More than 53,000 graduates begin grassroots service under Go West program

More than 53,000 newly recruited college graduates under the 2026 intake of the Go West program have begun departing for grassroots posts in western regions and border areas.

With the new intake, the program now has a total of 108,000 participants.

On Tuesday, volunteers from universities in Beijing departed for the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Xizang autonomous region from Beijing West Railway Station. Representatives took an oath before departure, marking the official start of their volunteer service.

Since registration opened on March 1, universities across the country have encouraged graduates to answer the call to serve where the country and the people need them most. Large numbers of young graduates have signed up for the program.

The newly recruited volunteers were selected through eligibility reviews, written examinations, interviews, physical examinations and centralized training covering both theoretical studies and professional skills.

They will be assigned to grassroots communities in 27 provincial-level regions, including Xinjiang, Xizang, Jilin and Guizhou, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

The volunteers will provide one to three years of service in areas including rural education, rural development, rural healthcare, grassroots social governance, border defense and youth work at the township level and below. More than 90 percent of the service posts are located in townships or lower-level administrative units.

The Go West program is jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. It is one of the country's key national talent development programs.

Since the start of the New Era in 2012, more than 400,000 college graduates have answered the Party's call by volunteering in western regions, rural areas and grassroots communities. They have contributed to local economic and social development, promoted ethnic unity, and supported border revitalization and stability, while gaining valuable experience and personal growth through their service.