Strengthen political and theoretical awareness and give full play to the role of leadership and motivation
On the morning of May 11, Shi Taifeng, President and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited the Academy’s Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era for a research inspection. Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group Gao Xiang accompanied the inspection. President Shi Taifeng fully affirmed the achievements made by the Center since its establishment and provided clear requirements for further deepening the research, dissemination, and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, pointing the way for promoting the high-quality development of the Center. On the afternoon of May 11, the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (hereafter the "Xi Thought Research Center"), in conjunction with the Department of Research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era within the Institute of Marxism Studies, held a symposium to study and grasp the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s speech [1].
On the afternoon of May 11, the Xi Thought Research Center held a symposium to study and grasp the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s speech; Comrade Xin Xiangyang presided over the meeting. (Photo provided by the Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies)
Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and Executive Deputy Director of the Xi Thought Research Center, stated that President Shi Taifeng's speech clarified the direction for further improving the Center’s work, and that comrades from both the Center and the Institute of Marxism Studies must earnestly study, implement, and realize the spirit of the speech. He pointed out that it is necessary to raise political standing [2], effectively shoulder the primary political task of researching, disseminating, and interpreting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully exert the radiation and leading role of the Xi Thought Research Center. He emphasized the need to prevent the fragmentation of research and to work hard on how to improve the holism, systematicity, and academic theoretical depth of research into Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Furthermore, it is necessary to integrate and coalesce various forces, persist in high-starting-point planning and high-quality development, strive to release a batch of high-quality research results, and cultivate a vanguard of high-end talent researching Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Secretary Xin Xiangyang speaking at the symposium to study and grasp the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s speech. (Photo provided by the Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies)
Gong Yun, Vice President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and Executive Deputy Director of the Xi Thought Research Center, stated that President Shi Taifeng’s inspection of the Center reflects the high degree of importance the Academy’s Leading Party Members’ Group attaches to the research work on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must increase our political consciousness and theoretical consciousness regarding the research, dissemination, and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and implement the instructions of the Academy’s leadership. We must trace the lineage of the formation and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to improve the holism of our research; achieve the organic integration of political discourse and academic discourse to improve the academic theoretical depth of our research; and strengthen the construction of the talent pool by both tempering existing research forces and cultivating students.
Chen Zhigang, Director of the Department of Research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, stated that the research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era must be combined with research on the fundamental theories of Marxism. Holism and systematic research must be combined with research on major frontier issues. We must work hard on "studying, understanding, mastering, and applying" [3], drive talent cultivation through project research, and promote research work more effectively.
Other comrades in attendance expressed one after another that they would transform the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s instructions into the driving force for conducting excellent research. They committed to maintaining the correct political direction, maintaining political resolve, and persisting in "doing scholarship for the people." They pledged to deepen and substantiate the research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era within their respective research fields, welcoming the 20th National Congress of the CPC with even more outstanding achievements.
Contributed by the Xi Thought Research Center May 12, 2022