2022 National Academic Symposium on Ideological and Political Education Held at Jiangxi Normal University

At a time when the entire nation is deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and in order to better use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to congeal the soul and forge the spirit ^[1], and to promote the innovative development of ideological and political education in the New Era, the 2022 National Academic Symposium on Ideological and Political Education was convened at Jiangxi Normal University on December 11. This conference was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Jiangxi Normal University, and organized by the Department of Marxist Sinicization Research of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and the School of Marxism at Jiangxi Normal University. Co-organizers included the editorial departments of Marxism Studies (Makesizhuyi Yanjiu), Guide to Ideological and Theoretical Education (Sixiang Lilun Jiaoyu Daokan), and the Journal of Jiangxi Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), as well as the School of Marxism at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the task force for the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund, "Research on the Innovative Contribution of the Path of Chinese-path Modernization to the Development of Human Civilization." Leaders, experts, and scholars from universities and research institutes including Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, Zhejiang University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Wuhan University, Jinan University, the Hunan Academy of Social Sciences, the Qinghai Academy of Social Sciences, and the Henan Academy of Social Sciences attended the meeting. The conference was held using a combination of online and offline formats.

Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; Gong Jianwen, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Provincial Civilized Office; Wang Lixia, member of the Education Work Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Provincial Education Department; and Huang Jiawen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jiangxi Normal University, attended the opening ceremony. Zhou Lisheng, member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Jiangxi Normal University, presided over the opening ceremony.

Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. On behalf of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, Xin Xiangyang expressed a warm welcome to the experts and scholars in attendance, sincere gratitude to Jiangxi Normal University for hosting the conference, and high respect to the teachers and scholars working diligently in the field of ideological and political education. He pointed out that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the fundamental compliance ^[2] for performing ideological and political work well; it is necessary to unswervingly use this Thought to arm the mind, guide practice, congeal the soul, and cultivate people. First, we must take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide to promote theoretical innovation and practical exploration of ideological and political education on the new journey of the New Era. Second, we must firmly grasp the important principle that ideological and political education serves Chinese-path modernization to promote its innovative development. Third, based on the aim of cultivating good youth of the New Era who possess ideals, dare to take on responsibilities, can endure hardship, and are willing to struggle, we must implement the fundamental task of "fostering virtue through education" (liderenshu) ^[3] in ideological and political theory courses.

Gong Jianwen, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Provincial Civilized Office, delivered a speech. On behalf of the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee, she expressed a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the arriving experts. She pointed out that ideological and political education work is a fine tradition, a distinct feature, and a prominent political advantage of the Party; it is the lifeblood of all work ^[4]. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to ideological and political work, delivering a series of important expositions and issuing a series of important instructions on various occasions, providing the fundamental compliance for performing this work well. She stated that in future work, first, we must persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide for carrying out ideological and political education; second, we must persist in centering ideological and political education on comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization; third, we must persist in the simultaneous advancement of theoretical research, practical management, and disciplinary construction.

Wang Lixia, member of the Education Work Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Provincial Education Department, delivered a speech. On behalf of the provincial authorities, he expressed a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the experts. He stated that Jiangxi has historically attached great importance to school-based ideological and political education, always taking General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important requirements as the fundamental pointer and the use of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to congeal the soul and forge the spirit as the primary mission. He indicated that the Jiangxi Provincial Education Work Committee and Education Department persist in the unification of explicit and implicit education, deeply promoting the integration of education into classrooms, campuses, society, and the internet. They strive to promote "ideological-political courses" and "course-based ideological-political education" ^[5] toward the same direction, holding the banner high and keeping a firm grip on ideological and political education. He proposed three requirements: first, to work hard on persisting in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to congeal the soul and forge the spirit; second, to seek breakthroughs in deeply promoting the innovation of methods and paths; third, to see results in promoting the construction of the "Great Ideological and Political Course" ^[6] system.

Huang Jiawen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jiangxi Normal University, delivered a speech. On behalf of the university, he expressed a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the experts. He pointed out that ideological and political work in higher education pertains to the fundamental questions of what kind of people universities should cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom they are being cultivated. Regarding the symposium theme of "Ideological and Political Education within the Perspective of the New Leap in the Sinicization of Marxism," he offered three suggestions: first, to profoundly study and interpret the important proposition that "Marxism is effective because it is Sinicized and adapted to the times"; second, to profoundly study and interpret the laws governing the innovative development of ideological and political education on the New Era's new journey; and third, to profoundly study and interpret the major task of cultivating good youth for the New Era's new journey. He expressed hope that the experts and scholars would continue to care for and support the construction of the Marxist discipline and ideological and political education at Jiangxi Normal University, and work together to promote the development of "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" in the work of the New Era.

Zhou Lisheng, member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Jiangxi Normal University, presided over the opening ceremony. The forum consisted of five sessions of keynote reports and six parallel sub-forums. During the keynote report phase, 33 experts delivered plenary reports; during the sub-forum phase, 58 experts shared their academic findings.

Following the opening ceremony, keynote reports were delivered by a wide range of leading scholars [List of 33 names and titles omitted for flow in English, including Xin Xiangyang, Luo Yuting, Zhong Jun, Liu Shulin, Zhang Zuoguo, et al.]. Reports were presided over by editors and scholars from major journals including Marxism Studies, Guide to Ideological and Theoretical Education, and Socialism Studies. The six parallel forums were presided over by experts and senior editors from Guangming Daily, Jianghan Tribune, China Education Daily, and other publications. Participating experts spoke enthusiastically around the conference theme and held heated discussions on frontier academic issues.

Li Nan, Executive Dean of the School of Marxism at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, presided over the sub-forum summary report session. Deans and professors from the Schools of Marxism at Jiangxi Normal University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Fujian Normal University, Lanzhou University, Hunan University, and the Inner Mongolia National Early Childhood Education College respectively provided summaries of the sub-forum exchanges.

Liu Ailing, Director of the Ideological and Political Education Research Office of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, provided the conference summary. She remarked that the participating experts possessed a broad vision and conducted deep theoretical explorations. These included both the summary of experiences in ideological and political education from a hundred-year grand narrative and explorations of innovation standing on the new journey of the New Era; forward-looking reflections on implementing the spirits of the 20th National Congress, as well as inquiries into basic concepts and methods; and both international comparative perspectives and excavations based on traditional Chinese culture. She termed it a successful academic feast.

You Lin, Executive Dean of the School of Marxism at Jiangxi Normal University, noted in her concluding remarks that the symposium had a grand vision and significant meaning; the thinking was profound and the contribution prominent; the viewpoints were novel and possessed unique value; and the conference style was rigorous and the conduct excellent. She cordially invited the experts to come to the university to guide work and "impart their scriptures and treasures" ^[7]. Finally, Professor Bai Xianliang, Vice President of Hainan Normal University and Dean of the School of Marxism at Southwest University, spoke on behalf of the organizers of the 2023 National Academic Symposium on Ideological and Political Education, cordially inviting colleagues to gather again in 2023. Professor Xiang Jiuyu of the School of Marxism at Wuhan University presided over the closing ceremony.