Find purpose in rural fieldwork

Wang Ruiqing knows firsthand how access to better education can change a rural child's life.

The 19-year-old grew up in a village in Poyang county, East China's Jiangxi province. She attended primary school in her village, middle school in a nearby town and high school in the county before earning a place at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE).

This summer, she returned to the Jiangxi countryside — not as a pupil, but as a university student researching rural education.

Wang, now a second-year law student, joined her university's "Thousand-Village Survey" program for the second consecutive year in July. She was among about 420 participants conducting fieldwork across the country.

As one of the program's 41 team leaders this year, Wang led 13 fellow students on visits to villages, schools and rural households in Jingdezhen.

Using a carefully designed questionnaire, the team spoke with farmers and collected information on their family circumstances, educational experiences, difficulties, needs and expectations.

For Wang, the subject is deeply personal.

Growing up, she saw many of her childhood classmates struggle. Some were left-behind children whose parents had moved away for work, while others came from families facing financial hardship.

She recalls the challenges faced by left-behind children, including loneliness and a lack of emotional support from parents working far from home.

"Through in-depth surveys and conversations, we can better understand their needs and explore possible solutions," Wang said. "I believe this is the very purpose of our research, and I sincerely hope rural education will continue to develop."

The fieldwork also showed Wang and her teammates how rural communities were changing.

China's sustained efforts to promote rural development have significantly improved farmers' livelihoods. In Hanxi village in Jingdezhen's Fuliang county, the team was impressed by summer crowds enjoying the local tea culture and countryside scenery. They also saw notable progress in villagers' living conditions and access to education.

Launched in 2008, the "Thousand-Village Survey" program brings together more than 1,700 students and teachers each summer. After completing their fieldwork, each team submits four research reports and one article. The materials are then reviewed and analyzed by professors and used in broader, more in-depth studies.

To date, the program has sent more than 30,000 students to visit tens of thousands of rural households. Participants have conducted research in more than 16,000 villages across 34 provincial-level administrative regions and produced over 13,000 reports, according to the university.

For nearly two decades, the program has focused on the "Three Rural Issues" — agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Moving beyond the university campus and into grassroots communities, participants have explored subjects ranging from farmers' livelihoods, rural healthcare and the rural workforce to food security, elderly care, access to basic financial services, entrepreneurship, industrial revitalization and rural governance.

The program's findings on food security, rural financial services and the effectiveness of grassroots governance have attracted the attention of national policymakers and provided valuable references for government decision-making.

In May, 42 additional universities joined the program to establish an alliance that draws on their respective academic strengths and supports the country's rural revitalization efforts.

"The program aims to encourage students to step outside the classroom and see the most authentic side of China with their own eyes," said Ding Jing, director of the Student Affairs Office at SUFE.

"We hope they will put their academic knowledge into practice through field research, develop a deeper concern for rural development and, ultimately, discover their own aspirations."

The program also welcomed younger participants.

Wang Sixia, an art teacher at SUFE's affiliated high school, joined the fieldwork with four 16-year-old students.

"These trips have given them deeper insight into the experiences of people from different walks of life and greater empathy for them," she said. "What they learned will help them understand the complexity and diversity of society. It is a form of growth that no school course can offer."

For Wang Ruiqing, the experience has become part of an ongoing journey.

She first took part in the survey last year, when she traveled to Wuyuan county in Jiangxi. She said the field trips have not only inspired her and strengthened her academic skills but also allowed her to make new friends and discover a much wider world.

"I see my Gen Z teammates as a passionate, sincere and determined group," she said. "We may not yet be able to accomplish anything truly grand, but together we are building the program's database like a Great Wall, with each of us adding one brick at a time."

wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn