OUC students are rooted in many professions, police officers, diligent industrial workers, rural entrepreneurs leading villagers to prosperity, healthcare workers guarding lives, border defence soldiers, and courageous individuals overcoming disabilities, to name just a few. The "Honour Rolls" series brings you closer to outstanding students, showcasing their excellence and the spirit of perseverance.
CHEN Yirong, Han ethnicity and a member of the China Zhi Gong Party, comes from Xinluo District, Longyan City, Fujian Province. He is a student in the Fall 2023 Administrative Management programme at the Open University of China (OUC) and a recipient of the 2024 OUC Scholarship. Currently, he serves as General Manager of Fujian Renyi Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., a member of the 13th Fujian Provincial Youth Federation, a Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Commissioner, and a deputy to the 6th Longyan Municipal People's Congress. He has been honoured with titles including "First National Rural Youth Pioneer," "National New Era Youth Pioneer," "National Forestry and Grassland Local Expert," "Fujian Provincial Model Worker," and "Fujian Provincial Rural Revitalisation Leading Talent."
Since returning to his hometown to start a business in 2013, CHEN has dedicated himself to advancing the development and transformation of local agriculture. He has led villagers in developing the traditional Chinese medicine industry, achieving remarkable success particularly in golden camellia cultivation. By implementing a consortium model of "leading enterprise + cooperative + farm + household," he has not only boosted local economic growth but also significantly improved the living standards of farmers.
Empowering Through Learning, to Explore New Pathways for Rural Talent Revitalisation
Despite years of entrepreneurial success in agriculture, CHEN remains committed to enhancing his theoretical knowledge. In Fall 2023, he enrolled at the Fujian Branch of OUC's School of Public Administration, where he systematically studying public policy, rural governance, and talent development. He integrated practical experience with classroom learning, whose graduation thesis focusing on the shortage of rural talent. He also conducted field research to analyse gaps in education, training, and policy support for talent in the surveyed region, proposing feasible recommendations such as a "university + village + enterprise" collaborative talent cultivation model and a "three-support" curriculum system covering motivation, skills, and learning. Some of these courses he proposed have already been implemented in practice. Through his studies, CHEN has not only improved his management capabilities but also strengthened his mission to serve rural revitalisation with a professional perspective, truly achieving "learning for application and the unity of knowledge and action."
Innovation as the Brush, to Outline the Blueprint for the Golden Camellia Industry
In the company's development, CHEN has actively responded to ecological and environmental protection policies. Under his leadership, the company has undertaken multiple scientific research tasks including the Central Fiscal Forestry Science and Technology Promotion Project and the Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Commissioner Project. The company has promoted the application of water-fertilizer integration, understory wild-simulated cultivation, and full-process traceability systems. The 500,000 seedlings and 2 million dried flowers produced annually are all traceable. CHEN’s “company + cooperative + farm + household” innovative model has brought in 1,850 farming households, generating cumulative output value of 48.5 million yuan over three years (approx. USD7.1 million) and helping original breeders and poverty-alleviated households achieve stable income growth. To stimulate rural entrepreneurial vitality, he provides technical training, e-commerce operation, and entrepreneurship incubation services. In brand building, he actively employs "Internet +" methods such as live e-commerce to build diversified sales channels. "Xinluo Golden Camellia" was selected for the National Directory of Famous, Special, and High-Quality New Agricultural Products in 2023. His enterprise has been recognised with honours including Fujian Provincial Agricultural Industrialisation Demonstration Consortium and Internet of Things Application Demonstration Base, becoming a benchmark enterprise for rural revitalisation in western Fujian.
Embracing the New Farmer Identity, to Shoulder the Burden of the Era
CHEN actively engages in rural revitalisation and social services. He has conducted 46 technical training sessions in villages, reaching over 1,400 farmers and provided free seedlings, technical guidance, and marketing links. He took the lead in establishing an agricultural technical service team to help poverty-alleviated households and youth returning to hometown develop industries. As Vice President of the Longyan City New Farmers Association, he actively organises entrepreneurial salons to build exchange platforms. Furthermore, he is passionate about public welfare, providing long-term assistance to students and the elderly in difficulty. Combining his studies in Public Administration at OUC, he transforms research findings into recommendations for rural talent cultivation to serve local development, demonstrating the responsibility and commitment of a new farmer of the new era.
By OUC
Published: 16 April 2026