On the morning of May 18, CUEB Party Committee Theory Learning Centre organized a symposium on the important speeches by General Secretary Xi Jinping on theoretical study programs, including Xi’s reply to the students of Science and Technology Backyard (STB) of China Agricultural University (CAU), Xi’s speech during his inspection in Hebei province and symposium on boosting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Xi’s discourse on establishing a correct political achievement value, and his speech during the fourth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Han Xianzhou, Secretary of the Party Committee, presided over the symposium.

Han pointed out that it is necessary for us to comprehensively study the speeches by Xi on theoretical study programs, and put them into the school’s work. With the principle of serving the capital development in the new era and the goal of personnel cultivation, CUEB will closely combine ideological and political education with the goal, and further give full play to its professional strengths. CUEB will strengthen the understanding of the broader Ideological and Political Education so as to refine the ideological and political courses, curriculum-based ideological and political construction, and daily ideological and political education.

Xu Fang mentioned that we should take theoretical study as an opportunity to better facilitate the development of CUEB. We should put the spirit of Xi’s speeches into personnel cultivation and integrate theoretical education with practice, better meeting the needs of the society. We need to fully leverage our strengths on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, keep pace with the times, and produce more high-quality research fruits to better serve the development of the capital in the new era.

Wu Hui remarked that we need to gain a good command of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and make good use of stances, viewpoints, and methods. Adhering to the people-first and problem-oriented approaches and systematic thinking, we are committed to developing a great vision in personnel cultivation, advancing the construction of the think tank, and making plans and arrangements in advance for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. We also need to identify the development opportunities, and play a role in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development.

Li Xiaomu said that we are inspired by the spirit of Xi’s reply to the students of STB. Going forward, following the example set by STB, we will combine the theory with practice of undergraduate education and advance first-class professional construction by strengthening the design of practice, striving to produce more valuable research achievements.

Mao Baizhan said that President Xi expressed his great expectations in the letter. As a think tank, we should keep taking full advantage of our disciplines and majors to better serve the country and the capital in the new era. Under the guidance of the Thought, CUEB Commission for Discipline Inspection (CDI) should assist the Party Committee to implement tasks of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance:

CDI should carry out theoretical study programs and rectification to strengthen political oversight, thus ensuring that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to become corrupt and hammering away at the task of rectifying pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance;

CDI should reform the disciplinary inspection and supervision system to build a sound political ecosystem for the university, thus contributing to the development of CUEB’s causes.

Yao Linxiu commented that STB has strengthened personnel cultivation and made good use of Broader Ideological and Political Education by practice, which indicates that we should reinforce CUEB party building and the ideological and political work. At a meeting on advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, President Xi set new demands that universities as think tanks should facilitate coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and serve Beijing as the four centers (namely, national political center, cultural center, center for international exchanges, and center for scientific discovery and technological innovation).

Chen Yanbin said, President Xi pointed out in the letter that we should “address people’s concerns and difficulties and pursue scholarship in serving rural revitalization”. This is also a guidance on how to develop philosophy and social sciences. The key to developing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is to build an independent knowledge base to better answer questions. Engaging in scholarship while serving the people needs to highlight the position and role of practice in graduate education to enhance postgraduate cultivation quality.

Xing Qi mentioned that CUEB has gained fruitful achievements in the research on coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as a key national strategy. Then the university needs to attract more excellent young scholars to engage in the research. We should learn from personnel training mode of STB.

During the communication, participants all agreed that we should grasp the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches about theoretical study programs. According to the overall requirements of “learning the Thought, strengthening Party consciousness, emphasizing practice, and making new achievements”, we should apply what we have learned in practice and act on our beliefs, thus transforming results of theoretical study programs to a powerful driver in forging CUEB into Beijing Municipal high-level research university and China’s first-class and worldly-renowned university of finance and economics.