High-level Forum Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Chinese Association for Historical Materialism Held at Sichuan University
On April 17, 2021, the "Academic Symposium Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Party and the High-Level Forum on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism" was held at Sichuan University. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism, the National Research Center for Cultural Security and Ideology Construction of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and Sichuan University, and organized by the Journal of Sichuan University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) and the School of Marxism at Sichuan University.
At the opening ceremony, Gao Zhongwei, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee [1], introduced the development of philosophy and social sciences in Sichuan Province. He noted that this forum is of great significance for further encouraging us to continuously summarize experience and draw wisdom from the Party’s extraordinary century-long journey, the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, and the Party’s spiritual pedigree [2], thereby grasping the general trend of the present and the future and seizing historical initiative.
Professor Cao Ping, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Sichuan University Party Committee and Dean of the School of Marxism, pointed out in her speech that for one hundred years, our Party has persisted in integrating the universal truths of Marxism with China’s concrete reality across all historical periods. While promoting new breakthroughs and achievements in the cause of the Party and the state, the Party has continuously advanced the Sinicization of Marxism and opened up new frontiers for Sinicized Marxism. She remarked that celebrating the Party’s centenary under the theme of "Observing Great Changes Unseen in a Century through the Grand Vision of the Party’s Centenary" [3] carries profound significance.
Professor Hou Huiqin, President of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism and Director of the National Research Center for Cultural Security and Ideology Construction of CASS, emphasized in his speech that there is an essential correlative relationship between Marxism and the Communist Party of China. He argued for unwavering adherence to the fundamental stance of the basic theories of Marxism, the direction of integrating theory with practice, and the revolutionary spirit of Marxism.
Subsequently, Professor Hou Huiqin delivered a keynote report titled "The Century-Long Path of the Communist Party of China’s Ideological Construction." He pointed out that, based on a consistent adherence to Marxism, the Communist Party of China has successively manifested four ideological modalities: ideology as a new type of revolution, ideology as the foundation of the state, ideology as reformative construction, and ideology as it approaches its finalized form. These four modalities each possess distinct characteristics in terms of their subject matter and conceptual forms. In his commentary, Professor Zhang Lei, Honorary Dean of the School of Marxism at Sichuan University, noted that against the historical backdrop of great changes unseen in a century, the Communist Party of China has led the people of the entire country to establish the nation’s foundation and clarify the direction of progress, continuously reshaping China's image and integrating into the world without losing itself or abandoning its original aspiration.
More than 200 experts and scholars in the field of historical materialism from universities, Party schools, and academic journals attended the onsite meeting. This symposium and high-level forum adopted a combination of offline and online formats, expanding the participation, reach, and influence of the meeting, with the number of online participants reaching over 11,000.
Source: Guangming Daily