Chinese Military Academies | Sergeant-Students Don Bachelor's Gowns
Prefatory Note: To accelerate the modernization of the noncommissioned officer (NCO) (including police NCO) corps and support the on-schedule development of the three major strategic capabilities, and in accordance with the spirit of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Talent Work Conference, beginning in 2024 the entire military launched a pilot program for bachelor's-level vocational and technical education for NCOs with an associate degree as the entry qualification (abbreviated "NCO associate-to-bachelor's upgrade").
This NCO associate-to-bachelor's pilot focuses on the new-domain, new-quality force (新域新质力量) construction needs of the troops and the new demands that weapons and equipment development places on NCO competencies and qualities. It adapts to the new structural changes in the enlisted force and aims to cultivate high-level technical and skilled personnel. The specific talent objectives are: solid professional theory, superb technical skills, relatively high capability in operating weapons and equipment, maintaining weapons and equipment, and perceiving and innovating with science and technology; ability to independently solve specialized technical problems; educational attainment reaching the national vocational education bachelor's level; and skill grade reaching advanced technician or above—providing strong support for accelerating the forging of a high-quality, professional, new-type NCO talent formation (新型军士人才方阵).
It is understood that the first cohort of the NCO associate-to-bachelor's pilot was conducted at institutions including the National University of Defense Technology and the Aviation Maintenance NCO Academy of Air Force Engineering University, with a two-year program of study.
In June of this year, the first cohort of associate-to-bachelor's NCO students is about to graduate. In this issue we focus on select institutions, looking back on their two years of study, and at this moment filled with harvest and joy, we cheer them on in their growth and transformation.
Campus life snapshots of the first cohort of associate-to-bachelor's NCO students at the Aviation Maintenance NCO Academy of Air Force Engineering University. Photo by Chen Yida.
NCO Students Don Bachelor's Gowns
■ Wang Shuwei, Lü Dongdong, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Yang Fan
"Three, two, one—toss!"
Under a clear summer sky, at the graduation photo session of the Aviation Maintenance NCO Academy of Air Force Engineering University, dozens of mortarboards soared into the air, shining against the backdrop of fighter jets behind them. The crisp sound of camera shutters rang out in succession, freezing in time the youthful faces of the military's first cohort of bachelor's-level vocational and technical education students with an associate-degree entry qualification.
"I never imagined that we frontline aviation maintenance soldiers could also fulfill our military academy dream and put on bachelor's gowns!" Student Liu Jiayu's eyes shimmered with excitement. The past two years have been not only a personal growth record written by each student, but also another vivid practice in the reform of NCO talent cultivation—bearing witness to the iterative upgrade of NCOs in the new era from "skill-type" to "composite-type" (复合型) personnel.
In this vibrant graduation season, there are not only graduation photos that freeze youth, but also postcards filled with deep feeling, and suitcases packed with the fruits of learning… Let us draw close to them, catch a glimpse of their growth and development trajectory, and listen to the stories and innermost thoughts of young NCOs pursuing their dreams of strengthening the military.
Time Flows On; Every Drop of Sweat Accumulates into the Answer of Growth
At the graduation photo session, student Zhang Yechen stood straight and carefully smoothed the wrinkles in the collar of his bachelor's gown. As the shutter clicked, the school badge and science-and-technology innovation medal on his chest gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting the brilliance of two years of hard work.
Flipping through the photos preserved in Zhang Yechen's album, the changes across time are clearly visible.
In the first photo taken upon entering the military academy, Zhang Yechen wore a combat uniform, his posture slightly stiff. Before this, he had served in the military for three years, mastering hands-on skills such as fighter jet disassembly and routine maintenance, and was an expert at his post. However, as aviation equipment support became increasingly intelligent and refined, his shortcomings grew ever more apparent. So Zhang Yechen stepped through the academy gates gripped by a fear of inadequacy (本领恐慌), determined to break through his limitations through study and reshape himself.
In the early days of studying theory, courses such as advanced mathematics, avionics principles, and equipment simulation were obscure and difficult, causing the poorly grounded Zhang Yechen to hit walls repeatedly, and he even began to entertain thoughts of giving up.
The turning point came from a political education class (思政课).
At the school's Aviation Maintenance Cradle Museum, Zhang Yechen was deeply moved by the stories of his aviation maintenance predecessors. Yellowed photographs carried his thoughts back to the battlefields of that era—on the Korean Peninsula at minus 30 degrees Celsius, the runways of makeshift airfields pocked with shell craters, icy wind driving snow pellets into faces like needle pricks. The aviation maintenance soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army Air Force had no solid aircraft shelters, no adequate fuel or spare parts, not even basic air-raid shelters. Yet under such conditions, they still braved a hail of bullets and shells to repair fighter jets.
"Without flaw detectors, they used magnifying glasses to inspect wing cracks inch by inch. Their hands cracked open with bloody fissures from the cold, the blood seeping out and freezing to the icy fuselage—they didn't even stop to wipe it away. The moment an alarm sounded, everyone immediately grabbed their tools and dove into a nearby shell crater; the moment the enemy aircraft left, they crawled back out and kept working. No matter how bitter or difficult, not a single person said they wanted to give up!" The instructor's words shook Zhang Yechen to his core.
"The older generation of aviation maintenance personnel had no academic credentials and no experience, yet they studied day and night with an unyielding tenacity, feeling their way forward again and again, guarding the soaring of the war eagles with their lives. If they could achieve great things in such harsh circumstances, how could I retreat at the first sign of difficulty?" Zhang Yechen made up his mind: he would not only hone his hands-on practical skills, but also study theory in depth, continually expanding the boundaries of his capabilities.
After that, the figure of Zhang Yechen bent over his desk in deep study became a common sight in the self-study room. When faced with difficulties, he neither evaded nor retreated, but actively sought guidance from instructors. As his abilities improved, he also took the lead in forming teams to tackle hard problems, conducting simulation experiments and optimizing technical solutions together with his comrades. Through day-after-day effort, he completely broke free from the limitations of single-dimensional practical skills, achieving a cognitive leap from "working with his hands" to "thinking through combat problems."
Outside of studying, Zhang Yechen also joined the "Blue Sky" (蓝天号) interest group for studying the Thought on Strengthening the Military (强军思想). Through studying the Thought on Strengthening the Military and the deeds of heroic models, he came to understand the mission and responsibility of aviation maintenance soldiers in the new era, drawing an unceasing source of motivation for hard work. Repeated appearances at the podium to give presentations tempered his mind and character in an all-round way.
Through the camera's viewfinder, Zhang Yechen today—dressed in an understated bachelor's gown, his sunny smile radiating confidence—is full of vigor and vitality. At the military academy, he completed a qualitative transformation, growing into a composite-type NCO who understands principles, excels at practical operations, and can innovate.
"Before, I thought the battlefield of an aviation maintenance soldier was only the patch of ground beneath the aircraft's wheels; now I know deeply that the battlefield of an NCO in the new era extends further—onto blueprints, into data, and to the front lines of combat." Zhang Yechen's reflection is the shared sentiment of this entire cohort.
Campus life snapshots of the first cohort of associate-to-bachelor's NCO students at the Aviation Maintenance NCO Academy of Air Force Engineering University. Photo by Chen Yida.
The Paper Is Short but the Feeling Is Deep; Sincere Hearts Write Youth's Vows
As graduation season arrives, the atmosphere of parting grows thicker. Under a desk lamp, student Wei Yuhang put pen to postcard with solemnity: "Dear Instructor Li, thank you for your careful guidance, which taught me the weight of 'scientific research serves combat, serving the troops.' " A few brief words—the paper is short but the feeling is deep—expressing the bond of passing the torch between teacher and student.
Earlier this year, Wei Yuhang was buried in work on his graduation project. At the time he had fallen into the predicament of working in isolation, with his research topic stalled. His supervisor, Professor Li, upon noticing this, did not simply correct the technical problems, but instead led the students to a certain electronic countermeasures research institute for a study visit, breaking down the wall between the classroom and the battlefield.
Immersed in the frontlines of scientific research, Wei Yuhang genuinely felt the strong atmosphere of serving the nation through aviation. He closely followed frontline engineers to learn the logic of actual equipment research and development, carefully recorded equipment operational data under complex battlefield environments, and sorted out the difficulties in unit operation and maintenance. "We study theory and pursue innovation not to win awards or close out a project, but to solve equipment support problems and enhance the combat effectiveness of the troops after we return to our units." The words his supervisor spoke during on-site instruction awakened him.
Carrying a notebook filled to the brim with study visit notes, Wei Yuhang returned to school. He proactively shifted his research approach, directing all his work on technology iteration, parameter optimization, and system upgrades toward the actual pain points of combat operations and battlefield requirements.
After months of hard work, Wei Yuhang's research topic achieved a breakthrough, with simulation data precisely matching the state of actual equipment. "What my supervisor taught me was not only technology, but also the responsibility to be rooted in the frontlines and serve the mission of winning." Wei Yuhang said that postcard is both gratitude and a vow.
In another dormitory, student Song Guangwei's postcard was both "exquisite" and "distinctive"—on it he had hand-drawn a 3D schematic of an aero-engine using a cut-out technique, as a tribute to his supervisor Liu Jianxun.
When he first enrolled, Song Guangwei—who had extensive hands-on aviation maintenance experience—felt that aviation maintenance soldiers only needed to master disassembly, repair, and maintenance, and that theoretical courses such as 3D modeling and simulation research and development were disconnected from the realities of the job; his enthusiasm for studying was not high.
In response to the thinking error among some NCO students of emphasizing practical operations and slighting theory, Liu Jianxun abandoned empty lecturing and specifically took students to an aero-engine production line for immersive political education teaching (沉浸式思政教学).
During the on-site observation, the precision manufacturing processes, intelligent operation and maintenance models, and precise data deductions before his eyes completely overturned Song Guangwei's fixed perceptions. The aero-engine, hailed as the "crown jewel" of the aviation industry, embodies the steadfast dedication of generations of aviation workers. Experiencing up close the determination and will of scientific research craftsmen to pursue excellence and innovate, Song Guangwei was deeply moved.
"In the new era, science and technology advance by leaps and bounds every day. Without a theoretical foundation that keeps pace with the times, you will always be one step away from being a 'top expert.' Only by having a deeper understanding of the 'underlying logic' (底层逻辑) of your own specialty can you operate with greater ease on the future battlefield." Liu Jianxun's admonition cleared away the fog in Song Guangwei's thinking.
From that point on, Song Guangwei completely changed his attitude toward learning and began to seriously study 3D modeling and simulation technology. Through unremitting effort, by the time of graduation, his related design was rated "excellent."
One postcard after another bears witness to the students' leap from "skilled operators" to "science-and-technology innovation fighters," and carries with it the transmission of the teacher-student bond and the weight of mission and responsibility.
Luggage Packed Full, Carrying Ideals Toward the Vast Mountains and Seas
With a "click," student Wang Jie snapped shut the lock on his suitcase. Two years have passed; the same suitcase, but its contents are entirely different.
When he first enrolled, Wang Jie's luggage was simple and plain—a few sets of combat uniforms, a set of aviation maintenance tools, and most precious of all, an old notebook given to him by his master, Wang Chen. This notebook, its corners yellowed, was the crystallization of Wang Chen's—an outstanding NCO of the entire military—more than a decade of frontline aviation maintenance support work. Opening the notebook, one finds case after case of typical malfunctions, hand-drawn circuit diagrams, and practical experience notes, all of which gave Wang Jie plenty to "chew on" for a long time.
"I hope you go to the military academy to fill in your theoretical gaps and upgrade old experience into new methods." His master's charge gave Wang Jie the motivation to pursue his studies.
During his studies, Wang Jie repeatedly read through his master's experience notebook, combining classroom theory with practical training, filling the blank spaces with his own thoughts and reflections. Now, his luggage contains three thick new notebooks—one sorting out the core principles of aero-engines; one compiling rapid fault-diagnosis techniques; and one dedicated to practical suggestions for optimizing maintenance procedures, every item grounded in actual combat and every sentence rooted in the job.
From "copying experience and operating by the rules" to "thoroughly understanding principles and optimizing through innovation," Wang Jie has completed a comprehensive upgrade of his capabilities. "After returning to my unit, I will put what I have learned and applied into practice at my combat post, and work shoulder to shoulder with my master to jointly improve the quality and effectiveness of aviation maintenance support," he said with conviction.
In the neighboring dormitory, student Tian Maoqi was also sorting through his luggage. A notebook with curled, whitened edges, its cover bearing the four characters "Problems to Be Solved" (待解问题), had been with him since the day he enrolled.
Tian Maoqi, who had three years of frontline aviation maintenance experience, was skilled in practical operations, yet was perpetually hampered by the shortcoming of "knowing the what but not the why." One experience of failing to diagnose a fuel system malfunction steeled his resolve to enroll in the academy and fill in his theoretical gaps.
Over two years, this notebook accompanied Tian Maoqi through days and nights of deep study. Every knowledge question, technical blind spot, and hard problem he encountered was ultimately transformed into a detailed and complete answer.
Today, Tian Maoqi has completely shed the shortcoming of weak theory and can independently analyze fault principles and deduce equipment logic. In his luggage, that old notebook, paired with a newly compiled fault-diagnosis manual and internship reflections, has become the most precious harvest of his journey of study.
Each heavy-laden bag carries a different story of growth, yet conceals the identical original aspiration of strengthening the military (强军初心). Setting out again with luggage packed full, these NCO students of the new era will carry their knowledge, skills, and sense of responsibility toward the mountains and seas, toward the combat posts that belong to them.
Students Speak from the Heart
Keep the Original Aspiration of Pursuing Learning in Mind
■ Student at the National University of Defense Technology, Lü Yangbin
Lü Yangbin during self-study. Photo by Wang Lulu.
Two years ago, my platoon leader placed before me the notification document for the military's first NCO associate-to-bachelor's program. After reading it carefully, I found that I met all the conditions exactly. As a border defense soldier, considering my combat post, I immediately decided to apply for a certain minor foreign language specialty.
Later, I was admitted to the military academy as I had hoped, stepping into a new world of language learning. From the bewilderment of early study to the composed confidence of later communication, the process was condensed from hundreds of days and nights of diligent effort. Whether for classroom tests or final exams, I set 90 points as my "passing line," using it to spur myself to continually improve. Because I know deeply that every hard-won gain will become the foundation of confidence when I return to my combat post.
Earlier this year, I received the assignment to go to a frontline border defense unit for an internship. As soon as I arrived at the unit, in my capacity as a publicity officer, I participated in a meeting and consultation (会谈会晤). I took photographs and recorded the proceedings while carefully pondering every detail. This experience made me understand that "there are no small matters in diplomacy" is no longer an abstract concept from a textbook, but a genuine test in actual operations.
From the frontier pass to the classroom, and from the classroom back to the frontier pass, this special journey has made me understand even more deeply that mastering a foreign language is equivalent to gaining a "weapon" capable of achieving victory in ways unseen. I will seize this opportunity of educational upgrading as a turning point, transforming the original aspiration of my studies into concrete action oriented toward combat, adding my brick and tile to the construction of the people's military's iron Great Wall!
Boldly Break Through Boundaries
■ Student at the NCO Academy of Space Engineering University, Military Space Force, Chen Zeyu
Chen Zeyu conducting signal testing. Photo by Tang Ziteng.
"Congratulations—you have won first prize in the BeiDou Space-Time Intelligent Application Works Development Competition!" When my name and that of my comrade Tang Ziteng came through the microphone, tears of excitement quietly rolled down my face.
At the start of our competition preparation, my heart was pounding with doubt. In the military, I had focused on equipment repair and maintenance. Now we were required to deeply integrate satellite navigation with Internet of Things technology—nothing short of a "cross-boundary breakthrough" (跨界突围).
When I didn't know where to begin, the words of Instructor Zhang Chenhui awakened me: "The future battlefield is a system-of-systems confrontation (体系对抗); your thinking must break out of its 'one-third-of-an-acre plot.' " Relying on the school's science-and-technology innovation platform, my comrade and I quickly divided up the work: I drew on the hardware debugging experience I had accumulated in the military and took charge of system construction; he focused on code writing and algorithm logic.
During that period, we moved our eating and sleeping into the laboratory. To solve the problem of algorithm response latency, we consulted more than ten specialized books, checking one by one from hardware interfaces to communication protocols, and finally pinpointed the root cause. The moment the data achieved stable transmission, I experienced for the first time what "system integration" truly means. Drawing on strong psychological resilience and practical combat capability, we overcame the impact of unexpected situations in the final competition and ultimately stood out from the field.
Over two years, I completed a dual leap—from "academic credentials" to "capability," and from "operator" to "designer." With graduation imminent, I am already prepared to bring this vision and sense of responsibility back to my unit, contributing wisdom and strength toward winning.
Fresh Perspectives
"Returning the Initiative in Learning to the Students"
■ Ni Shuai, Wen Zhuang
In early June, the engine room automation course for the first cohort of associate-to-bachelor's NCO students at the Naval NCO Academy entered its final stage. Yet in the programmable control practical training room, students were still gathered in groups of three and five: some writing code at computers, some debugging hardware circuits, some gathered around a whiteboard discussing system optimization plans…
"This is our graduation project—a visual engine room control system." Student Liu Liming pointed to the dynamic model on the screen and said, "In the past, monitoring interfaces were all densely packed numbers and indicator lights. We want to transform the complex system logic into intuitive dynamic graphics, so that the operational status of the equipment is clear at a glance."
At present, Liu Liming and his team members have completed the parameter monitoring and human-machine interface design for the ship's generator set, and are making final optimizations based on actual shipboard application scenarios. From topic selection, system design, hardware construction, software programming, to integrated debugging, the entire process has been independently explored and tackled by the students themselves, with instructors serving as "technical consultants."
"This is the fruit borne by the concept of 'returning the initiative in learning to the students.' " Instructor Ji Zhe said that most associate-to-bachelor's NCO students have years of practical job experience, strong learning ability, and outstanding hands-on capability. To this end, they broke with the traditional teaching model and innovated a "3 × 1/3" teaching model. The students are now in the third stage of the course—research and innovation—the purpose of which is to enable students to independently discover and solve problems through research topics.
Watching the students polish their "works" with the focused dedication of engineers, the author could not help but ask curiously: "How exactly does the '3 × 1/3' teaching model work?"
"Don't let the fact that student Jiang Zhiwen has 'excellent' marks across the board fool you—the first time he came to class, he felt somewhat 'lost.' " Ji Zhe recalled.
The first stage of the "3 × 1/3" teaching model—independent foundation-building (自主筑基)—emphasizes the students' self-learning ability. In the first class, there was no neatly uniform blackboard writing or rote recitation of the textbook as one might have imagined. Jiang Zhiwen sat at his workstation and needed to independently select online courses, virtual training software, and simulators for learning. With years of job experience, he was more than familiar with main engines and monitoring systems, but got stuck on sensor signal conversion circuit diagrams.
Upon noticing this, Ji Zhe did not directly provide the answer, but instead started from Jiang Zhiwen's most familiar shipboard work experience, guiding him to deduce circuit principles step by step. He then assigned virtual training tasks, having him repeatedly adjust parameters to verify the theory.
"Placing the learning of foundational knowledge and the training of basic skills in the self-directed learning stage is more conducive to students identifying and filling gaps based on their own foundations." Ji Zhe said that instructors have also transformed from "lead lecturers" into "accompanying guides" (伴随式指导者), using big data analysis to understand each student's knowledge weak points and push high-quality teaching resources in a targeted manner.
Once the theoretical foundation is solidified, the class shifts to the second stage—problem-solving application (解题应用). The core of this stage is to bring real special-situation cases (特情案例) from the troops into the classroom, using thematic teaching as the vehicle, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in the process of solving actual problems.
Student Bian Moumeng has six years of experience in shipboard electromechanical positions. In the past, many of his operations were performed by feel and habit. However, faced with increasingly modernized warships, experience alone cannot solve all problems. After several special-situation thematic classes, every operational step explained by the instructor was backed by theoretical support, and a clear fault-diagnosis logic chain was established in Bian Moumeng's mind. This teaching model enabled him to complete the capability leap from "working by experience" to "solving problems by logic."
After the first two stages, the students gradually developed the capability and courage to take on the challenge of innovative practice. And so came the scene the author witnessed in the programmable control practical training room.
When the bell rang to end class, the students' enthusiasm had not diminished in the slightest. With graduation approaching, what they have gained here is far more than a diploma—it is a comprehensive upgrade of capability and a deep reshaping of thinking. Leaving the campus, they will carry this character of proactive learning and proactive action toward the vast maritime frontiers, writing a brilliant track that belongs to the NCO community…
Layout Design: He Changming