On April 27, Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Committee’s Publicity Department and Beijing Municipal Education Commission held the first Development Forum on Construction of Beijing Key Schools of Marxism Studies. This forum aims at four goals: to carry out the guiding principles CPC Secretary General Xi Jinping delivered in his inspection at Tsinghua University; to implement tasks of deepening reform and innovation of ideological and political courses deployed by the Central Government and Beijing Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) ; to have Beijing’s key schools of Marxism Studies continue to play their roles of difficulty resolution and demonstration in research and illustration of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and ideological and political courses reform and innovation among other aspects; and to explore and conclude series practices and experience that can be promoted in Beijing. Di Tao, Deputy Secretary of CPC Beijing Municipal Education Commission presented was present and delivered a speech, and Kou Hongjiang, Director of Publicity and Education Branch of Beijing Municipal Education Commission presided over the forum. CUEB Committee’s Deputy Secretary Xu Fang and Director of School of Marxism Studies Zhou Yuhong also attended the forum.

Di Tao emphasized in his speech that Beijing’s key schools of Marxism Studies should bear missions in mind and responsibilities on shoulder and take practical, potent measures by aiming at improving teaching quality of ideological and political courses and shaping distinctive features in theory illustration, teaching research, faculty development, publicity and other aspects to take the lead. Furthermore, partner assistance and further exchanges and cooperation between these schools and private universities require both sides to take a proactive step to ensure practical and firm work performance, thus level up schools of Marxism Studies and ideological and political courses in Beijing.

As a speaker from one of five main communication organizations, Xu Fang delivered a speech on “exerting subject strength of CUEB’s School of Marxism Studies to promote CUEB’s ideological and political courses” from three aspects: CUEB Party Committee should first strengthen top-level design by mapping out courses with relevant departments in order to develop Marxism subject’s edge; second, value the construction of School of Marxism Studies and ideological and political courses, bring Marxism theories’ strongpoints into full play and keep enhancing the specialty, accuracy and efficiency of the courses; and third, encourage the School of Marxism Studies to go incorporable to shape synergy with schools of other majors through flexible and joint integration. She stressed that CUEB Party Committee pays high attention to the development of School of Marxism Studies and sets ideological and political course as a “key” of fostering character and civic virtue to play its role as main channel. The Committee has issued six documents concerning further construction of courses and their integration, planned top-level design and schedule and built a wide-range, various and phased-in construction system of ideological and political courses enabling synergistic exchanges. Particularly, in this crucial centenary year for the CPC, the Committee has taken key measures to fully play the strength of Marxism subjects and theories through supporting and guiding teachers of this field to serve as mentors of theory learning for all schools’ faculties and students’ associations. Besides, in order to ensure the accordance with knowledge between professional and ideological and political courses and synergize the construction of these courses and their integration, CUEB also conducted activities including “education on the Party’s history” among teachers and students of all schools and encouraged relevant instructional design and support. 

Before the opening of the forum, present guests visited Beijing Union University (BUU)’s reform and innovation exhibition themed “Availing Ourselves of the Grand Ideological and Political Courses”. From this show, attendees closely learnt the practices that BUU brought Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into campus, classes and students’ mind. Later during the symposium, leaders from universities with key School of Marxism such as Beijing Institute of Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Central University of Finance and Economics and Beijing Union University exchanged their opinions centered on “fully leveraging school of Marxism Studies in university’s education of the CPC’s history”, “focusing on Situation and Policy Course construction”, “fostering a group of high-quality teachers of ideological and political courses” and “integrating classes with red (revolutionary) resources and opening faculty and students’ mind”.

Furthermore, to give comprehensive access to ideological and political courses through assistance, signing ceremony of cooperation agreement between Beijing’s 16 universities with key School of Marxism and 16 private universities or colleges was held during the forum. CUEB’s School of Marxism Studies partnered Beijing Hospitality Institute in this project according to arrangement.