2015
On January 14, the Institute of Marxism Studies (IMS) held a general meeting of all personnel. Deng Chundong, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Institute, announced a new round of appointments for Directors of the Research Departments. In January, the Bureau of Scientific Research approved the roster for the Third Academic Committee of the IMS: Deng Chundong, Cheng Enfu, Yin Yungong, Fan Jianxin, Xin Xiangyang, Yu Bin, Zhai Shengming, Zheng Yiming, Jin Minqin, Hu Leming, Lü Weizhou, Feng Yanli, and Yang Fengcheng. (Mid-term adjustments were made in December 2018 with the addition of Jiang Hui).
On May 19, the "6th China-Cuba Social Science Seminar," sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, and organized by the CASS Bureau of International Cooperation and the IMS, was held in Beijing. The themes of the conference included: the roles of China and Cuba in Latin American regional integration; and the construction of ideology and culture and ideological security in China and Cuba.
On May 21, the CASS Party Group [1] deliberated and passed the work plan for the CASS Ideological and Theoretical Writing Group. On June 3, the writing group held its first plenary meeting, and the CASS Ideological and Theoretical Writing Group (hereinafter referred to as the "Writing Group") was formally established. According to the work plan, the IMS assumes the functional responsibilities of the Writing Group's office.
On May 21, the "Academic Forum on Studying the Series of Important Speeches of Xi Jinping (2015)—The First Academic Symposium on Xi Jinping's Maritime Thought," sponsored by the IMS of CASS, the Zhejiang Publishing United Group, and Zhejiang Ocean University, was held in Zhoushan city, Zhejiang Province. The theme of the meeting was: Promoting the construction of a strong maritime power.
On May 26, CASS established 11 specialized new-type think tanks, marking an important step in the construction of new-type think tanks with Chinese characteristics; the launch ceremony was held in Beijing that day. The IMS serves as the responsible unit for the Think Tank for Marxist Theoretical Innovation and the Think Tank for Ideological Research.
On June 27, the theoretical seminar "Commemorating the 85th Anniversary of Mao Zedong’s Xunwu Survey," sponsored by the IMS of CASS, the Department of Teaching and Research on CPC History of the Central Party School, the Mao Zedong Thought and Life Research Association of the China Association for Reconstruction of CPC Documents, and the CPC Ganzhou Municipal Committee, was held in Xunwu County, Jiangxi Province [2].
From July 12 to 16, the "3rd International Socialist Forum," jointly sponsored by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences (LASES), and the IMS of CASS, was held in the ancient Vietnamese city of Huế. This forum was organized by the Institute of Philosophy of the VASS. The theme of the forum was "How to strengthen the Party's governing capacity and improve the state's governance capacity under current conditions."
On September 18, the first CASS Forum on Historical Materialism and Marxist Historiographical Theory—jointly sponsored by the CASS Division of History and the Division of Marxist Studies, organized by the Institute of World History, and co-organized by the Humanities Company—was held in Beijing. Wang Weiguang, President of CASS, Secretary of the Party Group, and Chairman of the Presidium of the Divisions, delivered the keynote report. Gao Xiang, member of the CASS Party Group, Secretary-General, and Editor-in-Chief of Social Sciences in China Press, presided over the opening ceremony. Jia Gaojian, Director of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, and Xue Jinwen, Chairman of the Tianjin Federation of Social Science Circles and Secretary of the Party Committee of Nankai University, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Plenary speeches were delivered by Li Shenming, former Vice President of CASS; Sha Jiansun, former Deputy Director of the Central Party History Research Office and professor at the School of Marxism at Peking University; Pang Zhuoheng, Vice President of the Historiographical Theory Branch of the Chinese Historical Association and professor at Tianjin Normal University; Cheng Enfu, Director of the CASS Division of Marxist Studies; Gong Yun, researcher at the IMS of CASS; Zhang Yue, professor at the School of History of Beijing Normal University; and Mei Rongzheng, researcher at the Collaborative Innovation Center for Marxist Theory and Chinese Practice at Wuhan University. Over a hundred scholars from universities and research institutions across the country and from CASS attended the meeting, conducting extensive and in-depth discussions on topics such as "Contemporary Historical Nihilism and its Dangers" [3], "Rethinking Class and Class Struggle: History and Reality," "The Dissemination and Development of Historical Materialism in China," and "The Diversity and Unity of the Evolution of Social Formations."
On September 25, CASS held its 6th Staff Sports Meet. The IMS team won five awards, including first prize in the group rope skipping, first prize in the group football shooting competition, second prize in the individual rope skipping group competition, second prize in the croquet match, and third prize in the group fixed-point basketball shooting. The team also received the Spiritual Civilization Award.
From October 15 to 19, the 4th "China-Japan Socialist Scholars Forum," jointly sponsored by the IMS of CASS and the socialist association of Japan, was held in Tokyo, Japan. The theme of the forum was "The Chinese Path and its World Significance."
From October 31 to November 1, the "8th National Forum for Deans of Marxist Schools/Institutes," sponsored by the IMS of CASS, the CASS Division of Marxist Studies, and Xiamen University, was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province. The theme of the meeting was "The Theory and Practice of China's Development Path and the Chinese Dream."