The Academy of Marxism Deeply Studies and Implements the Spirit of the First Young Scholars Conference of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
On February 4, 2026, the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held a special youth seminar themed "Deeply Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the First CASS Youth Academic Conference." Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Research Fellow Yang Jing, Director of the Department of Principles of Marxism and head of the Youth Work Group, presided over the meeting. More than 40 youth representatives from research departments, editorial offices, and other sections combined their study of the conference spirit with reflections on their professional duties, planning, and development.
In his speech, Luo Wendong emphasized that young scholars must profoundly grasp the deep care and heavy trust the CASS Party Group holds for the growth and success of young talents. They should establish lofting ambitions in their "academic long march," keep "the greatness of the nation" [1] in mind, and extensively read the classic works of Marxism and the classics of fine traditional Chinese culture to broaden their knowledge and solidify their scholarly foundations. In the era of artificial intelligence, they must maintain their subjectivity, practice basic skills, and utilize new technical tools without becoming dependent on them. In the face of the temptation of fame and fortune, they should maintain the integrity of a scholar and uphold moral bottom lines. The growth and success of the youth are inseparable from the care and cultivation of the organization; the Party Committee of the Institute and senior experts are willing to serve as a human ladder [2] to create a favorable environment for youth growth. Young people must also actively exercise their subjective initiative, live up to the organization's care and their own "prime years" [3], and grow as quickly as possible.
The participating young scholars centered their discussions on the spirit of the speech delivered by President Gao Xiang at the First Youth Academic Conference. Integrating their ideological and professional realities, they shared perspectives and built consensus, primarily forming study insights in the following four areas:
First, adhering to the correct direction and deeply rooting feelings of "home and country" [4]. Young scholars profoundly recognized that the primary task of scholarship is to clarify one's standpoint and direction. Youth representatives including Liu Ailing and Fang Tao from the Department of Sinicized Marxism, Li Kaixuan from the Department of the International Communist Movement, and Liu Ying from the Department of Principles of Marxism remarked that President Gao Xiang’s speech was highly political, ideological, targeted, and instructive. It profoundly answered the fundamental "three questions of scholarship"—"What is scholarship, how to do scholarship, and for whom is scholarship"—and pointed out that the purpose of scholarship lies in being "useful to the world" [5], serving the overall work of the Party and the state. Liu Yan from the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Feng Mengqi from the Department of the International Communist Movement, and Li Xiaobai from the editorial department of Marxism Studies collectively stated that they must keep "the greatness of the nation" in mind, integrating personal research into the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, achieving the sublimation of thought and scholarship while responding to the major issues of the era and serving the overall interests of the Party and the state.
Second, consolidating the academic foundation and focusing on the issues of the era. The youth generally believed that doing scholarship requires aspiring to greatness, solidifying foundations, and embracing the era. Bi Guoshuai from the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Liu Daoyi from the Department of Principles of Marxism argued that scholarship should treat "the Dao as the essence and technique as the application" [6], with thought as the soul, possessing depth of thought, warmth of sentiment, and academic integrity. On methodology, Liu Daoyi and others stated that President Gao Xiang's speech pointed out the basic methods of scholarship—valuing basic theory, academic history, and interdisciplinary training. Facing the rise of artificial intelligence, Li Kaixuan and Liu Ying proposed adhering to the basic principles of Marxism, analyzing the profound impact of technological change on social structures, and promoting the transformation of research methods toward human-machine collaboration and interdisciplinary empirical analysis. Liu Yan and Zhuo Mingliang from the Department of Foreign Marxism Studies also called for stepping out of "comfort zones," focusing on theoretical frontiers, and closely integrating classical research with the issues of the era to ensure scholarship takes root in Chinese soil and responds to realistic demands.
Third, strictly abiding by academic norms and pursuing noble scholarly character. The youth discussed key issues such as academic ethics, professional spirit, and work missions. Liu Ailing and Bi Guoshuai pointed out that what supports the academic path is not only knowledge but, more importantly, personal character; scholarship must have thought, sentiment, and integrity. Xia Yipiao from the editorial department of Marxism Studies and Zhang Ting from the editorial department of World Socialism Studies integrated their own work to propose upholding the "original aspiration" of scholarship and assuming the editorial mission. This involves screening results "with a soul," resisting homogenization, deepening professional literacy, abiding by academic rigor, and protecting academic originality. Everyone felt deeply that "teaching by example" is more important than "teaching by words"; the conscience, integrity, and daily practice of scholars and editors are the most powerful transmission of character within the academic community.
Fourth, cherishing development opportunities and vowing to forge ahead with determination. Young scholars felt deeply that they were "born at the right time" and carry heavy responsibilities. Zhuo Mingliang recounted the CASS Party Group’s strong support for youth in terms of "exceptional promotions" [7] in professional titles, full-chain cultivation, return-to-hometown investigations, and awards for achievements, lamenting that "young scholars have encountered a good era." Facing opportunities, everyone expressed the need to handle the relationship between concentrated research and performance evaluations, focusing on "digging deep wells" in their fields to cultivate core competitiveness. Newcomers such as Feng Mengqi and Li Xiaobai stated they would take the spirit of President Gao Xiang’s speech as a guide, solidify their theoretical foundations, focus on realistic problems, and have the courage to explore and innovate. They aim to transform the care and expectations of the Party Group into powerful motivation, cherish the CASS platform, remain firm in their convictions during the academic long march, and transform their learning results into practical actions of devoted study and scaling heights. They strive to contribute their youthful strength to accelerating the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and safeguarding the academic glory of the "national team."
During the free-speech phase, other participating young scholars from the Institute shared their study experiences based on their work realities. They expressed their commitment to continuously deepening their understanding of the "three questions of scholarship," producing work with thought, sentiment, and integrity, and adhering to the principle of being "useful to the world" and serving the Party and state.
In the session for introducing and exchanging experiences from the "Social Science Youth Return-to-Hometown Investigation" activity, Wang Cuncun, an editor from the Social Sciences in China Press and second-prize winner of the 2025 CASS Youth Return-to-Hometown Investigation Report, introduced the practices and experiences of these investigations. After Chi Chongyang, Director of the Research Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies, highlighted the selection of topics for young scholars' return-to-hometown investigations, the participating youth exchanged views on the feasibility of topics, research methods, and expected forms of output, offering suggestions for improvement.
In the meeting’s conclusion, Research Fellow Yang Jing offered three suggestions and expectations for the youth of the Institute. First, the current CASS Party Group has built a full-cycle cultivation system for young scholars; the youth should be grateful and seize the opportunity to grow quickly. Second, they should actively participate in "organized research" [8], which is a powerful tool for solidifying academic foundations and improving interdisciplinary capabilities. Third, they must strengthen research on basic theories and frontier issues, combining their own advantages to "find a small entry point to write a major article."
(Source: Li Kaixuan, Institute of Marxism Studies)