The First Session of the Academy of Marxism Youth Academic Workshop and the Seminar on the "Outline for the Study of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought" Successfully Held
On December 9, 2024, upon the occasion of the publication and distribution of the Outline for the Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the first session of the Institute of Marxism Studies Youth Academic Workshop was successfully held. Hosted by the Scientific Research Office and the Youth Work Group of the Institute of Marxism Studies [1], the session aimed to facilitate the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Attendees included Ouyang Xuemei, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Cultural History Research Office (at the Deputy Bureau level) of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies; Yang Jing, a Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Department of Fundamentals at the Institute of Marxism Studies; Liu Xukuan, a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Research Office for Ideology and Social Trends at the Institute of Marxism Studies; Chi Chongyang, Director of the Scientific Research Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies; and more than ten other experts and youth scholars. Participants engaged in keynote reports and deliberations focused on the theme of "In-depth Study and Implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture." The meeting was presided over by Senior Research Fellow Yang Jing and Associate Research Fellow Lei Xiaohuan.
(The image shows invited experts delivering keynote reports)
During the expert keynote segment, Senior Research Fellow Ouyang Xuemei delivered a presentation titled "The Historical Logic of the Formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture." She systematically traced the historical process and evolutionary trajectory of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, noting that this thought responds to the epochal questions of Chinese and global cultural development, enriches the contemporary connotations of building socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and writes a new chapter in Marxist cultural theory. She emphasized that, in the face of the "world's profound changes unseen in a century" [2] and the historical mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, cultural construction must be placed in a position of primary importance within the overall work of the Party, and our understanding of the laws governing cultural construction must be continuously deepened.
Senior Research Fellow Liu Xukuan presented on "The Essence, Challenges, and Responses regarding the Party’s Cultural Leadership." He provided a comprehensive analysis of the Party's cultural leadership [3] from three perspectives: its essential connotation, potential risks and impacts, and the paths for its construction. He pointed out that the Party's cultural leadership currently faces various risks and challenges, such as those who "pretend to understand, falsely believe in, and fail to apply" Marxism, as well as cultural relativism, nihilism, and "cultural fence-sitters." He emphasized that to defend and strengthen the Party's cultural leadership, it is essential to deeply root this leadership in the Party’s innovative theories, solidify the cultural foundation and cultural subjectivity [4] of historical materialism, and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field. It is necessary to shoulder the new cultural mission and cultivate more "men of action who are also propagandists."
In the youth scholar exchange segment, Associate Research Fellow Yang Binbin of the Institute of Marxism Studies spoke on "The Explanatory Logic and Construction Path of a New Form of Human Civilization." He emphasized that civilizational diversity is a basic feature of human society and that mutual learning between civilizations is the endogenous driving force for social development. Constructing a new form of human civilization [5] requires adhering to historical perspectives, establishing strategic awareness, and upholding dialectical thinking; it requires a profound analysis of the logic of civilizational development and a proficiency in breaking through the constraints of civilizational interpretation.
Zhang Shunyue, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, spoke on "Constructing the System of Symbols and Signifiers for Chinese Civilization." He noted that constructing such a system is an important goal proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and a vital component of the Party's propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the New Era. This system can be understood across multiple levels, including spiritual symbols, icons, material civilization markers, and intangible civilization markers.
Sun Jinya, an editor for Marxist Studies (Maokezhiyuan Yanjiu), spoke on "The Dimensions of Time and Space in the Cultural Form of Chinese-path Modernization." She noted that the "Debate between China and the West, Ancient and Modern" [6] inherently contains logic from both temporal and spatial dimensions. From the temporal dimension, this debate involves the contradiction between ancient and modern culture in the process of cultural innovation; from the spatial dimension, it involves the contradiction between indigenous and foreign cultures. Constructing the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization entails integrating and elevating various heterogeneous cultures in contemporary China to resolve these spatio-temporal contradictions.
Liu Haihua, an official from the Scientific Research Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies, spoke on "Promoting the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences through Organized Research." He explained from three aspects—underlying causes, strategic significance, and practical paths—that organized research is a crucial method for building an independent knowledge system. He argued for further improving research mechanisms, providing more interdisciplinary platforms and development opportunities, and establishing more reasonable training, assessment, and supervision systems to balance the relationships between the collective and the individual, and between national/social needs and individual research interests.
Assistant Research Fellow Bi Guoshuai spoke on "'The Two Combinations' [7] Manifest the Basic Logic of Theoretical Innovation in Contemporary China." He pointed out that "the Two Combinations," as the fundamental path for advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and the "greatest magic weapon for achieving success," centrally embody the law-governed characteristics and universal requirements of the Communist Party of China's advancement of theoretical innovation. It defines and carries the basic logic of contemporary Chinese theoretical innovation.
Zhang Ting, an editor for World Socialism Studies (Shijie Shehuizhuyi Yanjiu), presented on "Understanding the Proposition that 'We are Better Conditioned than at any Previous Era to Resolve the Debate between the Ancient, the Modern, the Chinese, and the West'." She noted that the core of resolving this debate lies in the creative transformation and innovative development [8] of fine traditional Chinese culture. This requires that the development of fine traditional Chinese culture must "respect the ancient" and "uphold the fundamentals," guided by Marxism and adhering to the correct stance. This ensures that the excellent cultural genes of the Chinese nation adapt to contemporary culture and coordinate with modern society, thereby activating its vitality.
The attending experts provided comments and affirmations regarding the presentations of the youth scholars. The success of this seminar was not only an in-depth study and exchange concerning Xi Jinping Thought on Culture but also a new attempt at cultivating the growth of youth scholars.
(Text and Photos contributed by Sun Jinya and Liu Haihua)