professor zhou wenxia wins national gold award in inaugural university career planning competition
august 06, 2024the inaugural national university career planning competition introduced a new track for teachers, focusing on career development and employment guidance courses. a total of 3,707 career guidance teachers from 1,565 universities and 1,921 course teaching teams participated. the competition provided a platform for educators to share their teaching practices and showcased the dedication of students striving for their dreams.
among the participants was professor zhou wenxia from the school of labor and human resources. for zhou, becoming a beacon to illuminate the career paths of countless university students is both a noble mission and a personal dream. her influence is profound, with contestants remarking, 'i embarked on my career education journey inspired by professor zahou's books,' and 'seeing professor zhou at the competition felt like witnessing the presence of a master in a martial arts tournament.'
zhou won the national gold award in the final round of the teaching track with her course 'career planning.'
origins: a bond with career education
seventeen years ago, in 2007, the ministry of education issued the 'requirements for teaching university career development and employment guidance courses,' mandating universities to incorporate career development and employment guidance courses into their public curriculum. renmin university of china (ruc), with its strong background in employment research, collaborated with the pioneering school of labor and human resources to create the 'career planning' course. zhou wenxia, who initially focused on human resource management, shifted her research focus to career education upon receiving this task, marking the beginning of her journey in this field that benefits countless university students.
'helping students find satisfactory jobs and grow healthily is my greatest satisfaction,' zhou said, reflecting on her journey. 'every university student deserves a bright future, and the mission of educators is to help them find the way, not just imparting knowledge but also conveying love and hope.'
development: constructing an indigenous knowledge system through localized career education practices
'career education is a comprehensive educational activity, encompassing more than just career courses; it is a holistic activity that spans the entire talent cultivation cycle, with significant research value and practical significance,' zhou emphasized. over the past decade, zhou has dedicated herself to the field of career education, consistently demonstrating a profound understanding of education and a deep concern for students' futures.
in 2009, ruc established the 'career development and management' teaching and research office, becoming the first university in china to develop a curriculum system taught by full-time faculty from related professional teaching and research offices (departments). the following year, ruc began offering a mandatory 'career planning' course to all undergraduate students, teaching over 30,000 students across 14 cohorts.
after 15 years of development, the university's career education now features a professional and diverse teaching team, with 12 dedicated teachers responsible for theoretical instruction and practical teaching led by the university's admissions and employment office and various colleges. the 'career planning' course has become a comprehensive course that explores life values, inspires career wisdom, shares workplace experiences, and teaches general workplace skills, with both humanistic and practical orientations. the course runs from the first year to graduation, spanning the entire talent cultivation process at ruc.
'career education needs a solid theoretical foundation and a basis in reality,' zhou noted. initially, classic career education theories were all from the west, and there was no solid academic foundation in china. zhou realized the importance of developing an indigenous theory of university student career development to enrich classroom education and career guidance practices.
in terms of research, zhou and her team have focused on the university student group, completing numerous research projects, including 'the relationship between university students' campus experiences and career maturity,' 'research on random events in university students' employment process,' 'differences in university students' career success views and their impact on career choices,' 'research on the transition management of university graduates' employment,' 'research on the entrepreneurial status of female university students,' and 'current status of flexible employment among university students.' the school of labor and human resources has also conducted a large-scale tracking project, 'the relationship between university students' campus experiences and early career success,' tracking nearly 50,000 university students and 50,000 professionals over nine years. zhou introduced the concept of 'career success view,' developed corresponding scales, constructed theoretical models, and formed unique theories such as the 'three dimensions of career success' (height, depth, and warmth) and the 'capital theory of career success.'
these original research results have been recognized by the academic community at home and abroad, providing a solid theoretical foundation for course teaching and enriching the theory of university students' career development in china, thereby constructing an indigenous knowledge system in the field of career education through localized practices.
sharing: opening doors and uniting efforts
'we have consistently strengthened connections and interactions with peers nationwide, contributing to the professional development of career education and employment guidance teams in universities across the country,' zhou said. she and her team uphold the principle of 'opening a door and uniting efforts' through classroom expansion and public service, integrating scientific research with employment guidance practices to benefit universities nationwide with ruc's research and teaching achievements.
in terms of knowledge sharing, with the support of the school of labor and human resources, zhou promoted the establishment of the first professional association in the domestic career field—the career development and management division of the labor economics society—and served as its founding president. she has continuously organized the annual china career development forum, held 12 career teaching and research forums, published several career management textbooks, and organized the compilation of the 'forty classic theories of career management' and the 'career teaching and counseling toolkit,' which have become reference books for career guidance teachers nationwide, assisting in the construction of career education and curriculum systems in universities across the country.
in public welfare, zhou and her team have continuously made efforts, undertaking public welfare projects of the china children and teenagers' fund, leading teams to conduct career guidance training for universities nationwide, organizing the 'ruc human resources special recruitment fair' for eight consecutive years to establish a communication platform for the supply and demand sides of the human resources profession, creating the 'career world' public account to establish a communication platform for researchers and practitioners in the field of career development and management in china, and conducting public welfare live broadcasts on the ministry of education's 24365 platform, reaching over 2 million university students.
achievements: reaping the rewards of persistent efforts
over the years, zhou and her team have received numerous accolades, including the baosteel excellent teacher award, beijing model teacher of moral integrity, beijing college employment and entrepreneurship gold course, and beijing employment guidance master studio, gaining wide recognition from academia and industry. ruc's career education has benefited tens of thousands of students over the past decade, and zhou firmly believes that student affirmation is the most important honor.
'career planning helped me better understand myself, identify my interests, strengths, and weaknesses, set realistic career development goals, pay attention to national policy directions and development trends, and think about how to apply my professional knowledge to national development strategies,' said zhang xiwen, a 2020 spanish major who won the beijing gold award in the inaugural national university career planning competition. reflecting on the 'career planning' course, she had a deep sense of its impact.
before the final competition, zhou wrote solemnly, 'helping university students' career growth is my honor and dream.' this declaration reflects her enduring commitment to career education.