Recently, Zheng Wenjie, Party Secretary of the School of Automation Science and Engineering, delivered the first ideological and political course of the Spring 2025 semester, as well as the opening lecture of the Red Foundation Class at the school’s branch of the Party School. The lecture, titled “Raising the Flag and Setting Ambitions: Creating an Intelligent Future with Responsibility—Driving High-Quality Development with Youthful Passion”, was hosted by Deputy Party Secretary Shen Hongyu and attended by over 80 people, including student Party members, Party branch secretaries, committee members, members of the Student Party Building Studio, and Qingma (Youth Marxist) class students.
1.Upholding Youthful Aspirations and Advancing Steadily Along the Path of Chinese Modernization
Zheng Wenjie led attendees in studying the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with a focus on the major strategic plans discussed during the session. She emphasized the importance of high-quality development, stating that it is the foremost task in building a modern socialist country in all respects. She urged students to deeply understand that “education, science and technology, and talent are foundational and strategic supports for Chinese modernization.”
She cited the innovation of the AI model DeepSeek, the appearance of Unitree humanoid robots on the Spring Festival Gala, and the application of brain-computer interface technologies by Strong Brain Technology as examples of science and technology empowering high-quality development and improving people’s lives. Zheng also highlighted the cultural impact of domestic creations like the game Black Myth: Wukong and the animated film Nezha 2, encouraging young science and technology talents to be bold innovators who help foster a new model of productivity.
2.Decoding the Guangdong Blueprint and Charting the Course Forward
The lecture reviewed key speeches and directives by General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during his visits to Guangdong, as well as insights from the Provincial High-Quality Development Conference. Zheng analyzed the “1310” strategic deployment of the Guangdong Provincial Committee and presented the province’s remarkable achievements in advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, and smart devices. She stressed that talents in the new era must possess cross-disciplinary thinking and the courage to challenge scientific frontiers, particularly in fields like AI and robotics. Students and faculty of the School of Automation, located in the innovation hub of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, are encouraged to forge ahead with gratitude and determination, igniting the engine of technological innovation.
3. Forging National Talents and Contributing the SCUT Answer
Referring to the National Education Conference, the Guangdong Provincial Education Conference, and the National Plan for Building a Strong Education System (2024–2035), Zheng highlighted the importance of education in national development and the need to strengthen talent cultivation. She conveyed the spirit of SCUT's High-Quality Development Conference, showcased the university’s achievements in 2024, and detailed the School of Automation’s progress in Party building and scientific competitions. Zheng encouraged all faculty and students to strive for SCUT’s goal of becoming a top 100 global university, contributing the strength of SCUT and the School of Automation to the nation’s educational advancement.
4. In-Depth Study of the Central Eight-Point Regulation
The lecture also included a collective study of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping’s important discourses on strict Party governance and promoting the Party’s self-reform. Zheng introduced SCUT’s implementation plan for studying and applying the Central Eight-Point Regulation and made mobilization arrangements for strict governance within the School.She emphasized that this study is an important step toward deepening education on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and reinforcing the results of Party discipline education. It is necessary for upholding the Party’s core purpose, consolidating its governance base, and accelerating comprehensive reforms at SCUT. All faculty and students should take this learning as an opportunity to embed the Eight-Point Regulation into daily work, ensure comprehensive understanding, strengthen Party character through disciplined conduct, and promote the high-quality development of the School.
