NPU News Network, October 23 (photo by Du Yao, report by Zhou Junping). In order to commemorate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, comprehensively summarize the research results of the development of Ideological and Political Education in China, further implement theOpinions on Further Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities under the New Situationissued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the spirit of National Ideological and Political Conference of colleges and universities, and promote the further development of Ideological and Political Education, the “high-end forum on the development of Ideological and Political Education in the past 40 years of reform and opening up” was successfully held in the International Conference Center, Youyi Campus, NPU on October 20, which was jointly held by the School of Marxism in NPU, Institute of Ideological and Political Workof Beijing Normal University and Marxism Research Association in Shaanxi Province. Nearly 200 experts and scholars attended the forum, who were leaders from more than 100 work-units, Marxist experts and members of the discipline evaluation group of the State Council, including the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Culture, History and Study, Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National School of Administration), Beijing Normal University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, and Xi’an Jiaotong University.

The opening ceremony of the forum was presided over by Yang Yunxia, Dean of the School of Marxism in NPU.

He Jun, Director of the Theoretical Office in Publicity Department of Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and Director of Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Office of Shaanxi Province, introduced the key work of the Publicity Department of Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee around the ideological and political work of colleges and universities in recent years from four aspects in her opening speech. First, improve the top-level design and build a strong team system. Second, strengthen system guarantee and promote tackling key problems in scientific research. Third,carry out special training and continue to enrich minds and guide practice with the latest achievements of Sinicization of Marxism. Fourth, strongly support the establishment of social science projects and practically promote the prosperity and development of Philosophy and Social Sciences.

She stressed that in the future work, we should further improve our political awareness and do a good job in the special work of the construction of School of Marxism in colleges and universities, give full play to the main role of ideological function in Ideological and Political Courses in colleges and universities, and promote the study and implementation of Xi Jinping’s Socialist Ideology with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era and the theoretical construction of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of CPC (CCCPC).

Chen Jianyou, member of the Standing Committee of CPPCC and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of NPU, on behalf of the university, extended a warm welcome to all the experts, scholars and friends who came to the forum from afar.

He stressed that in order to implement the spirit of National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in colleges and universities, and further speed up the development of School of Marxism, the Party Committee of the University has attached great importance to it, and put forward the development idea of “to run School of Marxism well with the strength of the whole university” and “to prosper philosophy and social science of our university with the guidance of Marxist Theory”. Marxist Theory has been identified as the key subject of construction and development in the university, forming a good atmosphere of attaching importance to the teaching of Ideological and Political Courses and to the construction of Marxist Theory.

He said that this high-end forum closely followed the theme of the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work and the National Education Conference, taking the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up as an opportunity. To hold the high-end forum on the development of Ideological and Political Education Discipline and build a platform for the exchange between this discipline of our university and the first-class domestic experts is an important measure to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches at these two conferences. It is of great practical significance for colleges and universities to strengthen ideological work and promote the teaching of ideological and political courses as well as the construction of Marxist Theory Discipline, and it will also further promote the construction of Marxist Theory Discipline and personnel training in our university.

He hoped that all experts and scholars could give guidance to the construction of the discipline of ideological and political education in our university, and help the School of Marxism in NPU and the discipline of Marxist Theory to develop to a higher level.

The two-day forum had three theme reports and six sub-forums.

The theme report of the first conference was presided over by Cao Yongxin, a researcher of Philosophy Institute of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Executive Deputy Editor of Journal of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping Theory Research. Professor Fan Wen, Chief Editor of the discipline of ideological and political education in Encyclopedia of China from Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National School of Administration), made a theme report on “Xi Jinping’s Socialist Ideology and Ideological and Political Education with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era”. Lu Lige, a member of the discipline evaluation group of the State Council and professor of the School of Marxism in Xi’an Jiaotong University, made a theme report on “The modern educational value of the spirit of moving West”. Professor Wang Yan, a national famous teacher and Dean of the School of Marxism in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, made a theme report on “Thinking about the teaching of Marxist theory in colleges and universities in China at present”. Professor Hu Daping, Dean of the School of Marxism in Nanjing University, made a theme report on “The change of significance of higher education and its ideological and political response”.

The theme report of the second conference was presided over by Professor Fan Jianwu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Xi’an University of Science and Technology. Professor Ye Xiaowen, Deputy Director of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Culture, History and Study and former Secretary of the Party Group of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, made a theme report on “The cultural support for China’s growing strength”. Professor Tian Pengying, Dean of the School of Marxism in Northeastern University, made a theme report on “The return and transcendence of Marxist Educational Philosophy -- learning the spirit of Xi Jinping’s speech at the National Education Conference”. Professor Li Liaoning of Hainan University has made a theme report on “The mutual prosperity between One Belt and Road Initiative and International Dissemination of Chinese Values”.

The theme report of the third conference was presided over by Hao Baoquan, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism of our university. Professor Feng Gang, Dean of the Institute of Ideological and Political Work of Beijing Normal University, made a theme report on “Several problems in strengthening the ideological and moral construction of colleges and universities in the new era”. Professor Ouyang Kang, a member of the discipline evaluation group of the State Council and former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, made a theme report on “The mission and realm of Ideological and Political Education in the new era”. Professor Dai Yanjun, Deputy Director of Teaching and Research Department of the Party Construction Work of Party School of the CCCPC, made a theme report on “Theoretical arming is the basic link of ideological education”. Zhong Minghua, an expert in Marxism and Professor of the School of Marxism in Sun Yat-sen University, made a theme report on “Thinking about building morality and cultivating people in the new era”. Zhang Yunlong, Professor of School of Marxism in NPU, made a theme report on “Three dimensions of the effectiveness of Ideological and Political Education Discourse”.

In the six sub forums, 30 scholars participated in the in-depth academic exchange and ideological collision around the theme of “The development of Ideological and Political Education in the past 40 years of reform and opening up”.

The closing ceremony of the forum was presided over by Lu Weiping, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Marxism in NPU.

Professor Feng Gang made a concluding speech at the closing ceremony. He pointed out that the first thing to be clear about the development of Ideological and Political Education was to further clarify our mission of the times, take moral establishment and people cultivation as our starting point, foothold and main point, focus on solving the core problem of talent training, and strive to improve the contribution rate of Ideological and Political Education. Second, we should stick to an open vision, focus on the reality of Ideological and Political Work, explore and solve new problems in theory and practice, and build a theoretical system of Ideological and Political Education in the new era. Third, we should focus on talent training, consider all students and serve them from the macro perspective, and pay attention to talent training of Marxism Discipline from the micro perspective.