Inspiring Youth through Struggle and Writing Responsibility with Action: A Record of Youth Work at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
"We hope that the youth of the CASS will embrace their dreams while remaining down-to-earth, daring to conceive and act while being adept at executing and succeeding. Strive to grow into pillars of talent capable of assuming great responsibilities, add luster to this temple of scholarship, and contribute wisdom and strength to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
In Beijing, amid the blossoming flowers and sprouting greenery of spring, the annual training program for new recruits at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) arrived as scheduled. As in previous years, Gao Xiang, President and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group, made time to meet and exchange ideas with the trainees, offering earnest expectations for the young scholars.
Beyond the annual induction program, President Gao attends various youth-related activities—such as forums and training sessions for young core researchers, youth cultural theme events, and symposia for students of the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences—to understand their thoughts and answer their questions.
In recent years, the Leading Party Members’ Group, acting with a high sense of responsibility toward the Party and the country’s philosophy and social sciences, and viewing the cultivation of successors as a priority, has implemented a series of pioneering measures. Grounded in the "Three Consensus" [1] to solidify the foundation, the "Three Promises" [2] to rectify conduct, and the "Three Measures" [3] to guard the bottom line, the Academy has comprehensively strengthened the development of young talent. By building platforms for professional achievement and fostering a relaxed environment for concentrated research, the Academy has helped young scholars grow more rapidly, driving youth work toward historical progress and leapfrog development.
Strengthening Political Guidance and Consolidating Ideological Foundations
On the afternoon of September 23, 2024, the Guangqi Theater of the Chinese Academy of History was brilliantly lit and filled with a warm atmosphere as a cultural performance themed "Ideas Painting Splendor, Cultural Lineage Shining upon China" took place. Members of the CASS Leading Party Members’ Group and over a thousand cadres and scholars gathered to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
A young scholar in the audience remarked that, as a youth of the New Era, they deeply felt that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is essential to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. "We will inherit the 'red gene' of our revolutionary predecessors, demonstrating youth action and style in the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, striving to write a youthful chapter of 'standing tall and taking responsibility' [4] for Chinese-path modernization."
On the 105th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, a symposium titled "Inheriting the May Fourth Spirit, Striving to be Youth Pacesetters in Practicing the 'Three Consensus'" was held. On the 60th anniversary of the inscriptions by Mao Zedong and other older-generation revolutionaries for Comrade Lei Feng [5], a youth symposium titled "Inheriting the Lei Feng Spirit, Striving to be New People of the Era" took place.
CASS places the strengthening of patriotic education for youth in a prominent position, organizing activities around major anniversaries to guide young people to keep the "top priorities of the nation" [6] in mind and adhere to the correct political direction, academic orientation, and value alignment.
As a political organ centered on research, "political character" is the primary attribute and "upholding politics" is the first requirement. CASS has deeply studied and implemented Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on youth work, solidly carried out education on Party discipline and the Eight-Point Regulations, and actively pushed forward rectified measures following central inspections. It has focused on the conduct of young cadres and core researchers, leading them to profoundly grasp the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the Four Consciousnesses [7], strengthen the Four Confidences [8], and achieve the Two Upholds, maintaining a high degree of unity in thought, politics, and action with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.
The Academy organized the "Applying New Ideas, Achieving New Feats for the Social Sciences" youth researcher symposium, the "Learning New Ideas, Joyful Reading for Growth" youth reading practice activity, and the "Social Science Youth Speak: Theme Education Essays" on the Chinese Social Sciences Net (cssn.cn). These initiatives pushed young scholars to deepen their grasp of the fact that "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the banner and soul of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics in the New Era."
CASS held a youth symposium on implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s speech at the Forum on Cultural Inheritance and Development, as well as a youth forum on Xi Jinping Thought and a seminar on interpreting the aforementioned speech, recommending outstanding theoretical articles to major media outlets.
The Academy also organized activities such as the "Fingertips Illuminating Culture" video and photography collection to create a surge of interest in studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture among the youth.
By hosting the first CASS Forum on Academic Style and Ethical Construction, broadcasting the promotional film A Vigorous Righteous Wind (Zhengfeng Haodang), and issuing the first Letter of Initiative on Academic Style and Ethics, the Academy has comprehensively strengthened the ethical fiber of the youth, fostering a clean and upright political and academic ecosystem.
Since 2023, CASS has continuously encouraged young people to use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to arm their minds and guide their practice, leading them to firmly establish the ideal of listening to and following the Party, and practicing the Academy's "Three Consensus" through concrete actions.
Party spirit education is a compulsory course for Communists to cultivate their character.
At the beginning of this year, CASS announced and implemented the "Mastering Three Courses, Serving as Pioneers of Reform—Three-Year Action Plan for the Education and Guidance of Young Cadres and Scholars (2025–2027)" (hereafter the Plan). It aims to motivate young cadres and scholars to practice the "Three Consensus" and "Three Measures," taking responsibility for strengthening political building and promoting the high-quality development of research-centered work.
The Plan includes deepening the Youth Theoretical Study Enhancement Project, establishing a youth lecturer group, selecting "Youth Study Stars" and "Youth Theoretical Study Models," and refining institutional mechanisms for theoretical study. It also emphasizes inheriting the "red gene," demonstrating youth responsibility through professional excellence, and contributing pioneering strength through interdisciplinary collaborative research.
Focusing on the "Three Courses"—theoretical study, Party spirit tempering, and grassroots practice—the planning outlines a clear direction for the struggle of young scholars.
Days after the Plan was released, CASS officially launched the 2025 "Social Science Youth Spring Festival Home-Return Investigation." It called on young people to go deep into the grassroots, the masses, and practice during their holiday visits, treating the people as their best teachers and the grassroots as their best classrooms. They were tasked with understanding the implementation of central policies, listening to the true voices from the front lines, and seeking solutions through dialogue.
Following the Spring Festival, nearly 400 investigation reports were produced. Topics were diverse, covering "joys, concerns, and hopes" of the masses, such as grassroots Party building, rural governance, rural industrial development, youth employment, elderly care, the question of "who will farm the land," and internet addiction.
Various institutes organized exchange sessions to summarize the experience and discuss how to "write papers on the soil of the motherland," how to produce high-quality reports, and how to improve policy-oriented research capabilities.
Regarding his gains, Zhu Tao, a young scholar from the Academy of Chinese-path Modernization, said: "Before the investigation, I didn't have a clear understanding of my hometown's development. Through talking with the locals, I truly felt the progress of the era and realized the heavy social responsibility of a social science worker."
Wang Cuncun, a young editor from the Social Sciences in China Press, shared similar sentiments: "The home-return investigation allowed me to touch the pulse of my hometown. I felt the warmth of people's livelihoods in local chatter and measured the thickness of development in the streets. Happiness and the sense of gain are hidden in the laughter of the people."
Shi Yuxing from the Institute of Rural Development noted: "Only by rooting ourselves in our profession, caring for the country, and keeping the people in our hearts—entering the grassroots with warm, genuine questions—can we return to academia and serve the state with high-level, profound, and true answers."
Focusing on Central Research Work and Practicing Mission Responsibility
Under the strong leadership of the Leading Party Members’ Group, young scholars at CASS have focused on the major strategic needs of national development, conducting in-depth research on key, hot-button, and difficult issues in economic and social development, as well as the urgent concerns of the masses, providing policy suggestions to ensure academic research serves national development and people's well-being.
Vigorously Researching and Interpreting the Party's Innovative Theories—
"The key to building a modern socialist country in all respects and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation lies with the Party," wrote Fang Tao, a young scholar at the Institute of Marxism Studies.
His article was published in the "Social Science Youth Speak" column on cssn.cn. This column invites outstanding young scholars to provide systematic and academic interpretations of the Party's innovative theories. To date, it has published 7 themes and 219 theoretical articles, exerting a broad social impact.
Following this, a more flexible micro-video series, "Social Science Youth Lectures," was launched. This program invites young scholars to explain profound truths in "homely language," teach theory in "plain language," and clarify policies in "sincere language."
The program has produced 6 themes and 32 episodes, with videos reposted by over 1,000 websites and exceeding 600 million clicks nationwide. It won the "2023 China Positive Energy Online Boutique" award from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Participating in the recordings proved fruitful for the scholars. Lei Bo, from the Institute of Ancient History, noted that the format requires deep thinking presented in accessible language—a challenge that confronts problems more directly than conventional academic research. Zhang Shunyue from the Institute of Contemporary China said this form of theoretical dissemination leverages the academic advantages of young scholars and serves as both a learning opportunity and a form of ideological tempering.
Striving to Produce High-Level Research Outcomes—
Since 2023, the Leading Party Members’ Group has actively created a new pattern of "organized research" [9] from the perspective of the overall development of the Party and the state. At the start of this year, the Guiding Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening Organized Research was approved, further promoting this approach.
Xiang Jinglin, a young scholar from the Institute of Sociology, remarked: "Since 2023, I have been most impressed by the strengthening of organized research. Participating in these projects, I have deeply felt the patriotic sentiment of CASS scholars, the clear problem-orientation of organized research, and the intellectual enlightenment of interdisciplinary collaboration."
A variety of major works were published in 2024, such as Public Justice in the Era of Family-State: The Construction of Classical Political Concepts, The World of Riders: A Social Survey of New Occupational Groups, and New Quality Productive Forces Injecting Momentum into High-Quality Development. At the CASS Major Research Results Press Conference, 13 monographs and papers by scholars under 45 were featured.
According to Li Siyang of the Bureau of Research Management, since 2023, the quantity and quality of youth research have risen simultaneously. Their research topics balance frontier exploration with subjectivity, rooting themselves in fine traditional Chinese culture while facing the vivid questions of Chinese-path modernization. These results demonstrate the academic vigor andinnovative vitality of the new generation of scholars.
Statistics show that under the "Qiqi Project" (青启计划) [10] in 2024, 211 academic papers were published, including 4 in top-tier journals and 15 in authoritative journals.
Feng Wangxi, a young scholar at the Institute of Ethnic Literature, said: "'I've never fought a war with such abundant supplies' has become my catchphrase since being approved for the 'Qiqi Project.' In the past, every penny of fieldwork had to be calculated meticulously. Now, with this 'research granary,' I can finally cultivate my projects with single-minded focus."
"The 'Young Scholars Launch Program' is like a timely spring rain on our scientific research path; it not only alleviates the financial pressure of conducting basic research but also provides possibilities for interdisciplinary exploration. One could say it serves as an important incubator for young scholars to produce high-quality academic results," said Zhang Qianyu, a young scholar at the National Institute of International Strategy.
Taking active initiative in international academic exchanges—
In February of this year, at a debate on China-US relations hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the United States, Zhao Hai, a young scholar from the CASS Institute of World Economics and Politics, reversed the American public opinion poll on-site with a brilliant speech.
"China-US Scholars Engaged in Fierce Debate: Chinese Spokesperson Causes Immediate Reversal of American Polls," "The Style of Chinese Scholars in the Power Struggle Between China-US Think Tanks—Analyzing the Collision of Ideas and the Shift in Public Opinion During the China-US Debate," "New Explorations in International Communication for Think Tanks"... this event was publicized and reported by numerous media outlets, generating a significant response in society.
Like Zhao Hai, many young scholars at CASS have actively organized and participated in various international academic exchange activities, using their accumulated academic expertise to speak out on the international stage. In international conferences such as the first International Youth Forum on Democracy Research, the second African International Students Forum, and the International Youth Historians Dialogue, as well as in symposiums with the Student Innovation and Green Development Leadership Visiting Delegation from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and the Japanese Young Scholars Visiting Delegation to China, CASS young scholars shared their perspectives and exchanged ideas, demonstrating the confidence and high spirits of Chinese youth.
Young scholars such as He Qin and Lou Yu from the Institute of Marxism Studies closely monitor developments in foreign Marxism and the international communist movement. they have taken the initiative to conduct close academic exchanges and cooperation with overseas leftist scholars and personages from all walks of life, actively promoting the overseas dissemination of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and publishing multiple high-quality monographs and translations.
Li Moran, a young scholar from the Institute of Archaeology, traveled to Honduras to participate in a major project of the Innovation Program titled "The Center of Maya Civilization—Archaeology of the Copan Site and Research on Mesoamerican Civilization." The first phase of this project was completed in 2023 and rated as "excellent." He applied Chinese archaeological field excavation techniques and standards to the practice of Mayan archaeology, authoring nearly ten academic articles.
On November 28, 2024, the inauguration ceremony of the Academy of Chinese Classical Civilization was held in Athens, Greece. Various units under CASS actively selected and dispatched outstanding young talents for long-term residencies at the Academy. Currently, eleven members of the first batch of resident personnel have begun work in Athens, with an average age of 35.
In a series of international academic exchange activities, the figures of CASS young scholars have been bright and eye-catching, confident and composed. They continuously improve themselves and deepen mutual learning among civilizations [11] through exchanges with foreign scholars, contributing to the promotion of a new pattern of CASS external academic engagement and helping the world understand China.
Improving the Talent Cultivation System Building a "Steel Army" of Theoretical Academia
"Youth are the hope of the country and the future of the nation." To promote the better and faster growth of young scholars, CASS has introduced a series of plans and formulated a range of measures.
Opening Learning Classrooms to Help Broaden Horizons—
"It is hoped that young scholars will strive to conduct innovative research in all fields of philosophy and social sciences, contributing wisdom and strength to the promotion of Chinese-path modernization and struggling tirelessly for the cause of the Party and the country."
On June 14, 2023, the CASS Youth Grand Lecture Hall opened. Academician Zhang Haipeng met face-to-face with young scholars to share his reflections on studying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development [12], and used a large number of examples to provide hands-on guidance to young scholars on how to conduct scholarship.
The Youth Grand Lecture Hall aims to help the vast number of social science youth better grasp academic history, expand their academic horizons, and firm up their position of "conducting scholarship for the people." It encourages them to stand at the commanding heights of history and the era in their research. To date, six sessions of this activity have been held.
In addition to the Youth Grand Lecture Hall, CASS has also organized various categories of lectures and academic exchange activities, such as the Zhengsheng Grand Lecture Hall, the Scientific Frontiers Grand Lecture Hall, and the Social Science Youth "Thought-Share" sessions.
The Zhengsheng Grand Lecture Hall aims to improve the Marxist theoretical literacy and level of the Academy's young cadres and scholars, encouraging them to consciously study, deeply understand, and properly use Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods. This enhances their ability to distinguish right from wrong amidst complex social ideological trends, persist in the correct political direction, and better project the "upright voice" (正声, zhèngshēng) of Marxist scholarship.
The Scientific Frontiers Grand Lecture Hall aims to promote the deep integration of philosophy and social sciences with natural sciences by inviting authoritative experts and scientific workers from frontier fields—such as artificial intelligence, big data, high-end manufacturing, and biomedicine—to give lectures at the Academy.
The Social Science Youth Thought-Share series of academic activities aims to create a regularized and sustainable exchange platform, guiding our young scholars to continuously improve their ability to tackle key problems through cross-divisional and cross-disciplinary academic dialogues. This activity has organized discussions among young scholars on themes such as "Understanding and Grasping New Quality Productive Forces" and "Talking about the Dragon in the Year of the Dragon: A Cultural Interpretation of the Chinese Dragon."
Young comrades have enthusiastically participated in every activity, stating that they have benefited greatly.
Zhao Jun, the contact person for the Young Theory Study Group of the CASS Library, noted that the series of thematic lectures and academic exchange activities organized by the Academy in recent years have helped young scholars further broaden their academic horizons, consolidate their theoretical foundations, and improve their professional capabilities, promoting the collision and fusion of critical thinking and innovation while empowering youth growth in multiple dimensions.
Allowing Exceptional Promotions to Stimulate Research Enthusiasm—
To date, the youngest person at the Academy to receive an exceptional promotion (pògé) [13] to the rank of Researcher (Full Professor rank) is 32 years old, and the youngest promoted to Associate Researcher is 28. In 2023, six people across the Academy received exceptional promotions to senior professional titles, and five used redistributed quotas to be promoted to associate senior titles. In 2024, thirteen people received exceptional promotions, the highest number in history.
Exceptional promotion makes the concern of the Academy’s Party Leadership Group for the growth of young talents more concrete, creating a positive atmosphere of "comparing, learning, catching up, and surpassing" across the Academy, with young scholars "rubbing their palms" in eager preparation and full of drive.
At the end of 2023, CASS issued and implemented the Regulations on Exceptional Professional Title Promotion and Quota Redistribution (hereafter referred to as the Regulations). According to the Regulations, the original minimum residency requirements were abolished, meaning that outstanding talents who meet the criteria can apply for exceptional promotion based on their achievements. Young talents with outstanding academic results and excellent performance can apply directly for senior professional titles without being restricted by hierarchical steps, thoroughly breaking the system of "ranking by seniority" (lùnzī páibèi). In setting criteria, the Regulations persist in high standards, incorporating applied policy results that make outstanding contributions to the service of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee, special prizes for policy information, and papers in top-tier journals into the evaluation system for exceptional promotion.
Exceptional promotion has pressed the "accelerator button" for the growth of social science youth, with young scholars exclaiming that they have "caught a good time."
Improving the Life-Cycle Talent Cultivation Subsidy System to Stimulate Enthusiasm for Entrepreneurship—
In 2023, CASS issued a series of support plans for the construction of the young talent workforce, comprehensively strengthening the cultivation of young talent.
The Young Scholar Mentorship System involves carefully selecting senior scholars who are politically reliable, theoretically clear, possess an excellent style of study, and have deep academic cultivation to serve as mentors. They provide two years of guidance and cultivation to newly admitted young scholars, helping them improve their ideological and political quality and research capabilities, and assisting them in "fastening the first button" [14] of their academic careers.
The "Young Scholars Launch Program" (Qīngqǐ Plan) provides universal subsidies to newly admitted young scholars to help them start their academic research and cultivate their ability to independently lead research projects and conduct innovative research.
The "Peiyuán Plan" (Péiyuán literally "cultivating the source") focuses on young talents with strong political quality and great development potential. It provides long-term, stable support for them to conduct research on fundamental and forward-looking theoretical issues or major practical problems related to the country, striving to promote young talents to grow into a new generation of disciplinary leaders as quickly as possible.
To date, a total of 199 young scholars have been included in the mentorship system, with 219 mentors selected; 79 people have been selected for the "Peiyuán Plan," and 276 for the "Launch Program."
A talent subsidy system that completely covers all age groups has taken shape at CASS, targeting the characteristics of different academic groups: newly admitted young scholars, outstanding young and middle-aged research backbones, disciplinary leaders, and Academicians.
As a beneficiary of both the exceptional promotion and the "Peiyuán Plan," Feng Ming, a young scholar from the Institute of Quantitative and Technological Economics, said that reform measures such as the exceptional title review and the two plans have provided institutional guarantees for the development of young research talents. These measures "liberate" research personnel from generalized, "involution-style" (nèijuǎn) [15] competition, encouraging them to focus on major basic theories and real-world problems and strive for first-class research.
Zhang Yongwei, a young scholar from the Institute of Linguistics, said: "The implementation of this series of measures for youth has made me truly feel the concern and care of the Academy's Party Leadership Group. The continuously improving subsidy system and diversified support policies have further firmed our confidence and determination to start businesses and build careers."
With the support of these policies, the concerns of social science youth have been eliminated, replaced by a clear direction, sufficient motivation, and firm confidence. They swear to use their hot blood as a pen to write a brilliant and colorful scroll of youth.
Facing the future, Liu Zifan, a young scholar from the Institute of History Theory, is full of drive: "The many changes that have occurred at CASS in recent years have greatly encouraged me and the young scholars around me. We are determined to immerse ourselves in scholarship, struggle hard, and achieve a career through diligent cultivation on this fertile land of the Academy."
Adopting Multiple Measures Resolving the Living Concerns of Youth
The worries and difficulties in the lives of young people are also held in the heart of the Academy’s Party Leadership Group.
CASS has implemented a comprehensive renovation of environment and facilities, built new academic parlors, and created a cultural atmosphere with academic taste;
It has established psychological counseling rooms and opened a psychological counseling hotline to care for the physical and mental health of staff, taking multiple measures to improve medical service guarantee capabilities;
It has opened several nursing rooms to better meet the special needs of female staff during lactation, promoting the construction of a birth-friendly work environment;
It has taken practical steps to actively solve the difficulties of children’s schooling for cadres and staff, putting the care for youth into practice;
It has strengthened the service concept that "every meal and drink carries deep concern," introducing special services like flavor food festivals and "midnight catering" to improve the socialization, branding, and refinement of logistics security...
Various difficulties in work and life are being solved one by one. The sense of gain, happiness, and security of the vast number of young scholars has been greatly enhanced, and their enthusiasm for knowing and loving the Academy has significantly increased.
Yang Binbin, a young scholar from the Institute of Marxism Studies, remarked with deep feeling that since 2023, CASS has created an academic ecosystem for social science youth to immerse themselves in scholarship by building diverse platforms, optimizing resource allocation, improving institutional mechanisms, and enhancing life guarantees. We, the social science youth, must promote the tradition of "statecraft for practical use" (jīngshì zhìyòng) [16], consolidate the foundation of academic creation, maintain the resolve of establishing and practicing scholarship, adhere to the method of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, and conduct scholarship for the people and for the country.
"Rectifying style and casting the soul; practical work is the foundation." Yang Hongyuan, a young scholar from the Institute of Philosophy, stated that in the face of an increasingly clean, upright, warm, and harmonious environment, they are immensely grateful. In the future, they will work twice as hard to continuously produce tasteful research results, build CASS into a beautiful home, and defend the dignity of their shared academic temple.
On the occasion of the upcoming Youth Day (May 4th), CASS will convene its first Youth Work Conference, leading youth to bravely shoulder their mission, contribute to the era, and open a new chapter for youth work across the Academy.
"The hope of tomorrow's China lies in the youth. When the youth thrive, the nation thrives. China's development depends on the vast number of young people standing up and taking responsibility. Youth is full of vigor, and youth nurtures hope. The vast number of young people must cultivate deep feelings for their home and country, nurture an enterprising character, invigorate their youth with a posture of struggle, and live up to the era and their prime years."
The young scholars of CASS will keep in mind this entrustment from General Secretary Xi Jinping. With a heart for statecraft and the ambition to serve the country, they will be loyal to the Party, serve the nation, and serve the people. They will resolutely implement the Academy's "Three-point Consensus" [17] throughout the entire process and in all aspects of research, work, and personal growth. They will always produce scholarship that has a soul, passion, thought, and character, continuously creating a new realm for the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and contributing youthful strength to the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation.