Seminar

Seminar on National Cultural Security and Chinese-Style Modernization was successfully held in Taizhou on September 21. The communique of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized that national security is an important foundation for the steady and far-reaching progress of Chinese-style modernization. To further study and implement the spirit and promote the integration of Chinese-style modernization and national cultural security into the ideo-political education across primary and middle schools, as well as higher-learning institutions, the Specialized Committee on Socialist Modernization Research of the Chinese Historical Materialism Society, the Specialized Committee on Cultural Security and Construction of the Chinese Historical Materialism Society, the Taizhou Municipal Education Bureau, Taizhou University, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Tianjin University, Tianjin Normal University, Liaoning University, Shihezi University, Qinghai Normal University, and other units jointly organized the Seminar on National Cultural Security and Chinese-Style Modernization and the Forum on Local Innovative Practices in Integrated Ideo-political Education across Primary and Middle Schools and Higher-learning Institutions with the Theme of “The Taste of Truth”. The Journal of Yunnan University, School Party Building and Ideological Education, Journal of Taizhou University, and People’s Public Class (Wenhua Online of People’s Daily) provided academic and technical support. The seminar was held both offline and online. Leaders from the education bureaus of cities in Zhejiang Province, representatives of ideo-political teachers from primary and middle schools and higher-learning institutions in Taizhou, and over 180 experts and scholars from well-known universities nationwide gathered together for this event.

The seminar was conducted in four sessions: opening ceremony, keynote reports, themed speeches, and closing ceremony.

Li Jianzhang, Second-Level Inspector of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, Cheng Weibo, Vice Mayor of the Taizhou Municipal Government, Zhu Jian, Secretary of the CPC Taizhou University Committee, Yao Jun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Sci-Tech University Committee, and the leader of the Zhejiang Integrated Ideo-political Education Alliance across Primary and Middle Schools and Higher-learning Institutions, and other guests attended the opening ceremony, which was hosted by Ruan Congying, the Party Secretary and Director of the Taizhou Municipal Education Bureau.

Li Jianzhang, Second-Level Inspector of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, delivers a speech

Li Jianzhang emphasized in his speech that Zhejiang Province attaches great importance to creating the “Taste of Truth” ideo-political education brand with Zhejiang characteristics, aiming to plant the seeds of truth, goodness, and beauty in students’ hearts, help them establish correct worldviews, outlooks on life, and values, and guide them to properly start their lives, thus transforming the “Taste of Truth” into the powerful “strength of truth.” Li pointed out that Zhejiang highly values the integration of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions. The Provincial Education Working Committee and the Provincial Department of Education have repeatedly studied and deployed ideo-political education work, convening annual promotion meetings on the integrated construction of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions.

Since the establishment of the Zhejiang Integrated Ideo-political Education Alliance across Primary and Middle Schools and Higher-learning Institutions in April 2023, a set of operating work mechanisms has been established, a number of effective ideo-political education communities have been created, a batch of work brands with Zhejiang characteristics have been shaped, and a series of high-quality theoretical research results have been produced, initially displaying the integrated linkage effect, fully tapping into integrated educational resources, and steadily advancing theoretical exploration of integration, achieving remarkable results in the integrated construction of ideo-political education. Currently, focusing on the “Taste of Truth” integrated ideo-political education brand with distinctive Zhejiang characteristics, continuous efforts have been made in five areas: building good ideo-political classrooms, compiling ideo-political textbooks with Zhejiang characteristics, strengthening the professional ideo-political teaching staff, establishing good ideo-political platforms, and increasing support.

A series of integrated activities have been carried out, resulting in rich and colorful innovative practices in integrated ideo-political education and forming a “blooming” situation. From the perspective of prefecture-level cities, a number of distinctive municipal ideo-political education brands have been created under the provincial brand of “The Taste of Truth,” including Hangzhou’s “New Ideas Hangzhou, We Are Coming,” Wenzhou’s “Big Banyan Tree: Wenzhou Ideo-political Education,” Taizhou’s “Harmony Ideo-political Education,” Jiaxing’s “Great Ideo-political Class Next to the Red Boat,” Shaoxing’s “Courageous Soul: Yue Ideo-political Education,” Jinhua’s “Three Loving and Three Establishments” ideo-political education activities, and Huzhou’s “Clear Water and Green Mountains: Huzhou Ideo-political Education,” among others. He hoped that experts and scholars would explore practical paths, effects, and cases from the perspectives of integrated digital ideo-political education, educational practices, curriculum exploration, and teacher development through this forum so as to play a positive role in promoting integration efforts.

Cheng Weibo, Vice Mayor of the Taizhou Municipal Government, delivers a speech

Cheng Weibo pointed out in his speech that Taizhou is a city with heritage and faith, a sacred place of harmony, and a city with a distinctive “red” lineage. Promoting the integrated construction of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions is an important instruction made by General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding the construction of ideo-political courses in schools. Taizhou has always attached great importance to the integrated construction of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions. It has taken the lead in establishing an integrated construction alliance and research center at the municipal level in the province, pioneering and demonstrating the exploration of the municipal brand of “Harmony Ideo-political Education” and actively creating landmark achievements for Taizhou. This seminar and forum are not only a gathering for academic exchanges but also a practice of implementing the instructions of General Secretary Xi on the construction of ideo-political courses in schools.

He hoped that TU and the city’s education departments would continue to maintain this good momentum, further enhance their sense of responsibility and mission to safeguard national security, integrate national security into the entire process and all aspects of education and teaching across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions, continuously optimize the Taizhou experience in ideo-political course construction, and accelerate the development of a national security path with Taizhou characteristics.

He also hoped that experts and teachers would continue to offer suggestions and advice for the integrated ideo-political education in schools of Taizhou and inject innovative vitality and vigor into promoting national cultural security and advancing Chinese-style modernization.

Zhu Jian, Secretary of the CPC TU Committee, delivers a speech

Zhu Jian said in his speech that TU attaches great importance to the integrated construction of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions. The university has always adhered to systematic thinking, strengthened top-level design, combined with the actual situation in Taizhou, set the goal of creating the “Harmony Ideo-political Education” brand, formulated and implemented a series of “core + supporting” policies, strengthened the integrated construction of the four platforms of teaching and research, classrooms, practices, and seminars, and built an integrated “four-ring alliance” work system with regional characteristics.

He introduced that the Taizhou Research Center for Integrated Ideo-political Courses across Primary and Middle Schools as well as Higher-learning Institutions has formed many distinctive and locally innovative practices in the integrated construction of ideo-political education across schools of different levels, promoting resource sharing, complementary advantages, collaborative progress, and quality improvement in ideo-political education. The integrated construction has achieved one accomplishment after another, receiving praises from provincial and municipal leaders, providing valuable local practical experience for the integrated construction of ideo-political courses across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions in Zhejiang Province and even across the country.

Zhu Jian hoped that the experts and scholars attending this meeting would focus on the theme of “National Cultural Security and Chinese-Style Modernization” and conduct in-depth discussions on the situation, theory, and local practice innovations in the integrated construction of ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions in the new era, thereby promoting the development of the integrated construction of ideo-political education, improving the effectiveness and pertinence of ideo-political education, and providing references and experience for advancing the practice of integrated ideo-political education.

Teachers from TU receiving awards

At the opening ceremony, 16 teaching teams for the integrated ideo-political courses across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions in Zhejiang Province and 12 outstanding cases of integrated ideo-political education brand construction were announced. TU was listed among both of them.

Keynote report session

At the keynote report session, Professor Yan Xiaofeng, Dean of the School of Marxism at Tianjin University, Professor Tian Pengying, Dean of the Chinese-Style Modernization Research Institute at Northeastern University and Honorary Dean of the School of Marxism at Inner Mongolia University, Professor Yang Renzhong, Executive Dean of the New Era Marxism Research Institute at Tianjin Normal University, Professor Feng Xiujun, Wu Yuzhang Chair Professor at the School of Marxism, Renmin University of China, and Wang Guofang, Senior High School Teaching and Research Staff and Senior Teacher at the Teaching and Research Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, delivered insightful presentations on the topics of “Chinese-Style Modernization Empowers Chinese Civilization with Modern Strength,” “On the Political Logic of Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform: Learning from the Spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee,” “Advancing the Construction of a Culturally Powerful Country under the Guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” “How to Bridge the ‘Last Kilometer’ in Making Ideo-political Courses Resonate with Students’ Hearts,” and “Multi-Dimensional Perspectives on Evaluating the Effectiveness of Integrated Ideo-political Education in Primary and Middle Schools and Higher-learning Institutions,” respectively. The keynote report session was hosted by Professor Zhang Tianhua, Dean of the School of Marxism at TU.

The themed reports were conducted in three sessions, with 28 experts sharing their insights on the forum’s theme. Professor Zhang Ruichen, Deputy Senior Editor at “Ideological Frontline” and “Journal of Yunnan University,” Professor Yu Chunling, academic leader and faculty member at the School of Marxism, TU, and Professor Hu Tiansheng, Dean of the School of Marxism at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, hosted the sessions respectively.

Closing ceremony

Signing strategic cooperation agreements

The closing ceremony was hosted by Cai Haijiang, Member of the Standing CPC TU Committee and Director of the Publicity Department at TU. During the closing ceremony, Zhang Tianhua signed strategic cooperation agreements with the deans of the School of Marxism from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Liaoning University, Shihezi University, and Qinghai Normal University. These universities are designated by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China as the leading universities for the integrated ideo-political education across primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions in their respective provinces. The aim of signing these cooperation agreements is to achieve complementary advantages and resource sharing in cross-provincial, cross-city, and cross-university innovative practices for ideo-political courses and education in primary and middle schools as well as higher-learning institutions.

Wang Guofang, Senior High School Teaching and Research Staff and Senior Teacher at the Teaching and Research Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education delivered the closing summary. He highly praised the conference, describing it as a high-end, friendly, and theoretical gathering. He summarized and reviewed the agendas and achievements during the event using three “big”s. First, the “big hand” of the organizational form. This conference was a collaborative effort among seven units from Zhejiang, Tianjin, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and other regions, fully demonstrating the cohesion and synergy of ideo-political educators. Second, the “big ideology” of the event content. 33 experts shared their wisdom and opinions on the theme of “National Cultural Security and Chinese-Style Modernization Academic Seminar and Local Innovative Practices for the Integration of Ideo-political Education in Primary and Middle Schools and Higher-learning Institutions under the Banner of ‘The Taste of Truth’.” Third, the “big platform” for display and communication. The seminar provided a platform for participants to showcase their research results and engage in communication and exchanges. On behalf of the participants, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to all parties involved for their hard work and looked forward to the promising prospects for future cooperation.