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[Academic Announcement] 21st Century Marxism Lecture Series (Lecture 1)

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Since the 18th Party Congress [1], changes in the domestic and international situation and the development of our country's various undertakings have presented us with a major epochal task. That is: we must systematically answer, through the integration of theory and practice, what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics we should uphold and develop in the New Era, and how we should uphold and develop it. Revolving around this major epochal task, our Party has persisted in taking Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development as guidance. We have persisted in liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic. We have persisted in dialectical materialism and historical materialism, closely integrating new epochal conditions and practical requirements to deepen our understanding of the laws of Communist Party governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society with an entirely new perspective. Through arduous theoretical exploration, we have achieved major theoretical and practical innovation results and founded Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This Thought is the latest achievement in the Sinicization of Marxism; it is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism. It has opened up a new realm for the development of 21st-century Marxism, brought the Sinicization of Marxism into a new stage, and realized a new leap. Deeply studying, publicizing, researching, and interpreting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era—and conducting in-depth research on major theoretical and practical issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era to better serve the epochal task of enriching and developing contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism—is the important historical mission of the Institute of Marxism Studies (IMS) and Marxist scholars nationwide.

The world is undergoing great changes unseen in a century [2], and China is in a critical period for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Starting today, the Institute of Marxism Studies is launching the "21st-Century Marxism Grand Lecture Hall" series. We will periodically invite renowned Marxist scholars from China and abroad to deliver keynote speeches on major theoretical and practical issues, broadening our theoretical horizons and enriching our academic cultivation. For the first lecture, we have invited Researcher Li Shenming, former Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group [3] of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and a renowned Marxist scholar. The title of the speech is "A Trial Discussion on Our Country's Important Period of Strategic Opportunity."

Time: December 24, 2020 (Thursday), 9:30 AM Location: CASS Research Building, Room 1345, IMS Conference Room

Speaker Biography: Li Shenming is the former Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Director of the World Socialism Research Center, Researcher, and Doctoral Supervisor. He previously served as a member of the Standing Committee of the 10th, 11th, and 12th National People's Congress (NPC); Vice Chairman of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee of the 12th NPC; and a delegate to the 16th and 17th National Congresses of the CPC. He is a member and Chief Expert of the Advisory Committee of the Central Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project; Head of the International Affairs Group of the Review Committee for the National Social Science Fund of China; and a member of the Political Science Discipline Review Group of the 6th and 7th Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. He serves as the President of the Chinese Political Science Association and acts as a consultant for the National Party Building Research Association, the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, the China Association for International Friendly Contact, and the Reform and Development Expert Advisory Committee of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is also a member of the Expert Advisory Group of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Primary Research Interests: Party building, democratic politics, international strategy, Party history, history of the People's Republic of China, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe.

Main Works: Concern for the People and Concern for the Party: An Exploration of Mao Zedong’s Thought on Preventing the Party from Changing Its Nature; Perceptions of Socialism as Discussed by General Secretary Xi Jinping; Staying Alert in Times of Peace: Reflections on the Twentieth Anniversary of the Collapse of the CPSU; What Do People Live For?; China’s International Strategy in the Context of Globalization; China’s Grand Party Building in the Context of Globalization; Li Shenming on the Financial Crisis; Selected Works of Li Shenming; China’s Peaceful Development and International Strategy; War, Peace, and Socialism; Galloping Through Hunan and Jiangxi; Biography of Wang Zhen (co-authored, Volumes I and II), among others. He has served as chief editor for more than 20 academic works, including the series Tracking Research Reports on World Socialism—Hearing the Sounds of New Tides at the Trough and the Global Politics and Security Reports series. He has published over 300 articles in major central newspapers and journals such as People’s Daily, Qiushi, and Guangming Daily. Many of his works have received national awards.