The "2025 National March 8th Red-Banner Holder" list has been announced, and multiple faculty members and students from the Open University of China (OUC) are among the honourees. These women have dedicated themselves to their work with unwavering commitment, shouldering responsibilities with quiet strength and reflecting their original aspirations through their prime years. They are trailblazers in their respective fields, and boundary-breakers in life. Starting today, let's get to know these exceptional OUC women, listen to their inspiring stories, and witness the radiance they bring.
SHA Jingfang is a member of the Communist Party of China. She graduated from the 2006 Autumn Business Administration programme at Nanjing Branch of the Open University of China. She currently serves as Secretary of the Party Branch and Director of the Residents' Committee of Mufu Mountain Villa Community, Yanziji Subdistrict, Qixia District, Nanjing. In 2026, she was honoured as a "2025 National March 8th Red-Banner Holder." Her awards include "Jiangsu Provincial March 8th Red-Banner Holder," "Nanjing Municipal March 8th Red-Banner Holder," "Nanjing Youth May 4th Medal," and "Nanjing Outstanding Communist Party Member." She was also selected among the second batch of "Thousand Leading" village (community) secretaries in Jiangsu Province.
Since putting down roots at the community in 2001, SHA has spent 25 years working on the frontlines of community governance, tackling governance challenges in old communities through practical action. She has mobilised multiple resources to cultivate over 100 volunteer members, with women volunteers accounting for more than 60%, empowering residents to shift from being "bystanders" to active "participants" in community governance.
In empowering women and providing livelihood services, SHA promoted the implementation of the "Disabled Persons' Home Auxiliary Employment Project," personally teaching housekeeping and handicraft skills. From June 2023 to the present, she has helped 20 special-needs families increase income by over 30,000 yuan. She organised women volunteers to escort children to and from school, strengthening campus safety, and led efforts to establish over 550 family files for minors, providing targeted family education services.
In the renovation and governance of old communities, SHA led her team to clear 2,400 square meters of public space in residential areas, promoted the construction of four community activity rooms, and transformed dark and cluttered basements into leisure spaces for residents. She also tackled the challenge of "haphazard wiring" electric vehicle charging by building nearly 300 intelligent charging stations. Through regular mediation of neighbourhood disputes, she has helped create a clean, harmonious, and welcoming community that residents take pride in, earning widespread acclaim from those she serves.
By Department of Student Affairs and Teacher Development
Published: 27 March 2026