On 16 October 2021, the first session of the “High-level Forum on Contemporary Chinese Marxism Research 2021” was held in Beijing, sponsored by the Open University of China (OUC) and organised by the OUC School of Marxism.
The forum was convened following the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with the theme of “Theoretical contribution of the CPC to Marxism: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC” in tribute to the centenary of the CPC. Li Yi, vice president of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance), Zhou Wenzhang, former vice dean of the National Academy of Governance, and experts and scholars from research institutions and universities including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Renmin university of China attended the forum.
Li Yi, vice president of Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance)
Professor Zhou Wenzhang, former vice dean of the National Academy of Governance
Jing Degang, secretary of the OUC Party Committee and OUC president
Cao Guoyong, executive deputy secretary of the OUC Party Committee and researcher
Wang Huaichao, former education director of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, director of the Department of Social Science Research, OUC’s distinguished visiting professor
Xin Xiangyang, secretary of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and researcher
Cao Guoyong, executive deputy secretary of the OUC Party Committee presided over the opening ceremony.
Jing Degang, secretary of OUC Party Committee and OUC president, gave a speech on behalf of the forum. He extended a sincere welcome to all of the experts and scholars attending forum and stated that the forum serves as an opportunity to further deepen contemporary Chinese Marxism research and in-depth ideological training for the OUC faculty. He said that since the OUC was established, it has become an essential part of the Chinese higher education system and has made unceasing efforts to explore multiple development paths to higher education. The OUC will commit itself to the cause of being a prominent force serving lifelong education for all and a powerful bolster for a technical society for the stage for new development.
Professor Zhou Wenzhang and Professor Wang Huaichao gave keynote speeches on “The CPC’s Most Pragmatic Marxism Principles” and the “Theoretical Contributions of the CPC to Scientific Socialism,” respectively. Following the speeches, around thirty famous experts from the field of Marxism theory research gave speeches, contributing to in-depth communication and heated discussions on the CPC’s theoretical contributions to Marxism during its 100 years of development.
The experts attending the forum said that the CPC has firmly integrated the basic principles of Marxism with Chinese socialism revolution and construction, enriching Marxism theory from different facets and bringing it to a new level. The experts agreed that it is necessary to systematically summarise the historical experience of socialism revolution and construction and conduct in-depth research on the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics so as to extract the unique contributions that the CPC has made to Marxism and further enrich and develop the annals of Marxism theory, shaping a school of contemporary Chinese Marxism.
The success of the forum will have a positive effect on intensifying Marxism theory research, the exchange of recent research results of contemporary Chinese Marxism theory, promoting the construction of Marxist disciplines, and specifically deepening the study and research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
By Yuan Yiping, OUC