Hou Jingjing attends the opening ceremony of the 18th CPC National Congress in Beijing on November 8

Hou Jingjing gives a telephone interview during a lunch break

Hou Jingjing discusses Hu Jintao's report to the 18th CPC National Congress with fellow delegate Wang Sheng on November 11

Husband Xiang Huali gives massage therapy to Hou Jingjing

Born in 1975 in Ma'anshan, east China's Anhui Province, Hou Jingjing was paralyzed at age 11 due to a misdiagnosis. In spite of this, she managed to become the country's first wheelchair-bound recipient of a doctoral degree. In 2006, she was named one of China's Ten Most Outstanding Women, among other national awards. She is now an associate professor at Nanjing Normal University in east China's Jiangsu Province.

Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), delivered a key report during the opening ceremony of the 18th CPC National Congress on November 8. Education is a major concern for Hou, who first served as a delegate in 2007.

"It said the CPC should bring out the full potential for development of higher education, actively develop continuing education, and improve the system of lifelong education. I think it is a trend and also a source of encouragement for us," Hou noted.