Opinions of the State Council of the Central Committee of the CPC on Further Strengthening and Improving University Students’ Ideological and Political Education

Promulgated jointly by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on August 26, 2004. Included in the Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 16th National Congress (Vol. 2).

The “Opinions” consists of nine parts and 30 articles, which are: (1) Strengthening and improving university students’ ideological and political education is an important and urgent strategic task; (2) Guiding ideology and basic principles of strengthening and improving university students’ ideological and political education; (3) Main tasks of strengthening and improving university students’ ideological and political education; (4) Giving full play to the leading role of classroom teaching in university students’ ideological and political education; (5) Striving to expand and increase the effective ways for university students' ideological and political education in the new situation; (6) Giving full play to the important role of Party and League organizations in university students' ideological and political education; (7) Vigorously strengthen the construction of the education teams for university students' ideological and political education; (8) Striving to create a benign social environment for the university students' ideological and political education; (9) Earnestly strengthen the leadership over the university students' ideological and political education.

On the importance of strengthening and improving university students' ideological and political education, the "Opinions" pointed out that university students are very valuable talent resources, the hope of the nation, the future of the motherland. Strengthening and improving university students' ideological and political education, improving their ideological and political quality, and training them to be the builders and successors of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics are essential for the comprehensive implementation of the strategy of developing the country through science and education and strengthening the country with talents. It is of great and far-reaching strategic significance to ensure that China remains invincible in the fierce international competition, to ensure the realization of the ambitious goal of building a moderately prosperous society and accelerating socialist modernization, and to ensure that the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics flourishes and is succeeded by others.

The “Opinions” profoundly analyzed the favorable conditions and severe challenges facing university students' ideological and political education. It is pointed out that the struggle between international hostile forces and us for the next generation has become more acute and complicated, and university students are facing the impact of a large number of Western cultural trends and values, and the influence of certain corrupt and decadent lifestyles on university students cannot be underestimated. In addition, the continuous expansion of opening up to the outside world and the deep development of socialist market economy are both beneficial to university students and also bring some negative effects that cannot be ignored. Some places, departments and school leaders do not pay enough attention to university students' ideological and political education, so it is an extremely urgent and important task to strengthen and improve university students' ideological and political education.

The "Opinions" pointed out that education on ideals and beliefs should be the core, patriotic education should be the focus, ideological and moral construction should be the foundation, and the university students' all-round development should be the objective, so as to cultivate qualified builders and reliable successors of socialism with all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic aspects. The “Opinions” emphasize that Party committees and governments at all levels should fully understand the significance of strengthening and improving university students' ideological and political education from the height of strategic overall situation, and put the major issue of "what to foster" and "how to foster" in an important position, and effectively strengthen the leadership. It is necessary to establish and improve the unified leadership of the Party committees, joint management of the Party, the government and the masses, responsibility of the relevant departments, leadership system and working mechanism strongly supported by the whole society, so as to form a strong joint force of the whole Party and the whole society to care about and support university students' ideological and political education. Higher education institutions should give full play to the role of the main front, the main classroom and the main channel of university students' ideological and political education. It is necessary to establish and improve the institutional system of ideological and political education and management that is coordinated with laws and regulations, connected with the overall development of higher education, and adapted to university students' needs to grow into talents. It is necessary to increase the financial investment in the university students' ideological and political education work, continuously improve the conditions and optimize the means. The university students' ideological and political education should be taken as an important index in the assessment of the quality and level of higher education, and be included in the evaluation system of Party building and education teaching of higher education institutions.