be made to rescue all the workers trapped underground". To rescue the trapped miners, Li Shaowei volunteered and immediately led a "commando team" 600 metres deep into the mine for rescue. However, he fainted at the bottom of the mine due to the exhaustion of oxygen in his respirator. After regaining consciousness, he continued to fight. After 27 hours of arduous struggle, he successfully rescued all 61 miners (56 of them survived).
This rescue not only enriched the practical experience in mine accident rescue but also created a miracle in the history of national coal mine safety accident rescue, preventing a major production safety accident and effectively safeguarding national public safety.
Strengthening Skills and Abilities
Li Shaowei has been successively responsible for tasks such as the report-back performance for the detachment's new barracks entry and the intensive training for preparing for the General Brigade's Iron Army Competition. In the Guangdong Firefighting Iron Army Competition, his detachment won two gold medals, and one of his team members was awarded second-class merit. Three members of his detachment were selected into the Guangdong Firefighting Team for the national Firefighting Iron Army Competition training, and he also cultivated some influential training elites in the country, such as Peng Zhifang, the "Top Firefighting Iron Man in the Country" and a first-class merit winner, and Jiang Maochang, an outstanding national firefighting non-commissioned officer and a second-class merit winner. His detachment once won the second prize in the Guangdong firefighting practical training competition, achieving the best result in history. Li Shaowei's personal paper - "Analysis and Countermeasures of Casualties of Officers and Soldiers in Firefighting Emergency Rescue Operations" also won the second prize for excellent papers of the China Fire Protection Association. During his tenure in the Meijiang Brigade, Li Shaowei actively explored an innovative working model of "three-level supervision + grid-based management" for social fire safety, and his work experience has been widely promoted in Guangdong province.
Valuing Honours and Presenting a Good Image of the Firefighting and Rescue Teams
Throughout his military career, Li Shaowei has cultivated a large number of advanced models. At the same time, he has been widely invited to share his growth experiences, showing the excellent image of the firefighting and rescue teams.
Li Shaowei has been tempered in hardships, moving forward bravely without fearing difficulties and dangers, being highly proficient in his work and daring to innovate, remaining loyal and caring about the people. He has been invited more than 20 times successively to share his growth experiences with fire-fighting and rescue teams, armed police academies, public security organs, and local colleges, establishing a good image of the firefighting and rescue teams for the public.
By OUC News Network