Firmly Grasp the Political, People-oriented and Strategic Attributes of Education

Zhang Donggang, Party Secretary of Renmin University of China and President of the National Academy of Development and Strategy, along with Lin Shangli, President of Renmin University of China and Director of the National Academy of Development and Strategy, published an article in People’s Daily titled “Firmly Grasp the Political, People-oriented, and Strategic Attributes of Education.” The article centers on the core task of building China into a global educational powerhouse, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a firm grasp on the political, people-oriented, and strategic attributes of education, while offering specific guidance on how to implement these attributes in educational practice.

Firstly, the article points out that building a strong education system is a vital aspiration for the Chinese nation. President Xi Jinping’s important speeches have provided clear direction for the development of education in the new era, proposing innovative educational concepts and theories. The political attribute of education determines the type of people being cultivated and whom they are being cultivated for, requiring education to steadfastly follow the socialist direction and to foster well-rounded individuals who are builders and successors of socialism. The people-oriented attribute of education calls for a focus on the people, promoting educational equity and inclusiveness, and enhancing the happiness and sense of fulfillment of the people. The strategic attribute highlights that education serves as the foundation for national development, scientific and technological innovation, and the rejuvenation of the nation, and thus must be strategically planned within the broader context. The article further elaborates on how to apply these three attributes in practice. Higher education, as the driving force for building a strong education system, plays a key role in the transmission of knowledge, technological innovation, and talent cultivation.

As a representative of higher education institutions, Renmin University of China remains committed to the principle of “a university run by the Party that reassures the Party and a university for the people that serves the people.” It will strengthen ideological and political education, nurture responsible talents for national rejuvenation, and contribute to national development by building a Chinese-led system of philosophy and social sciences.

In conclusion, the article emphasizes that in the process of advancing the construction of an educational powerhouse in the new era, education should be closely aligned with national strategies and the needs of the people. It should play a vital role in society, ideology, and individual development, fully supporting the historic mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

(Translated by ZHANG Yuqing; Proofread by YANG Fanxin)