New era of learning

Dozens of new libraries and learning centers dedicated to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era established immediately following 19th CPC National Congress

Xi Jinping Thought has been written into the Party Constitution

Xi’s thought is the latest fruit of Marxism in China

Since last Friday, students at Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology had one more thing they could do in their spare time: study the thought of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China ( CPC) Central Committee.

The university’s newly launched “Coordination Learning Center on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” located in the school library, will hold regular discussion panels, debates and lectures to promote Xi’s thought.

“We want to give impetus to a wave of enthusiasm on campus to study Xi’s thought. Students should become its practitioners and disseminators,” Yang Jiaqing, publicity chief and member of the standing committee of Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology, told the Global Times.

The center is one of nearly 50 new research or learning centers dedicated to Xi Jinping Thought that were established in the week following the conclusion of the 19th CPC National Congress. Some were established by universities and others by provincial governments, including the governments of Hainan, Guizhou and Shandong provinces.

First raised in a report delivered by Xi at the opening of the congress, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been written into the CPC Constitution and builds on and further enriches Marxism- Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents and the Scientifi c Outlook on Development.

Party offi cials and experts have agreed that Xi Jinping Thought represents the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, which can serve to unite the Party in this new era. It is an important component of the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Booming learning centers

Yang said the decision to establish a learning center on Xi’s thought was completely voluntary.

“We had wanted to establish a learn- ing center for Marxist theories for a long time, and after the 19th CPC congress we saw many universities have built research centers [ on Xi’s thought]. We applied to our university’s Party committee, deciding to follow the latest call and trend and change the name of the learning center to the Center on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” he said.

“From my understanding, Xi’s thought is the latest fruit of Marxism in China and marks that Socialism with Chinese Characteristics has entered a new era. It’s a political declaration and action guide in this era,” he said.

Yang said students at the university have been lacking enthusiasm for Marxist theories as they had been fed such courses since middle school. The learn- ing center was aimed to rekindle their interests.

Wang Haipeng, who’s pursuing a Master’s degree at the university’s School of Marxism Studies, has been participating in the center’s events since its commencement. “Xi Jinping Thought is definitely very important in academia. I believe it will be written into textbooks and be a hot research topic as well,” he told the Global Times.

The trend to establish research centers on Xi’s thought was set by Renmin University of China, which established the fi rst such center on October 25 of this year.

Qin Xuan, professor at Renmin University’s School of Marxism Studies and director of the research center, said at its opening ceremony that the center’s top priority would be to master the essence of Xi Jinping Thought and conduct deeper theoretical research into terms like “new era” and “new contradiction,” Guangming Daily reported.

“The center also has a special mission, which is to help Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era enter textbooks, classrooms and into students’ brains,” Qin was quoted saying by Guangming Daily.

Wu Bo, a research fellow at the Academy for Social Sciences Evaluation under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ( CASS), is optimistic about the trend.

“Establishing relevant research organizations shows that these universities are highly proactive in their theoretical awareness,” he told the Global Times, adding that Xi’s thought has important and

“We now have new problems in the new age, so we need a new thought to guide us. And Xi’s thought can serve as a cohesive force for the Party.” Su Wei professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Committee