The 2015 BMW Brilliance Quality Education Open Course (BQEOC) officially kicked off on November 25th, at BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi, Shenyang. Journalists from nearly 30 mainstream media across China and 40 students from the Second Primary School of Hunnan New District gathered for an all-new open course on quality education which combines theories with practices. Since launched in 2013, the program had helped more than 5,000 young people acquire auto production knowledge, raise their quality safety awareness and had made a positive contribution to the quality safety education of younger generations in China.

“From Children's Traffic Safety Education program, Quality Education Open Course to Future Talent Development program, BMW has always highlighted education as an important part of its CSR activities to fulfill the commitment to taking root in China as an outstanding corporate citizen,” said Ms. Molly Yang, Vice President of Public Relations & Corporate Social Responsibility, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.

Lead the future: quality assurance in production

BMW Brilliance has always upheld the “Quality First” production philosophy and maintained first-rate quality standards throughout its high-speed business growth, with a comprehensive quality supervision and safety assurance system and excellent services to ensure sustainable development.

Located in Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi has the advanced technology of automobile manufacturing and is one of eco-friendly and sustainable automobile plants in the world. With cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, a human-centric and sustainable working environment, well-trained workers, and rigorous quality assurance procedures, the plant provides a strong quality guarantee for BMW’s products and also serves as a perfect venue for quality education open courses.

Knowledge as action: a joyful quality education experience

Combining entertainment with education, BMW Brilliance enriches the open course with its profound experience in quality safety management and establishes a platform to help students better understand the importance of quality safety. Moreover, the program has also started the cooperation with the education authority of Shenyang to serve as an important venue for students to engage in learning and practical activities outside the classroom.

This year, the BQEOC program expanded training contents, such as automobile knowledge lecture, plant tour and interactive activities. On the open day, students toured from BMW Brilliance’s acoustic, climate and hydro pulse chambers, its fully automatic robotized production line to Zinoro exhibition zone and got a first-hand understanding of BMW Brilliance’s leading position in environment protection, quality and technology. They also participated in a specially designed interactive automobile model assembly activity which fostered their quality awareness as well as put what they learned to everyday study and life.

Besides, the students were fully impressed with the advanced processes and quality assurance procedures at the Plant Tiexi, which gave them a comprehensive picture of BMW Brilliance’s quality control in the entire production process. It also expressed the delightful changes brought by leading technologies to work and life, and deepened their understanding of the trend of intelligent lightweight cars.

Shoulder high expectations: lead CSR in the automobile industry

BMW Brilliance is not only committed to providing consumers with high-quality products but also keeping active in promoting the sustainable development of China’s automobile industry and the Chinese society. Through initiating a series of highly influential CSR programs across China, BMW Brilliance extended its immense care in resources, intercultural innovation and social inclusion, and education.

Apart from the BQEOC program in Chinese education promotion, BMW Brilliance also has various CSR programs covering different focus areas and targeting at different age groups, including the BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education and Future Talents Program, which help spread knowledge and better adapt to society. BMW Brilliance has always been taking concrete actions to fulfill its long-term commitment as a responsible corporate citizen in China.

A media open day for the BMW Brilliance Quality Education Open Course (BQEOC) was held at BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi on November 14th, 2014, offering an opportunity for journalists from 60 national media and students from the Second Primary School of Shenyang Hunnan District to jointly experience an open lecture on quality education. Dr. Stuart, Vice President Unit and Quality Management Department of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., and Mr. Wu Xiaobo, Head of Product Office, Quality Management Division of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ), also attended the media open day.As the first auto joint venture to establish a national social practice base of quality education for primary and secondary school students, BMW Brilliance incorporated its vast quality and safety management experience into the open class. From comprehensive upgrading of learning modules to fascinating hands-on experience in Plant Tiexi, BMW Brilliance sought to help students better understand the importance of quality and safety through the means of edutainment, and build an off-campus education platform for youngsters all over the country under the principle of “knowledge as action”.

Building a Practice Base on the Principle of "Knowledge as Action”

This year, the program’s content has been further improved and the scope of beneficiaries expanded, delivering an innovative course structure for participants. The new version of learning modules was organized in a more concise, vivid language, complemented by more extensive study content, so students can better understand the meaning of quality. Advanced multimedia teaching tools have been used in the brand new lecture on automobile knowledge, presenting a lively introduction to the state-of-the-art process and quality inspection procedures covering the four production phases in Plant Tiexi: stamping, bodywork, painting and assembly. This has provided a panoramic overview of BMW Brilliance’s quality control system through the whole manufacturing process from raw materials preparation to the assembly of vehicles.

In addition to theoretical knowledge, BMW Brilliance arranged various practical activities for students in the plant. They were stunned by the high quality fostered on every detail as they watched the operation of the world-leading assembly line. They experienced for themselves the seamless quality inspection process through the on-site tutoring program led by quality audit experts. And they took part in interactive activities such as a quality safety graffiti competition and automotive mold operating practices, helping them establish a sense of quality and apply it in their daily study and life.

BMW Brilliance Quality Education Open Course was launched on November 26th, 2013, at BMW Brilliance Plant Tiexi. BMW Brilliance has leveraged its advanced production technology and quality management to constantly perfect the training programs at Plant Tiexi, and establish a good platform for primary and secondary school students to learn about auto production processes and technology as well as build quality awareness. The launch of BQEOC was therefore another milestone for BMW Brilliance in its decade of efforts to support the educational development of teenagers.

Experiencing BMW Brilliance World-Class Quality First-Hand

In July, BMW Brilliance celebrated Plant Tiexi’s10th anniversary, marking a new historical stage in the joint venture’s localization. In the past 10 years, BMW Brilliance has steadily introduced new production technologies and management procedures and established itself as a benchmark for Chinese carmakers in production flexibility, production efficiency, sustainable development, and quality control, among which quality is always the prime focus in our work.

In the open course, BMW Brilliance technicians gave a vivid presentation to the attending students about different inspection standards applied to various production technologies and processes and provided an anatomy of the welding procedure and testing methods, as well as the operating principle and testing priorities in the quality inspection center. In addition, students performed interactive activities associated with quality inspection both in the class and on-site in a relatively safe area of the workshop. This provided them with a first-hand experience of the basic meaning of “quality”, and access to a multi-level learning system that extended from knowing and understanding to mastering and applying.

BMW Brilliance and BMW China have long leveraged their core competence to support the sustainable development of Chinese society. While accumulating customers’ long-term trust and loyalty and developing themselves on the basis of world-class product performance, comprehensive quality inspection system and safety guarantee, as well as high quality of service, they have constantly practiced social responsibility, and actively pushed forward social progress by providing quality education for primary and secondary school students as advocated by the government, and building a new platform for student practice. The companies have worked hard to expand the provision of quality education from campus to corporate and maintained a leading role in promoting CSR programs in China’s auto industry.