A Century of Youthfulness, Together Writing a New Chapter
The year 2021 coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Under the direct leadership of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies (hereafter "the Institute") at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Youth Work Group organized a series of featured activities centered on the Party’s centenary. Drawing on the specific characteristics of young scholars, the group planned a range of academic activities to promote their professional growth, writing a new chapter for youth work at the Institute.
I. Conducting an institute-wide "comprehensive baseline survey" to precisely research youth development.
To carry out youth work effectively, one must first understand what young people are thinking. In early 2021, the Youth Work Group conducted a survey on the development status of all young staff at the Institute. This "baseline survey" [1] covered sources of pressure and anxiety, personal growth, and preferences regarding organizational activities. By understanding the developmental needs of each individual from the "roots" up, the group ensured that its efforts were targeted and purposeful. The Youth Work Group designed the "CASS Institute of Marxism Studies Youth Questionnaire," utilizing the efficient "Wenjuanxing" platform for statistical analysis. They analyzed concerns commonly shared by the group—such as paper publication, professional title promotion, personal health, children's education, and interpersonal relationships—and used these findings as the basis for the Institute’s 2021 youth work plan.
II. Centering on the Party centenary: Organizing the 25th "Social Perspective" youth academic activities.
Focusing on the centenary of the CPC, the Youth Work Group launched a youth Party history study program themed "Youth Hearts Toward the Party, Advancing on the New Journey" and a field research seminar themed "Observing Rural Vitalization, Witnessing a Century of Brilliance." These two activities were of great significance in helping the Institute’s youth remember their original aspiration and founding mission, strengthening their faith and convictions [2], and carrying out their work solidly, thereby putting the study of Party history into practice.
At the "Youth Hearts Toward the Party, Advancing on the New Journey—Social Perspective" Party history study event, young scholars delivered presentations titled "Learning Experience regarding the Excerpts from Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao on the History of the Communist Party of China," "Party History Study and Education on Marxist Atheism in Universities," "Reflections on Party History Study through the Lens of ‘Visual Illusions’ in Public Perception," and "Tracing the Party’s Centenary Journey through a Comparison of Revolutionary Poetry by Engels and Ai Qing." Breaking through disciplinary boundaries, the young scholars spoke freely about the century-long history of the CPC, making the study of Party history more vivid and engaging.
During the "Observing Rural Vitalization, Witnessing a Century of Brilliance" field research seminar, young scholars visited the Beijing Tian'an Agriculture Development Co., Ltd. in Xiaotangshan. By entering this modern agricultural development base, they explored the CPC’s century-long developmental trajectory. The development of agriculture is a microcosm of the Party’s brilliant century of progress; the modernization of agriculture also reflects the modernization of China. Practicing the principles of "acting upon what has been learned" and the "unity of knowledge and action" [3], the young scholars integrated theory with practice, personally experiencing the fruits of a green ecosystem while observing the pace of modern agricultural development and rural vitalization.
III. Promoting youth growth: Organizing the 26th "Social Perspective" youth academic activities.
To promote the growth of young scholars, the Youth Work Group held the "Journal and Youth Academic Exchange & 'Doing Practical Deeds for the Masses' [4] Youth Work Group Activity."
The writing and publication of academic papers is a critical link in the professional development of young scholars and a primary concern in their scientific research work. Addressing the issues commonly reported in the "comprehensive baseline survey," the Youth Work Group specially invited editors-in-chief and editors from several academic journals for face-to-face exchanges with young scholars. They provided one-on-one answers regarding topic selection, writing style, and submission processes. As part of the "Doing Practical Deeds for the Masses" series, this event established a two-way communication mechanism between journals and authors, resolving urgent anxieties [5] for the young scholars.
IV. Organizing the study of the spirit of the "July 1" Keynote Address and the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee.
Following the "July 1" Keynote Address [6] and the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [7], the Institute’s youth immediately studied the spirit of the relevant documents. They watched press conferences, studied People’s Daily editorials, and utilized the tutorial readers issued by the Institute's Party Committee. Adhering to the combination of individual and collective study, and leveraging their disciplinary and professional advantages, several young scholars published theoretical articles in major newspapers and core journals. Simultaneously, upholding the attitude of "learning while doing, and doing while learning," they integrated the spirit of the "July 1" Address and the Sixth Plenary Session into research projects such as the History of the Development of Marxism.
V. Assisting Institute youth in participating in other CASS youth initiatives.
In 2021, the Youth Work Group assisted CASS in organizing the study of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the training course for young and middle-aged officials at the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) during the 2021 autumn semester, continued the study of the "July 1" Address, and organized attendance at Comrade Long Pingping’s special report on Party history study and education.
Throughout 2021, the Youth Work Group, rooted in the Academy, fully utilized the Institute's professional advantages. Centering on the Party's centenary, they carried out academic activities like "Youth Hearts Toward the Party," which stimulated young scholars' passion for researching Party history. These efforts strengthened the study of the Party’s past, distilled the CPC’s experience in governance, explored the laws of the Party’s exercise of power, and chronicled the Party's century-old elegance. The youth of the Institute contributed wisdom and strength to the "three systems" (disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems) of Marxism in the New Era. Taking the major theoretical innovations of the "July 1" Address and the Sixth Plenary Session as an opportunity, the group organized systematic study sessions where young scholars integrated the spirit of these speeches into scientific research. This transformed study into action and learning outcomes into theoretical articles, broadcasting the voice of the Institute's youth and explaining "why Marxism works." In their scientific research, the Youth Work Group assisted in promoting Maritime disciplinary and team building, helping young scholars stand out and contributing to the Institute's development. The hope and future of the Institute lie with its youth. The young scholars of the Institute will remain true to their original aspiration, bravely shoulder their mission, and forge ahead.
(Contributor: Liu Ying, Assistant Researcher, Department of Marxist Theory, Institute of Marxism Studies, CASS)