The Open University of China concluded its first English Speaking Contest in Beijing on Friday, with 38 contestants competing in the final.

Launched in December 2017, the contest selected 121 students from 27 divisions of the university in the intermediary contest, and among them, 38 stood out after expert review.

The contestants were divided into two groups -- English majors and non-English majors, who were from more than 30 majors covering social work and preschool education. The backgrounds of the contestants also varied. They included an ex-soldier from the post-1990 generation, the disabled, ethnic students from remote villages, and the elderly, all of whom told their stories in English and expressed their pursuit of lifelong study during the contest.

Huang Zhenhua, a professor from the University of International Business and Economics and a judge at the contest, said that true stories narrated by the contestants reflect that our country has entered a stage of lifelong study, which is also the school management theory of the Open University of China.

The final of the contest was attended by Wang Li, a head from the Department of Vocational and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education; Liu Chengbin, from the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; and Li Linshu, Liu Chen and Liu Xianghong, heads from the Open University of China.

The Open University of China is dedicated to the lifelong study of the nation. Currently there are 3.6 million registered students, including workers, farmers, soldiers, doctors, teachers and retired seniors. Except for academic education, the university also sets up online classes, online lectures and open courses for students, and provides public services such as distance learning, training and information consultation for enterprises, institutions and communities.