Visitors attend The Power of Truth: An Exhibition Marking the Bicentenary of the Birth of Karl Marx at the National Museum of China in 2018. File Photo: IC

Marxist education and ideology is being further strengthened in Shanghai with dozens of scholars and teachers from Shanghai’s educational institutions being awarded or funded for research into Marxist theory teaching on Wednesday. 

Shanghai universities including Fudan University, Tongji University and East China Normal University have set up undergraduate majors in Marxist theory or ideological and political theory, The Paper reported. 

The number of academic degree programs in Marxist studies at Shanghai’s universities has doubled over the past three years, while the number of lecturers of ideological and political theory courses have increased by more than 100 each year. 

Renowned teachers funded by the Support Plan for the Development of Marxist Disciplines have jointly undertaken 41 national and 125 provincial-level scientific research projects. 

At a conference of Marxist theoretical discipline and the construction of Marxist schools held in Shanghai on Wednesday, nine scholars including professors Chen Xixi from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Gu Yumin from Fudan University, and Sun Qiming from Tongji University were honored with Outstanding Contribution Awards for their research on Marxist theory teaching. 

Chen, 71, has been working in the research and education of Marxist theory for nearly 50 years. 

“Education of Marxist theory and ideological and political theory has to pay attention to the edification of a research spirit and the construction of the academic environment,” Chen told the Global Times on Thursday, explaining that students should “take the study of Marxist classics as a basic skill and take an active part in academic salons to communicate with each other.” 

Chen said ideological and political theory courses cannot be full of empty words or “chicken soup,” but have to “combine profound theory and strict logic with sincere emotion and vivid language,” to bring the courses closer to students and make them more focused. 

Eleven lecturers from the local universities were named as “renowned teachers” and 50 others were named  “top young- and middle-aged talents” of Marxist theory teaching. 

Thirty-one scholars received funding to research Marxist theory teaching or to compile teaching materials on ideological and political theory. 

Global Times