It is said that teachers shape the most precious artworks in the world although not sculptors and attract the enthusiastic attention of thousands of students although not great men. As a teacher of Beijing Sport University, she is always thinking and groping how to make the best of a teacher’s vocation of imparting knowledge and cultivating people. She has spread knowledge and made efforts all the way in the pragmatic, progressive and pioneering educational career, enabling students to show their talents and also creating her own glorious education career.
Jiang Yiyi is a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and a professor and doctoral supervisor from the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University. In 2014, she was selected as one of the top young talents of the National “Ten Thousand Talents Program” (the second batch) of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC and the young tourism expert of China National Tourism Administration (provincial and ministerial-level); she has published more than 50 academic papers and 3 monographs in domestic and foreign academic journals such as Tourism Management, Journal of Geographical Sciences, Acta Ecologica Sinica and Tourism Tribune; she has written multiple policy research reports; and she also served as the director and researcher of the International Tourism Research Institute of China Tourism Academy.
Take the lead in setting an example and practice what is taught
“Teachers are supposed to teach truth, impart knowledge and explain doubts.” According to Jiang Yiyi, an excellent teacher not only imparts knowledge and explains doubts, but more importantly cultivates students’ independent understanding and thinking of things. She often emphasizes in the classroom, “My understanding of this matter just represents my own opinion. You do not necessarily agree with me, but you must have your own ideas. You can put forward my mistake or other suggestions.” Her greatest success in teaching in her opinion is that students can develop their own ability to think independently.
Jiang Yiyi cultivates students in the field of leisure sports and tourism from the perspective of sports, trying to make them understand sports and tourism as well as sports tourism. She develops students’ knowledge theory system and guides them to actively participate in outdoor social practices. Meanwhile, she also tries to bring and teach students the latest research in the teaching process, whether the frontier of industry, the frontier of theoretical development or the frontier of method system, in order to inspire their ideas.
Be devoted whole-heartedly to research solitarily
“Long as the way is I will keep on searching.” Currently, Jiang Yiyi is responsible for a high-level talent research start-up project of BSU, i.e., “Research on Collaborative Path between Sports on Ice and Snow and Cultural Tourism Industry in China”, which promotes the establishment of a laboratory by School of Leisure Sports and Tourism in cooperation with Unicom Big Data. The project will rely on this laboratory to make further research in data integration, analysis and release. Meanwhile, Jiang Yiyi is also in charge of the Green Book of Sports Tourism, dynamically combining talent training with discipline construction, and also teaching with social services. In addition, with the support of BSU, she is also engaged in the research in Olympic tourism, dynamically combining the Beijing Winter Olympics with the regional development, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration and the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou region.
“Those who can avoid confused and gaudy power and interests are virtuous, but those who can resist confused and gaudy power and interests are more respectable.” With more than ten years of academic research, Jiang Yiyi said, “The sense of accomplishment achieved by scientific research results is also accompanied by loneliness, because fewer and fewer peers follow as further research is made. We have to give up many opportunities to give lectures or speeches and make the acquaintance of others, because we must put a lot of efforts and time into the research. We must make a choice and be devoted whole-heartedly to research solitarily in this process”. She has emphasized that persistence is most important in making research. People will face various pressures from work and family after entering the society, and the time is always insufficient. For example, Jiang Yiyi will choose to make her own research before 8:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. every day, because there is no time for research when she works at BSU from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. She believes that the research can be continued as long as she persists.
Pursue great ambition with an upright and virtuous character
Yang Zhandong, the director of the Teaching and Research Office of Leisure Sports and Tourism, has been acquainted with Jiang Yiyi for nine years. In 2010, Jiang Yiyi was serving as the deputy director and associate researcher of the National Tourism Research Institute when Yang Zhandong had an internship there. Many tasks needed to be groped when Yang Zhandong first entered the society, and Jiang Yiyi cared for him especially as her own litter brother. She would always give a clear task direction and guide him personally to enable him to grow up quickly. Jiang Yiyi was also caring for all young teachers when working at BSU. The research from students’ development to scientific research project was very immature because the major of Leisure Sports and Tourism was set up freshly in 2018. Jiang Yiyi formed a research team to attract young teachers and postgraduates, convened regular meetings, and had the courage to assign major projects to others.
When talking about what quality a teacher should have, Jiang Yiyi put integrity first and said, “We must be an upright and aspirant person with positive energy, and then we can influence and shape students by teaching and guiding students to make scientific research and participate in social services, etc.” She also emphasized the importance of mutual improvement of teaching and learning, and said, “The disciplines are constantly changing and the industry is ceaselessly developing. We must always keep a strong ability of learning in this process to follow the frontier of discipline development or lead the development of discipline, so that we can impart to the students the latest concepts, ideas and method systems.” Jiang Yiyi always remembers her identity as a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and is loyal to the Party organization and the education of the Party and the people. She has the courage to take on the role of dreamer, and actively guides her students to love the motherland, the people and the Communist Party of China (CPC), so that they can have great ambitions, virtues and talents with a pioneer’s courage and achieve a meaningful and progressive life with faith, dreams and spirit of dedication.
Jiang Yiyi believes that she must always practice the morality of an upright person and a good teacher, her words and deeds will affect a group of people bit by bit, and her excellence can enable students to be more excellent. She has been working practically on the front line of teaching, research and student work for 13 years, truly feeling the hardship and happiness as a teacher. When faced with the new situation, Jiang Yiyi, as always, devoted her wisdom and strength without complaint based on her own duties and responsibilities. She always bears in mind the original intentions as a scholar, unswervingly fulfills the mission of educating people, devotes herself to scientific research, and fosters virtue through education with constant cultivation, progress and achievements.