[Series Report] Studying for Forging the Party’s Soul: The “Joint Learning” Reading Class Exchanged Experiences from Reading the Original Works at the Red Education Base

Editor’s note: At present, all CPC members and all people from the leadership to the masses in CUG are carrying out the theme-focused education on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in accordance with the requirements of the “Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on Thoroughly Implementing Theme-focused Education on Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”. The Party Committee of the School of Arts and Communication conscientiously studies and implements the “Implementation Plan for Theme-focused Education on Thoroughly Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” issued by the Party Committee of CUG; focusing on the general requirements of “learning ideology, strengthening party spirit, emphasizing practice, and making new achievements”, it combines the theme-focused education with the fundamental task of cultivating virtues and morality, combines the theme-focused education with the talent training, scientific research, discipline construction and other work of the school, integrates the requirements of theory study, investigation and research, development promotion and inspection and rectification, and strive to achieve tangible results in studying for forging the soul, studying for wisdom, studying for Party conduct, and studying for work promotion. From now on, a series of reports on this theme will be launched on the website of the School.

Following the general requirements of “learning ideology, strengthening Party spirit, emphasizing practice, and making new achievements” of the theme-focused education of CUG, the six theoretical study central groups of the Party committee, including the Organization Department of the Party Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Party Committee, the Labor Union, the Retirement Work Office, the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, the School of Foreign Languages, and the School of Arts and Communication, have jointly organized a massed learning and reading class (hereinafter referred to as “joint learning” reading class) for original works and held a reading exchange meeting on May 27, 2023 in Yunling Town, Jingxian County, Anhui Province, where the Site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters is located. Guo Xiurong, executive vice chairman of the Labor Union of CUG, Shuai Bin, secretary of the Party Committee of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, Li Menlou, secretary of the Party Committee of Retired Work, and Liu Xianguo, head of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, shared their experiences in studying the original works such as “Selected Writings of Xi Jinping” in turn and made a leading report, giving a vivid theme-focused special Party class.

This reading exchange meeting was led and organized by the Party Committee of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, with members of the theoretical study central groups and party branch secretaries of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum participating.

Read the original work, learn the original text, and understand the principles. All the participants of the “joint learning” reading class read and studied the Selected Excerpts on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Selected Writings of Xi Jinping (Volume I and Volume II) and other important contents, striving to think more and learn and understand thoroughly.

Comrade Guo Xiurong, Executive Vice Chairman of the Labor Union, started the lecture. She made a special study report on the topic of “Promoting the high-quality development of labor union work through learning, thinking, and practicing”. She elaborated on the important status and significant role of labor union work in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era from three aspects: “the century-long history and basic experience of the Party’s leadership in labor union work”, “the important remarks of General Secretary Xi Jinping on labor union work”, and “strengthening theoretical armament, enhancing work skills, and solidly promoting high-quality development of labor union work”. She stressed that for more than 100 years, the Party has been leading the labor union work to make breakthroughs and innovations. As a mass organization composed of all staff under the leadership of the Party, the labor union of the University must be guided by the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, focus on the implementation of the fundamental task of cultivating virtues and morality, study and grasp the new laws, new features and new methods of the labor union work in the new era, effectively perform its functions and enhance its ability to serve the overall development of the University, the staff and the grassroots units.

Comrade Shuai Bin, secretary of the Party Committee of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, with the title of “Arming the Mind with Xi Jinping’s View on the History of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to Promote the Work”, systematically elaborated the historical dimension of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the background, main connotation, contemporary features and practical significance of Xi Jinping’s View on History by leading the study of “Learning from History, Creating the Future, Working Hard and Moving Forward with Courage” (Selected Writings of Xi Jinping (Volume II), P547-564), and exchanged several thoughts on arming the mind with Xi Jinping’s View on History to promote work. Based on the actual situation of the Department of Library and Archives and Museum, he talked about the goal of “focusing on the dual integration and promotion of party building business, and seeking high-quality development of the four departments in synergy”, using the practical historical view to guide the work of strict self-governance in every respect, using the historical view of “it is the people who make history” to position oneself, using the historical view of learning from history to transform one’s learning style and conduct, using the historical view of “learning from past to view the present, making the past serve the present” to guide the university history research and education work. We should actively adapt to and make every effort to do a good job in party building and ideological and political work of the staff under the new normal, strengthen and improve the collaborative and integrated development work system of four departments with healthy operation of multiple facilities, steady development of multiple businesses, and mutual promotion of research and practice, and strive to build a highland of cultural education and to meet the 13th Party Congress of CUG with excellent results.

Comrade Li Menlou, secretary of the Party Committee of the Retirement Work Office, focusing on the theme of “Studying Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, led a study of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s discourse on Marxist worldview and methodology, and shared his learning gains through in-depth interpretation and discussion on two specific issues of “the unity of scientific worldview and methodology” and “the Marxist concept of practice and the three major tasks of China’s development”. He pointed out that the standpoint of practice is the fundamental viewpoint of Marxist philosophy, and the practice of socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics bears the three fundamental tasks of pursuing profit, strength, and clarity. He also pointed out that we still have some problems and shortcomings in the three fundamental tasks. We should take the path of overall development, not only build a material and technological power and strong country, but also build an ideological and cultural power, strengthen the ideological and cultural influence, and better advance the practical requirements for realizing the grand blueprint of Chinese modernization.

Comrade Liu Xianguo, director of the Department of Library, Archives and Museum, delivered an education report on the theme of “Advancing to a New Journey in the New Era of Reading” around the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instruction on reading. He pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has attached great importance to reading for all, and the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 have incorporated the in-depth promotion of reading for all and the construction of a book-loving China into the grand blueprint. China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) thoroughly understands the great significance, mission of the times and fundamental tasks of reading for all, and takes cultural construction as a driver to deeply promote the construction of a book-loving campus. We should study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping’s concept of reading and the way of reading, strengthen the guidance of reading content, educate and guide cadres and masses to study Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, actively carry out theme-focused reading activities such as inheriting Chinese culture and promoting mainstream values, and enhance the people’s self-awareness and confidence in firmly following the Party.

In the discussion and exchange session, Liu Shiyong, secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Foreign Languages, and Comrade Liu Guohua, director of Retirement Work Office, proposed practical questions, reported their learning experiences, shared their learning results, and put forward their opinions and suggestions on continuing to do a good job in the next phase of related work.

Comrade Chen Wenwu, director of the Organization Department of the Party Committee, made a concluding speech. She believed that the reading exchange meeting held by the “joint learning” reading class at the Party History and School History Practice Study Base in Jingxian County, Anhui Province was a high-quality mass learning and reading activity. She expressed appreciation for the wonderful special party lectures of the four leading cadres, and gave full affirmation and encouragement to all the participants of the reading class for their serious and solid learning style in reading and studying the original works as well as their full enthusiasm. She pointed out that the theme-focused education on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been launched for two months, and we should have new improvements in understanding and new insights in thinking. She hoped that the theme-focused education should continue to go deeper and more substantive. Party organizations at all levels should further study and understand the scientific system, essence and practical requirements of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, firmly support the “two establishment”, practice the “two maintenance”, and achieve tangible results in studying for forging the soul, studying for wisdom, studying for Party conduct, and studying for work promotion, so as to effectively achieve the integration of learning, thinking and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief and practice. In addition, we should be problem oriented, conduct investigation and research, and enhance the ability to promote high-quality development of the cause, serve the people, and prevent and resolve risks, so as to effectively the goal of learning ideology, strengthening Party spirit, emphasizing practice and making new achievements. (Text and photo by Li Yuping)