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Participation Guide for Students

This guide is for students who plan to apply for an openRuyi project under the Open Source Promotion Plan (OSPP). It covers the complete process, from checking your eligibility and choosing a project to development and project completion.

Before applying, read the official OSPP Student Guide. The official OSPP documentation takes precedence regarding program rules, schedules, and system requirements.

1. Check Your Eligibility​

Before applying, make sure that you meet all of the following requirements:

  • You are a university student aged 18 or older.
  • You will remain enrolled as a student throughout the development period of the project for which you apply.
  • If you have been admitted to a master's or doctoral program but have not yet enrolled, you can provide your admission letter and other supporting documents.
  • You will not participate in the current OSPP program as both a student and a mentor.
  • You will apply for or undertake only one OSPP project at a time. You may apply for another project only after your application is rejected or your current project is completed.

Students who are Chinese nationals must prepare a valid identity document and proof of enrollment. International students must prepare a passport and a student ID card, admission letter, certificate of enrollment, or another document showing their expected graduation date. Refer to the official OSPP Student Guide for the complete documentation requirements.

2. Choose a Participation Track​

Classic Track​

The Classic Track is suitable for students who prefer to begin with a clearly defined task:

  1. Visit the openRuyi organization page on the OSPP website and browse the published projects.
  2. Read the project description, technical requirements, expected deliverables, development period, and output repository information.
  3. Review the output repository's README, contribution guide, Issues, and relevant code to make sure that you understand the project background.
  4. Contact the mentor using the email address on the project page to discuss the project scope, implementation approach, and application plan.
  5. Submit your project application through the OSPP system.

Pioneer Program​

The Pioneer Program is suitable for students who want to identify a specific problem and propose a solution based on a community need:

  1. Browse the Pioneer Program directions on the OSPP website and choose one that matches your skills and interests.
  2. Study the community and its repositories to identify the specific problem behind the published direction.
  3. Submit a brief proposal through the channel designated by the community and participate in the community's proposal discussions.
  4. If your proposal is accepted, work with the mentor to refine the requirements, development plan, and expected deliverables.
  5. After the community creates the corresponding project in the OSPP system, submit the formal project application.

The Pioneer Program uses a different proposal, Pitch, and project creation process from the Classic Track. Before preparing a proposal, read the official OSPP Pioneer Program Guide.

3. Prepare Before Applying​

Extensive open source experience is not required, but your application should show that you understand the project and have the foundation needed to complete your plan. We recommend preparing in the following order:

  1. Read the repository's README, contribution guide, development documentation, and open source license.
  2. Set up the development environment and confirm that you can build, run, or test the existing project.
  3. Identify the project objectives, current implementation, problems to be solved, and acceptance criteria.
  4. Discuss your understanding, technical approach, development plan, and risks with the mentor.
  5. Refine your application based on that discussion so that every stage has clear deliverables and verification criteria.

You may make regular contributions to the openRuyi community while preparing your application, but you must not begin the OSPP project work described in your application before the selection results are announced. Work completed and commits submitted before the announcement will not count toward the project's final assessment.

4. Register and Submit Your Application​

i. Register a Student Account​

Use the student login on the OSPP website to register an account and submit your personal information. Returning students may use their existing accounts, but they must update their personal information and register for the current program.

The Git account used to submit project deliverables must be public, and its public email address must match the Git email in your OSPP profile. Check your account and email settings immediately after registration to avoid problems when the project deliverables are verified.

ii. Prepare the Application​

Prepare the required materials based on the project requirements and the official Project Application Template.

The quality of the application is an important factor in both the mentor's and the OSPP Committee's reviews. You may also consult the official project application guide, but you must write the application independently for the actual project rather than copying an example.

iii. Submit the Application​

After the project is published, submit your application through the OSPP system. Before submitting, confirm that:

  • You are applying for the correct openRuyi project and participation track.
  • You will remain enrolled throughout the selected development period.
  • The objectives, plan, and deliverables in your application match the project page.
  • The public email address on your Git account matches the Git email in your OSPP profile.
  • You are not applying for or undertaking another OSPP project at the same time.

After the mentor reviews the application, it must also be reviewed by the OSPP Committee. You can check the result on the OSPP website, in the system, and in the notification email.

5. Begin Development After Acceptance​

Within three days of acceptance, log in to the OSPP system and sign the service agreement. Missing this deadline may affect your participation, so check both the system and the email account used for registration.

During project development:

  1. Follow the development period specified on the project page. Do not begin early or change the project scope without approval.
  2. Develop and submit code through the output repository specified on the project page.
  3. Follow the plan in your application and communicate with your mentor once or twice each week.
  4. Report your progress, problems, changes to the approach, and interim deliverables promptly.
  5. Complete the project and its PR/MR independently. The mentor provides directional guidance but must not submit or modify the deliverables on your behalf.
  6. Write reproducible tests for features and fixes, and update the relevant user, development, or maintenance documentation.

If the actual development work begins to diverge significantly from the plan, discuss adjustments with your mentor as early as possible. If exceptional circumstances prevent you from continuing, apply to terminate the project through your mentor, the community, and the OSPP Committee. Do not simply stop communicating or withdraw without explanation.

6. Submit Deliverables and Complete the Project​

Before the development period ends, you must:

  1. Submit a PR/MR containing your own work to the designated output repository.
  2. Enter the PR/MR link in the OSPP system.
  3. Complete and upload the final report using the official template.

The final report should clearly describe:

  • The completed work, implementation approach, and progress of the deliverables.
  • How the actual results correspond to the project objectives.
  • Problems encountered, how they were resolved, and your conclusions and reflections.
  • Test cases, the test environment, and verification results.
  • Plans for adoption, release, and ongoing maintenance.

After the development period ends, the project enters the PR/MR refinement and merge stage. You may continue improving PRs/MRs that were submitted during the development period, but newly submitted PRs/MRs will not count toward the project deliverables. The project completion date is determined by when the existing deliverables are ultimately merged.

The mentor and the OSPP Committee assess project completion, student participation, the quantity and quality of code contributions, tests and documentation, and the adoption of the deliverables. Students who pass the final assessment receive a completion certificate and the corresponding stipend and may also be considered for an Outstanding Student award.

7. Quick Checklist​

Before Submitting Your Application​

  • You have confirmed that your age, enrollment status, and proposed development period meet the requirements.

  • You have read the official OSPP Student Guide and Student Participation Agreement.

  • You have confirmed whether you will participate in the Classic Track or the Pioneer Program.

  • You have read the project repository documentation and verified the basic development environment.

  • You have discussed the project scope, approach, plan, and expected deliverables with the mentor.

  • The public email address associated with your Git account matches the Git email address provided in your application.

  • Your application includes clear milestones, deliverables, and acceptance criteria.

After Selection​

  • You have signed the service agreement within three days of being selected.

  • You have maintained regular communication with your mentor as planned and documented your progress.

  • You have personally submitted the PR/MR to the designated repository.

  • You have completed the testing, documentation, and final report.

  • You have submitted the PR/MR link and final report through the system before the end of the development period.

  • You have followed up on the PR/MR until the deliverables were merged.