Introduction

The School of Marxism of the Open University of China (OUC) was founded in April 2019. It is an independent teaching and scientific research entity and an independent school of the OUC. The OUC Digital School of Marxism and the Internet Teaching Innovation Centre for Ideological and Political Courses are mainly in charge of the teaching, scientific research, and management of the OUC’s ideological and political courses (including six compulsory courses and a number of unified general education courses).

The School of Marxism conducts profound study of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It focuses on the research of the Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods running through the Party’s innovation theories, in particular, research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the adaption of Marxism to the Chinese context, and the integration of Marxism with traditional Chinese culture. It also conducts other research closely related to the teaching contents of ideological and political courses and social practice.

Responsibilities:

I.  Implement the Party’s Educational principles

By following the socialist direction of education, the School of Marxism adheres to the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education to ensure the full implementation of the Party’s line, principles, and policies, as well as all the decisions of the OUC Party Committees in the teaching of ideological and political theory courses (hereinafter referred to as ideological and political courses).

II. Ideological and political course construction

The School of Marxism studies the establishment of ideological and political courses, creates curriculum teaching design and curriculum resource construction plans, builds and manages online teaching teams, enables course learning and the construction of tutorial resources, and launches majors related to ideological and political education.

III. Building teaching teams for ideological and political courses

The School of Marxism studies and creates plans for building teaching teams for ideological and political courses, offers professional training to the teachers of ideological and political courses throughout the OUC system, and explores an operation model for web-based ideological and political teaching teams.

IV. Teachingof ideological and political courses

The School of Marxism has established a collective lesson preparation mechanism for ideological and political courses in the OUC system, explored an ideological and political teaching model dominated by self-study, and intensifiesd supervision over the specific teaching process.

V. Research Marxist theories and the teaching of ideological and political courses

The School of Marxism conducts scientific research on Marxist theories and the teaching of ideological and political courses in line with the adult, online, and large-scale learning characteristics of open universities.

VI. Publicise Marxist theories

The School of Marxism organises for teachers to study and publicise Marxist theories, promoting the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

VII. Coordinate ideological and political construction in courses

The School of Marxism participates in missions related to guiding ideological and political construction in courses and putting into effect fostering virtue by all in education in an all-round way in light of the unified arrangement of the OUC Party Committee in active cooperation with relevant departments.

VIII. Digital construction

The School of Marxism is building the Digital School of Marxism and the Internet Teaching Innovation Centre for Ideological and Political Courses. The school will give full play to the advantages of Internet Plus, gather high-quality teaching resources for ideological and political courses, and build an open digital school of Marxism. The Digital School of Marxism is an innovative platform for teaching and research, a training platform for excellent teachers, and an innovative platform for teaching practice. It is also a window to show the achievements of ideological and political education, and a site for the OUC to carry out ideological and political education and implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. Based on that, the school will build an internet teaching innovation centre for ideological and political courses with the aim of making it into a national teaching innovation centre for ideological and political courses.

Internal Structure

Administrative Office; Office of Internet Teaching Innovation Centre for Ideological and Political Courses; and Research Office of Ideological and Political Courses (Education on National Conditions)