On 29 May 2023, the Open University of China (OUC) and Beijing Jiaotong University (BJU) held a round table at the OUC on the joint training of majors in Marxist Theory.

The meeting aimed to further cooperation in joint training, strengthen exchanges between the schools of Marxism at both universities, and guarantee the training of quality graduates. The meeting was attended by Gao Zhengli, dean of the BJU School of Marxism, as well as Professor Han Zhenfeng and Professor He Yufang from the BJU.  Cao Guoyong, executive deputy secretary, who also serves as deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the OUC, was also in attendance, along with Chen Kun, vice dean and Professor Sun Fuwan from the OUC School of Marxism. Graduate students in the joint training programme also attended the meeting.

The two sides respectively introduced their achievements and the specifics of the work conducted for graduate students in their own schools of Marxism in recent years. They exchanged views on strengthening training requirements, implementing the training process and improving the quality of training, along with other issues.

Cao said the joint training and cooperation of graduate students majoring in Marxist Theory is an important factor in promoting strategic cooperation between the two universities. First of all, he said the schools of Marxism should earnestly implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, attach great importance to joint training, allocate exceptional resources, and provide sufficient guarantees. Next, he said the schools of Marxism in both universities should not only establish regular communication for joint training, but also establish a platform for academic exchange and the development of teachers. Thirdly, he said the goal of training high-quality talents should focus on improving the quality of students, their abilities, and the quality and results of training from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Liu Chen said the OUC School of Marxism has succeeded in three areas under the strong leadership of the OUC Party Committee. He said the first relates to the process of formal enrolment this spring semester, the second relates to its cooperation with BJU in regards to exploring the joint training of graduate students, and the third relates to its success in holding a “High-level Forum on Contemporary Chinese Marxism Research” for two consecutive years. In the joint training of graduate students with the BJU, he said it is necessary to strengthen academic exchanges between the two sides in the study of Marxist Theory, increase the interaction between the two sides, and fully ensure substantive results from the joint training.

The BJU delegation of teachers and students also visited the OUC’s "Internet Plus University" Exhibition Centre to learn about its development, history and achievements, and the exhibition "Opening a New Chapter of Senior Education in China" of the Seniors University of China.

Written by Chen Kun and photographed by Yi Xin, OUC