The 82nd National University Marxist Theory Discipline Forum and the Academic Symposium on “The Future Direction of Ideological and Political Theory Course Construction and the Discipline Construction of Marxist Theory in the New Era”  was held in Guangzhou on June 6, 2026. The symposium was hosted by the Society of Marxist Theory Disciplines in Universities and organized by the School of Marxism at South China University of Technology (SCUT).LI Zheng, Vice-President of SCUT, and ZHANG Leisheng, President of the Society of Marxist Theory Discipline in Universities, attended and delivered speeches. Scholars from Marxist theory disciplines in universities across China, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Nanjing University, and Wuhan University, participated in the symposium.

Li Zheng stated that delivering high-quality ideological and political theory courses and strengthening the Marxist theory discipline are key to answering the fundamental question of “what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them.” This effort also serves as a crucial strategic project for continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. He noted that this symposium will provide cutting-edge concepts and academic support for promoting the reform and innovation of Ideological and Political Theory Courses education and the high-quality development of the Marxist theory discipline, yielding more landmark achievements. SCUT will also strive to open up new prospects for Marxist discipline construction, continuously elevating the development of both the Marxist theory discipline and Ideological and Political Theory Courses education to new heights.

To strengthen dialogue and communication, the conference set up three sub-forums: the Deans’ Forum, the Ideological and Political Course Education Forum, and the Youth Forum on Ideological and Political Course Teaching. Experts attending the meeting said that on the new journey, it is essential to continue adhering to the guidance of the Party’s innovative theories and anchor the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. On one hand, efforts should focus on deepening fundamental research in the Marxist theory discipline and accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system. On the other hand, continuous efforts must be made to promote the integrity and innovation of Ideological and Political Courseseducation by integrating digital and intelligent technologies, optimizing classroom formats, activating resources of revolutionary history and local characteristic resources, and exploring new paradigms for practical teaching in Ideological and Political Courseseducation.

In recent years, the comprehensive strength of SCUT has continued to improve, and the construction of its Marxist theory discipline has presenteda state of carrying forward the fine traditions and also blazing new grounds with determination. To effectively implement the fundamental task of fostering virtues through education in the Ideological and Political Courseseducation, the SCUT School of Marxism has closely followed national development strategies and leveraged Guangdong’s regional characteristics to promote the connotative development of Ideological and Political Courseseducation. Based on the unique advantages of the university’s “emerging disciplines” construction, the school has been approved as one of the Ministry of Education’s first batch of demonstration centers for curriculum-based ideological and political education research and one of the first batch of “Grand Ideological and Political Education” practical teaching bases. Through the introduction of a series of virtual simulation courses, the school continues to highlight the exemplary and leading role of Ideological and Political Courseseducation construction and the Marxist theory discipline in the growth and success of students.

Text: LUO Dong

Photos: School of Marxism

First Review: FANG Lili

Second Review:ZHANG Dongli

Third Review:XIE Lixia