The Mao Zedong Thought Research Office Conducts "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" Reading Sessions to Deepen Academic Research
In order to implement the requirements of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies regarding "reading the original works, studying the original texts, and grasping the underlying principles" [1] and properly organizing academic activities for researchers' return days, the Mao Zedong Thought Research Office has continuously carried out the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group activities since September 2021. The office seeks to promote the study of Mao Zedong Thought by deepening the study of Comrade Mao Zedong’s classic works, cementing a solid foundation for scholarly inquiry and further deepening academic research. As of January 2022, the reading group has met five times. All members of the Mao Zedong Thought Research Office participated in every session, and Liu Zhiming, Director of the Department of Sinicization of Marxism Research, along with Deputy Director He Xinyuan, co-participated on several occasions.
Mastering the classic works of Marxism, especially the classic works of Comrade Mao Zedong, is an important foundation for effectively conducting research on the Sinicization of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly issued clear requirements for "reading the original works, studying the original texts, and grasping the underlying principles," emphasizing that this is the most effective method for studying theory. He has stressed the need to read and memorize intensively, to find new insights through constant study, and to ensure that study penetrates "deeply, practically, and into the heart" [2], so as to achieve the integration of study, thought, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. For several years, we have consistently attached great importance to the study of classic works and have leveraged this study to drive the production of academic results. After more than six months of preparation and planning, we officially launched the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group activity on September 9, 2021. Starting from the first article in the first volume of the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, the group conducts a meticulous close reading of each piece; Researcher Zhu Jidong, Director of the Research Office, led the reading of the first article.
On September 9, 2021, the first session of the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group was launched.
Each session of the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group focuses on a meticulous reading of one of Comrade Mao Zedong's works. A member of the Mao Zedong Thought Research Office leads the reading and provides an explanation, while other members engage in discussion, exchange ideas, and conduct research-oriented deliberations. The focus is on grasping the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method [3] contained within Comrade Mao Zedong’s works. These works are situated within the "Great History" [4] of the history of Marxist development, the process of the Sinicization of Marxism, the history of the Chinese Communist Party’s thought, and the developmental history of Mao Zedong Thought, in order to profoundly grasp their theoretical contributions, significant meaning, and contemporary value.
On December 9, 2021, the Mao Zedong Thought Research Office held the third session of the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group.
Since the launch of the activity, Zhu Jidong, Yang Junfeng, Yu Xiaolei, Wang Yonghao, and Fang Tao have successively led readings of five articles: "Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society," "Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan," "Why Is It That Red Political Power Can Exist in China?," "The Struggle in the Jinggang Mountains," and "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (Resolution of the Ninth Ninth Party Congress of the Fourth Army of the Red Army). For every reading group session, the lead presenter prepared diligently, and other comrades engaged in heated discussions and research exchanges. This not only provided academic improvement but also further strengthened their ideals and convictions, consolidated their foundation in academic theory, and exercised and enhanced the academic capabilities of young researchers, leading to manifest progress in the various tasks of the Research Office. Some members' reading reports were also transformed into high-quality research outputs after revision; a total of seven papers were published in core journals such as People's Tribune, Mao Zedong studies, Ningxia Social Sciences, and the Journal of China Executive Leadership Academy Jinggangshan, successfully achieving the goal of deepening academic research through reading group activities.
In 2022, the "Rereading the Selected Works of Mao Zedong" reading group will continue. It will expand from the Mao Zedong Thought Research Office to the Department of Sinicization of Marxism Research and even broader circles, attracting interested comrades from other research offices to participate. The aim is to build it into a "learning brand" with wider reach and greater influence, making even more substantial contributions to the continuous consolidation of the academic and theoretical foundations for the discipline-building of the Sinicization of Marxism and Marxist theory.
(Academic Activities of the Department of Sinicization of Marxism Research, January 2022) (Contributed by Fang Tao)