Beijing, 30 June 2025 - The State Council Information Office (SCIO) held a press conference for Chinese and foreign media in Beijing. With the theme of "Pioneers on the New Era’s Journey," the event invited National Models of Self-Reliance from across China to share their inspiring stories and exchange views with journalists on "promoting the spirit of self-strengthening and gathering the strength to forge ahead." CHEN Liangjie, an alumnus of Zhejiang Open University (Zhejiang OU), attended the conference as one of the National Models of Self-Reliance. He shared his striving story, showcasing to the world the optimistic, enterprising, and indomitable spirit of people with disabilities.

CHEN Liangjie, a 2024 graduate of the Engineering Management major at Zhejiang OU, once studied at Pinghu College of Zhejiang OU. He is currently the Deputy Director at Pinghu Jingxing Packaging Materials Co., Ltd. in Zhejiang Province. He has been honoured with prestigious titles including "Zhejiang Provincial Technical Expert," "National Technical Expert," "Zhejiang Golden Blue-Collar Worker," and "Zhejiang Young Craftsman." This year, he was awarded as a "National Model of Self-Reliance."

Diagnosed with congenital deafness in early childhood, CHEN Liangjie never lost his passion for life. Despite his disability, he continued to strive with an indomitable spirit. Through diligent study, he mastered professional skills, progressing from a draftsman to a core technical expert. He has also won championships in many domestic and international vocational skills competitions for people with disabilities.

During his studies at Zhejiang OU, CHEN Liangjie overcame the challenges of work-study balance and attended classes persistently in his spare time. To address the difficulty of “listening” to lectures, he recorded the teaching content on his mobile phone, converted the audio into text for his easier reading, and reviewed it repeatedly after class. Ultimately, he achieved excellent academic results at the university.

Currently, as the Deputy Director and Chief Technician of the company, CHEN Liangjie actively helps over 120 disabled employees improve their skills and build confidence. His training workshop has enabled dozens of disabled employees to obtain intermediate and advanced vocational skill certificates in recent years. CHEN Liangjie stated that he will continue helping more persons with disabilities acquire skills and fulfil their life potential in the future.

Zhejiang OU