Fan Jianwu: Promoting the Implementation and Root-taking of the Spirit of the Central Eight-point Regulation in Universities
Universities represent the concentrated intersection of education, science and technology, and human capital. They shoulder the important mission of "educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country." We must adhere to higher standards and stricter requirements, taking the lead in learning and delving deeper into study to ensure that educational activities are carried out in an orderly and effective manner. Universities must march in the "first phalanx" [1], acting as leading examples and benchmarks, and persevering in driving the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations to take root in higher education institutions.
I. Fully understanding the profound significance of deeply implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations in universities
At present, deeply implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations through study and education is both a political task and a developmental necessity. It concerns not only the level of internal governance within universities but will also provide a solid guarantee for cultivating "new people of the era" who are trusted by the Party and capable of shouldering the great responsibility of national rejuvenation.
First, it is an inevitable requirement for strengthening political guidance and implementing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. In comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, the foundation lies in "comprehensive," the key lies in "strict," and the core lies in "governance." The Eight-Point Regulations are a vital measure for implementing this governance. The "strictly-oriented keynote" has consistently permeated every aspect and the entire process of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era, finding full expression in the Eight-Point Regulations. As crucial fronts for ideological work, universities—through study and education—can further strengthen the political core role of Party organizations. This ensures that the Party’s educational policies are fully implemented, guides Party members, teachers, and students to become model practitioners of strict political discipline, and utilizes new achievements in workstyle construction [2] to maintain the Party's advanced nature and purity.
Second, it is an inherent part of implementing the fundamental task of "fostering virtue through education" [3] and cultivating qualified talent. In fostering virtue, integrity is paramount. By integrating the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations into curricula and practice, we promote a culture of integrity as a prevailing trend on campus. This guides students to establish correct views on power and interests, focuses on cultivating their sense of social responsibility and citizenship, and effectively enhances their self-discipline to resist temptation upon entering society. It plants deep roots of integrity, nurtures a new zeitgeist, and shapes them into law-abiding citizens.
Third, it is a primary component of deepening the construction of professional ethics and school spirit, and shaping the power of role models. To cultivate talent capable of "managing the world's affairs" [4], there must be teachers of integrity. We must both regulate faculty behavior to promote clean teaching—eliminating academic corruption and the misuse of research funds to establish a professional image of "being a teacher through profound scholarship and a role model through upright conduct"—and lead teachers to deeply grasp the essential meaning and value-core of the "Educator Spirit" [5]. By implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, teachers exert a demonstrative effect, transmitting values of pragmatism, frugality, and integrity, influencing students through personal example.
Fourth, it is an important "grasp" [6] for optimizing governance systems and enhancing management efficiency. Implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations involves using information technology to improve clean-governance risk prevention and control systems in key areas of universities, plugging management loopholes, preventing integrity risks, and fortifying institutional defenses. It means breaking the "Four Winds" of formalism, streamlining meetings, documents, and unnecessary activities, and refining "One-Stop Service" [7] lists for teachers and students. By exploring paperless offices and intelligent approvals, we drive the efficiency of administrative processes, allowing faculty and students to focus entirely on their primary tasks of teaching and research.
Fifth, it is an effective way to strengthen warning education and build "clean campuses." "Using a mirror as a guide allows one to adjust one's cap" [8]. By using typical cases as mirrors, we increase the vigilance of teachers and students against violations, strengthen their awareness of "red lines," and ensure that "gradual developments are checked at the outset" [9]. Through lectures, reports, and stage plays, we vigorously advocate against unhealthy trends, curb conspicuous consumption, and discourage improper social gift-giving [10], driving the formation of a simple and pragmatic campus culture. By refining the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations into specific norms for faculty recruitment and student management, we translate the value of integrity from institutional texts into behavioral codes, making the honoring of integrity and practice of frugality the distinct hallmark of the new campus ecosystem.
Sixth, it is a key vehicle for serving social development and leading social trends. As high-knowledge groups, the value orientations and behavioral paradigms of university faculty and students have significant social radiation and demonstration effects. Practicing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations can drive social trends toward the good, reduce bureaucratic styles, enhance service awareness, and respond to the expectations of the masses. This strengthens the positive interaction between universities and society, enhancing the credibility of education while pushing for a clean and honest social atmosphere through the demonstration of the "unity of knowledge and action" [11].
II. Effectively enhancing the efficacy of implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations in universities
For universities, conducting study and education on the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations must prioritize practical results. We must integrate the characteristics of the university community, optimize educational content, innovate educational forms, strengthen institutional guarantees, highlight exemplary leadership, and focus on practical problems through multi-dimensional synergy and integrated advancement.
1. Adhere to layered and categorized approaches. Design educational content differentially for leading cadres, teachers, and students to ensure a targeted focus. For leading cadres, integrate the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations into the studies of the Theoretical Learning Center Groups of Party Committees and make it a compulsory course for cadre training, strengthening the political consciousness of the "key minority" [12]. For Party-member faculty, integrate the spirit into the "Three Meetings and One Lesson" [13], analyzing typical cases of violations—such as the fraudulent acquisition of research funds or illegal banqueting—to "educate those around us using matters nearby." Use the Ten Guidelines for Professional Conduct of University Teachers in the New Era to define red lines. For students, systematically integrate the spirit into ideological-political courses and Party/League classes.
2. Innovate methods and means. Promote interactive learning through thematic seminars and simulations to enhance the sense of participation. Build digital platforms and carry out practical study tours, such as visiting integrity education bases and participating in "Three Activities in the Countryside" [14] social practice to deepen understanding through practice.
3. Improve institutional guarantees. Incorporate the implementation of the Regulations into cadre assessments, faculty recruitment, and student awards to form incentive and constraint mechanisms. Strengthen publicity fronts via campus networks and new media to push policy interpretations and advanced deeds. Conduct special rectifications targeting high-risk areas like research funding, personnel recruitment, admissions, and logistics infrastructure.
4. Highlight exemplary leadership. Leading cadres must "set the pace from the top." The university leadership should lead by example, practicing the "front-line rule" by visiting classrooms and dormitories regularly to set a benchmark of integrity. Focus on "homegrown" resources to identify and reward "Clean Departments" or "Ethics Role Models" to create positive incentives.
III. Persisting over the long term to drive the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations to take root in universities
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The Eight-Point Regulations are not just for five or ten years, but must be adhered to over the long term. We must show perseverance and tenacity... to turn them into habits and achieve results that transform customs." Universities must establish a four-dimensional synergistic mechanism of "Institution-Governance-Technology-Supervision." We must tighten the "institutional cage," translating study results into a robust system centered on the University Charter [15]. We must refine supporting rules tailored to university characteristics to define a clear boundary between "what can be done and what cannot." A long-term mechanism must be established, incorporating workstyle requirements into all scenarios of teaching, research, and management. We must implement a "one-vote veto" system [16] regarding violations in annual assessments and title promotions.
Integrate this into the governance system for long-term efficacy. Deepen assessment-driven mechanisms by including workstyle weights in "Double First-Class" construction and disciplinary evaluations. Ensure the results of workstyle construction serve as important bases for departmental budget allocation. Improve democratic supervision by establishing workstyle monitoring groups within academic committees and special rules within Faculty Representative Assemblies. Move from "problem-driven" to "institution-driven" governance, creating a culture of integrity commensurate with the task of fostering virtue.
Strengthen digital empowerment to enhance governance efficiency. Build intelligent supervision systems that integrate finance, research, and procurement, embedding risk-warning functions for excessive spending. Form digital supervision task forces to utilize big data for identifying abnormal behavior. Implement dynamic monitoring and release "Integrity Index Reports." Finally, consolidate primary responsibility, improve oversight channels, and strictly enforce accountability. Implement "dual investigations for one case" [17]—holding both the parties involved and the leadership accountable—to ensure the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations takes root in universities.
(The author is the Party Committee Secretary and Professor at Shaanxi University of Science and Technology)