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. Zhejiang Branch — YE Zhiqing: The “Net-Craft Master” Between Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains
YE Zhiqing, CPC member, National Model Worker, deputy to the 14th Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress, and 2008 alumnus of the Business Administration programme at Zhejiang Open University (Chun’an College), is now Party Branch Secretary and squad leader of Fishing Team No. 1 of Hangzhou Qiandao Lake Development Group Co., Ltd., holding the rank of senior technician.
In 2015, under his leadership, the “YE Zhiqing Fresh-Water Fishing Master Studio” was established. Taking the studio as a platform, he has shouldered technological-innovation tasks ranging from net-gear upgrading, equipment renewal to process re-engineering. To date, he has completed more than 30 technical tackling and innovation projects and owns two national patents. Relying on the same studio, he gives full play to the craft-master tradition of “transmission, assistance, and guidance”, having trained over 100 specialised technicians of all kinds.
2. Zhejiang Branch — SHEN Jianli: From Planting Expert to National Model Worker, She Turns the Zuili Plum into a “Golden Fruit” of Prosperity
SHEN Jianli, CPC member, National Model Worker, Provincial March 8th Red-Banner Holder, and 2025 student of the Horticulture programme at Zhejiang Open University (Haining College), is Chairwoman and Party Branch Secretary of Haining Nituxiang Special Planting & Breeding Cooperative.
In 2002, convinced of the market potential of the Zuili plum (a local greengage), SHEN began its cultivation. To secure premium seedlings, she and her husband scoured every corner of Jiaxing. In 2009, guided by the Jiaxing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, they selected an ideal cultivar and gradually expanded from 2–3 mu (about 0.13–0.2 ha) to 30 mu (about 2 ha). Their orchard now yields 1,300 jin of fruit per mu, has been certified as pollution-free produce and has won the Gold Prize at the Jiaxing Premium Fruit & Vegetable Fair for seven consecutive years.
Under her leadership, the Zuili-plum area in Shuangfeng Village has reached 50 ha, with an annual output of 300,000 kg and an output value exceeding RMB 48 million, raising average household income by RMB 26,000 a year. She has turned the Zuili plum into a “golden fruit” of wealth and made Shuangfeng Village the No. 1 Zuili-plum village in northern Zhejiang.
3. Zhejiang Branch — ZHOU Guohua: Driving Tens of Thousands of Kilometres, Warming Tens of Thousands of Hearts
ZHOU Guohua, Zhejiang, CPC member, delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress, National Model Worker, Provincial Model Worker of Zhejiang, Outstanding CPC Member of Zhejiang Province, winner of Zhejiang May 1st Labour Medal, Zhejiang March 8th Red-Banner Holder, and Zhejiang's Most Beautiful Bus Driver, and a 2020 alumna of the Preschool Education programme at Zhejiang Open University (Quzhou College), is a bus driver on Route 1 of Quzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd., head of the route's Provincial "Women's Civilisation Post", and founder of the "Zhouzhou Youli" volunteer-service team, holding the rank of senior technician.
Since her return as a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress, she has conducted over 130 dissemination sessions on the Congress spirit, reaching over 24,000 people. She also uses her spare time to lead her team in caring for the elderly, keeping station order, and visiting needy villagers in mountain areas. At her own expense, she has built several “mini reading rooms” for left-behind children. In 2022 she was appointed ambassador of the new-era Quzhou humanistic spirit.
4. Zhejiang Branch — LI Bin: A Welding Torch Lighting Up Beautiful Islands
LI Bin, CPC member and National Model Worker, is the honouree of two innovation studios named after him by China Energy and the Zhejiang Federation of Trade Unions respectively: “China Energy LI Bin National Model Worker & Craftsman Innovation Studio” and “Zhejiang Provincial LI Bin High-Skilled Talent Model-Worker Innovation Studio”. A 2018 alumnus of the Administrative Management programme at Zhejiang Open University (Zhoushan College), he now serves as assistant engineer and senior technician, boiler specialist of the Maintenance Department and boiler-overhaul squad leader at CHN Energy Zhejiang Zhoushan Power Co., Ltd.
Over the past decade he has completed 13 technological innovations such as “Rapid Emptying of Coal Bunkers in Shut-Down Units” and “Raising Boiler Slag-Extractor Chain Service Life”, generating cumulative benefits exceeding RMB 50 million.
After work he carries his welding torch to more than 10 islands, offering over 100 free training sessions that have helped more than 500 fishing youths master welding skills. Among his apprentices, five have been named “Zhoushan Technical Expert”, three “Zhoushan Master Craftsman”, and one “First-Ever Zhoushan Craftsman”.
5. Zhejiang Branch — CHEN Zhongliang: Finding the “Golden Key” to Rural Revitalisation in the Open University Classroom
CHEN Zhongliang, CPC member and National Model Worker, is a student of the Marketing programme (spring 2024) at Zhejiang Open University, Changshan College. He has received dozens of honours including the Zhejiang Rural Revitalisation & Common-Prosperity "Golden Bull Award", Zhejiang Provincial "Famous Village Revitalisation (Community Governance) Expert", and Zhejiang Provincial "Thousand Excellent Village Party Secretaries". He concurrently serves as a member of the Xinchang Township Party Committee of Changshan County (concurrent post), Party Branch Secretary of Datang Village, and Director of the Village Committee.
After two years of marketing studies at Zhejiang Open University, he has become “full of ideas and solutions” for village-level economy. He has led villagers to turn local specialties such as wild-rice stems and sorghum liquor into online best sellers, and created the “Good Morning” snack co-brand, giving the village a new “golden key” to common prosperity.
By OUC