Xi: Varsities must follow party ideology

President keen to improve higher education to cultivate new talent

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said that ideological work in colleges should be integrated into the entire education process, underlining the need of firm Party leadership in higher education.

Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a two-day meeting on ideological and political work in China’s universities and colleges, which concluded on Thursday.

As higher education is a key factor in a country’s development

Higher education must be guided by Marxism. Xi Jinping

potential, it is urgent for China to improve the quality of its higher education, Xi said.

China’s unique history, culture and national conditions have dictated the development path for higher education and colleges featuring socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to Xi.

As higher education shoulders the major responsibility of cultivating successors for the socialist cause, it must adhere to correct political orientation, Xi said, adding that only by cultivating first-class talent could universities become world-class institutions.

Improving the ability to cultivate talent is the core work of higher education and must be the focus, Xi said.

“China’s higher education institutions are under the leadership of the CPC, and are socialist colleges with Chinese characteristics, so higher education must be guided by Marxism, and the party’s policies in education must be fully carried out,” said Xi.

The president called for greater efforts to teach Marxist theory to help students lay an ideological foundation for their lives.

Ideological and political work is fundamentally work about individuals, Xi said.

The work must focus on students, caring for them, serving them, and helping them improve in ideological quality, political awareness, moral characteristics and humanistic quality to enable them to develop both ability and integrity, according to Xi.

“Students should be educated to be aware of the development trends of China and the world at large,” Xi said, adding that they should develop firm beliefs and confidence in lofty communist ideals and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

“Students should be encouraged to integrate their own ideals and pursuits into the cause of the nation,” Xi said, urging colleges to educate their students to be bold trailblazers and “translate their ideals into concrete actions”. — Xinhua