Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Hosts 2024 Youth Academic Forum
On November 20, 2024, the 2024 Youth Academic Forum of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) was held in Conference Room 1345 of the Institute. The forum centered on "Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee [1] and Xi Jinping Thought on Culture," aiming to strengthen theoretical study among youth, promote youth academic research, and assist in the academic growth of young scholars. The forum was divided into three segments: opening remarks, thematic presentations and critiques, and concluding summary. Over 50 participants attended, including the Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies, several directors (and deputy directors) of research departments and research offices, the Youth Work Group, and young cadres from various departments.
Professor Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies and Senior Research Fellow, delivered the opening remarks for this year's forum. On behalf of the Institute’s leadership, he congratulated the organizers of the forum and emphasized that it serves as an important platform for ideological exchange and the cultivation of young talent. He reviewed the Institute's academic traditions and innovations—such as the experiences of the Youth Reading Groups and Academic Salons—and encouraged the youth to inherit and carry forward a fine style of study [2] and academic tradition. He expressed high expectations for the forum, suggesting a further increase in its quality and level by refining both its content and mechanisms. On one hand, a mechanism for publishing outstanding results should be established to cultivate excellent young scholars; on the other hand, the integration of scientific research with administrative work should be strengthened to promote mutual reinforcement between theory and practice.
During the thematic presentation and critique segment, twelve youth representatives spoke, and twelve experts provided individual critiques. These representatives focused on the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee and Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, centering their presentations on their respective research fields.
Yang Binbin, Associate Research Fellow in the Department of the Sinicization of Marxism, spoke on "Building a New Type of Civilization Amidst Historical Consciousness and Cultural Confidence," exploring the contemporary significance of Chinese civilization and emphasizing the modern transformation and innovation of fine traditional Chinese culture [3]. Sun Jinya, Assistant Research Fellow in the Editorial Department of Marxist Studies, spoke on "Advancing Chinese-path Modernization and Deepening the Reform of Cultural Systems and Mechanisms," emphasizing the guiding role of culture in economic development and proposing mechanisms for cultural reform across the three dimensions of values, educational systems, and ideology. Chen Zhigang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies, and Tian Kun, Director of the Research Office of Party Building and Party History in the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (and Deputy Head of the Youth Work Group), critiqued their presentations. They noted that the content should be more focused, the titles should not be overbroad, and concepts must be clear and accurate.
Li Yan, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of the Principles of Marxism, spoke on "A Solemn Declaration and Action Program for Comprehensively Deepening Reform: Reflections on Studying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s 'Explanations on the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform,'" analyzing the core content of the Third Plenary Session's Decision and emphasizing the comprehensive nature of reform and the direction of key breakthroughs. Liu Haihua, a young cadre from the Scientific Research Department, spoke on "Organized Research Promoting the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System of Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences [4]," proposing the importance of "organized research" and emphasizing the significance of interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of practice for the innovation of knowledge systems. He Xinyuan, Deputy Director of the Department of the Sinicization of Marxism, and Fang Tao, Associate Research Fellow in the same department, provided critiques, suggesting that the youth must have their own independent thinking and viewpoints and should leverage their specialized research advantages.
Bi Guoshuai, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, spoke on "The 'Second Integration' [5] and the Theoretical Innovation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture," analyzing the role of the "Second Integration" in broadening theoretical horizons, methodology, and the innovation of propositions. Wang You, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of International Communist Movement Studies, spoke on "The Cultural Foundation of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation: Several Reflections on Studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture," analyzing its core essence and great significance from perspectives such as the historical context of the times. Ren Jie, Director of the Editorial Department of Marxist Studies, and Li Kaixuan, Associate Research Fellow in the Department of International Communist Movement Studies, provided critiques, pointing out that writing articles requires finding the right angle for interpretation and ensuring the text matches the title to enhance the academic and theoretical nature of the work.
Ma Zhengli, Associate Research Fellow in the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, spoke on "Comprehensively Improving the Capacity of Cadres for Modernization," discussing why "once the political line is determined, cadres are the deciding factor" [6] and noting that this is determined by the cadre system with Chinese characteristics. Chen Ni, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of the Sinicization of Marxism, spoke on "Striving to Improve Discipline Execution," reviewing the discourses of classical Marxist writers on the discipline execution of revolutionary ranks and proposing that improving such execution requires diligent effort in both "knowledge" and "action." Dai Lixing, Deputy Director of the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and Xia Yipu, Associate Research Fellow in the same department, provided critiques, suggesting that scholars should enhance their "problem consciousness" [7], be adept at refining and summarizing, build self-confidence, and dare to speak without relying on scripts.
Li Bin, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of the Principles of Marxism, spoke on "Deepening Financial System Reform and Promoting High-quality Development of Finance: Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee," noting that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on financial development profoundly clarify the strategic significance of high-quality financial development, providing the fundamental follow-through and guide for action to promote financial development on the new journey of the New Era. Wang Zifeng, Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of International Communist Movement Studies, spoke on "The Significance of Chinese-path Modernization for the International Communist Movement," explaining its significance from the perspective of the international movement. She noted that Chinese-path modernization answers the question of how to combine modernization with socialism, breaks the myth and discourse trap that "modernization equals Westernization," and provides important enlightenment for the vast number of developing countries exploring modernization. Hou Weimin, Research Fellow in the Department of the Principles of Marxism, and Zhang Jiangang, Deputy Director of the Editorial Department of Marxist Studies, provided critiques, pointing out that scholarship must be "problem-oriented" and integrate theory with practice to facilitate better thinking and writing.
Shan Chao, Assistant Research Fellow in the World Socialism Research Center, spoke on "Being a Qualified Communist Party Member: Reflections on Studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture," proposing that as Party members, one must face difficulties and problems head-on while acknowledging historical achievements and historical transformations. Zhang Ting, an editor at the World Socialism Research Center, spoke on "Reflections on Cultural Subjectivity," explaining the connotation of the subjectivity of Chinese culture and the relationship between consolidating cultural subjectivity and the cultural mission of the New Era, while analyzing the process and causes of achieving self-awareness regarding Chinese cultural subjectivity. Zhang Jianyun, Director of the Research Office of Marxist Philosophy in the Department of the Principles of Marxism, and Liu Xukuan, Director of the Research Office of Ideology and Social Trends in the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, provided critiques, noting that youth academic research should emphasize academic rigor, innovation, and theoretical depth.
Yang Jing, Deputy Director of the Department of the Principles of Marxism and Head of the Youth Work Group, delivered the concluding remarks. She stated that this forum achieved fruitful results, which could be summarized by three words: "comprehensive," "rich," and "deep." This refers to the comprehensive participation of youth, the rich themes of the forum, and the depth of the presentations, which deepened the understanding of the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee and Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. The forum also provided a platform for academic exchange and a chance for joint academic inquiry, stimulating reflections on theoretical innovation. She suggested that young scholars should strengthen the academic and theoretical quality of their presentations and focus on the originality of their viewpoints; they should combine collective work with individual academic growth to improve overall research standards. The Youth Work Group should promote the institutionalization and scaling of the academic forum, standardize the submission of academic papers and the display of results, and provide more academic resources and publication opportunities for young scholars.
To better implement the instructions of Secretary Luo Wendong, future forums should focus on: first, standardizing the submission and management of presentation drafts to improve the efficiency of discussion; second, enhancing the alignment between presentation content and the conference theme to avoid vague generalizations; third, launching a selection process for outstanding achievements of the Youth Academic Forum to encourage youth to conduct deep and solid academic work; and fourth, further optimizing the forum’s exchange mechanisms, such as expanding interdisciplinary exchanges and strengthening cooperation with external units. In short, under the strong leadership and vigorous support of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies, the Youth Academic Forum should be built into a high-level brand for exchange and cooperation—building ladders, providing platforms, and addressing the needs of young scholars—to achieve a deep alignment between youth academic research and national development strategies, contributing to the construction of an independent knowledge system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.
(Text and Photos by Liu Ying and Lei Xiaohuan)