How Can the “Grand Ideological-Political Course” Do a “Grand” Job?

Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important directive on the construction of ideological-political courses in schools, emphasizing the need to continuously open up new prospects for ideological-political education in the New Era, and to strive to cultivate more people of the era who can reassure the Party, love and contribute to the country, and shoulder the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to strengthening the ideological-political education work of university students, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of ideological-political education, and pointing out the direction for progress and providing fundamental guidance for effectively carrying out the ideological-political education work of university students in the New Era.

近日，习近平总书记对学校思政课建设作出重要指示强调，不断开创新时代思政教育新局面，努力培养更多让党放心、爱国奉献、担当民族复兴重任的时代新人。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记高度重视加强大学生思想政治教育工作，多次强调思想政治教育的重要性，为新时代切实做好大学生思想政治教育工作指明了前进方向、提供了根本遵循。

The ideological-political course is the central link and key curriculum of university education work. During the 2021 Two Sessions [1]1 The “Two Sessions” refers to the annual plenary meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top legislative and advisory bodies., General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that ideological-political courses should not only be taught in the classroom, but should also be taught in social life. “We must make good use of the ‘grand ideological-political course’, and it must be integrated with reality.” The Ministry of Education, the Central Propaganda Department, and ten other departments also issued the “Notice on the Work Plan for Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of the ‘Grand Ideological-Political Course’.” From the ideological-political course to the “grand ideological-political course,” on the surface there is only a difference of one character, but in essence it is a renewal of the concept, a broadening of the vision, and an expansion of the framework for running the ideological-political course well. The “grand ideological-political course” is a teaching innovation practice that combines the small classroom on campus with the big society in reality. The “grand” in the “grand ideological-political course” lies in the need to keep in mind the “great affairs of the state” [2]2 “Great affairs of the state” (国之大者) is a phrase used by Xi Jinping to refer to the most fundamental and overarching issues concerning the nation’s long-term development and the Party’s governance., coordinate both domestic and international situations, lead students to correctly understand the general trend of world and Chinese development amidst the great changes of the times through studying and reflecting on history and reality.

思政课是高校育人工作的中心环节和关键课程。2021年全国两会期间，习近平总书记强调，思政课不仅应该在课堂上讲，也应该在社会生活中来讲。“大思政课”我们要善用之，一定要跟现实结合起来。教育部、中宣部等十部门也印发了《全面推进“大思政课”建设的工作方案》的通知。从思政课到“大思政课”，表面上只有一字之差，实质上是办好思政课的理念再更新、视野再开阔和格局再拓展。“大思政课”是把校园小课堂和现实大社会相结合的教学创新实践活动，“大思政课”之“大”，在于要胸怀“国之大者”、统筹国内国际两个大局，带领学生通过对历史与现实的学习思考，在时代大变迁中正确认知世界和中国的发展大势。

The “grand ideological-political course” must be based on a grand framework. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “A grand era requires a grand framework, and a grand framework calls for a grand vision.” Universities must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, conscientiously study and implement Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought and the spirit of the National Conference on Propaganda, Ideology, and Cultural Work, comprehensively implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on education, science and technology, and talent, as well as the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments on higher education, bravely shoulder new cultural missions, cultivate cultural roots, and continuously promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Taking fostering virtue and nurturing people as the foundation, taking ideal and belief education as the core, and taking core socialist values as the guide, we must consciously shoulder the mission of raising the flag, gathering the people, educating new people, promoting culture, and displaying the image. Guide students to correctly understand the general trend of world and Chinese development, and continuously enhance students’ ambition, backbone, and confidence as Chinese people. Guide students to establish the correct standpoint, viewpoint, and method for observing and grasping things, inherit the great national spirit, continue the red lineage, uplift the style of the era, and strive to write a new chapter of the times.

“大思政课”要立足大格局。习近平总书记指出：“大时代需要大格局，大格局呼唤大胸怀。”高校要深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想和党的二十大精神，认真学习贯彻习近平文化思想和全国宣传思想文化工作会议精神，全面贯彻落实习近平总书记关于教育、科技、人才的重要论述以及党中央关于高等教育的决策部署，勇担新的文化使命，厚植文化根脉，不断推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化和创新性发展。以立德树人为根本，以理想信念教育为核心，以社会主义核心价值观为引领，自觉扛起举旗帜、聚民心、育新人、兴文化、展形象的使命任务。引导学生正确认识世界和中国的发展大势，不断增强学生做中国人的志气、骨气、底气。引导学生树立观察和把握事物的正确立场观点方法，传承伟大民族精神、赓续红色血脉、昂扬时代风貌，奋力谱写新的时代篇章。

The “grand ideological-political course” must cultivate a grand personality. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Our Party, as a Marxist ruling party, must not only have powerful truth force, but also have powerful personality force.” Universities shoulder the historical mission of “educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country,” focusing on cultivating top-notch talents with family-country feelings, a global vision, comprehensive literacy, and innovative ability. The grandness of personality lies in the grandness of literacy, specifically manifested in three aspects: knowledge, ability, and thought. Knowledge includes the book of words (scientific and cultural knowledge, professional skills) and the book without words (life experience, social knowledge); ability includes expression and communication, teamwork, organization and coordination, practical operation, and innovative awareness; thought includes cultural literacy, rule-of-law awareness, moral cultivation, and family-country feelings. To cultivate a grand personality, universities need to combine the characteristics of the youth era, fit the growth patterns of top-notch talents, and continuously enhance the scientific literacy and humanistic foundation of university students.

“大思政课”要培养大人格。习近平总书记指出：“我们党作为马克思主义执政党，不但要有强大的真理力量，而且要有强大的人格力量。”高校肩负着“为党育人、为国育才”的历史使命，着力于培养具有家国情怀、全球视野、综合素养、创新能力的拔尖人才。人格之大在于素养之大，具体表现在知识、能力和思想三个方面。知识包括有字之书（科学文化知识、专业技能）和无字之书（人生经验、社会知识），能力包括表达沟通、团队合作、组织协调、实践操作、创新意识等，思想包括文化素养、法治意识、道德修养、家国情怀等。培养大人格，高校需要结合青年的时代特征，契合拔尖人才的成长规律，不断提升大学生的科学素养和人文底蕴。

The “grand ideological-political course” must cultivate grand masters. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the key to running ideological-political theory courses well lies in the teachers, and the key lies in mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the teachers. He also put forward requirements for ideological-political course teachers: “strong politics, deep feelings, new thinking, broad vision, strict self-discipline, and upright personality.” To cultivate grand masters, first, build and strengthen the team of ideological-political course teachers. Guide ideological-political course teachers to be the unity of “classics teacher” and “human teacher” [3]3 “Classics teacher” (经师) and “human teacher” (人师) are traditional Chinese terms: the former teaches canonical knowledge, while the latter models moral character and guides personal development., strengthen the ideal and belief of “having a great self in mind, serving the country with utmost sincerity,” and establish the ambition and aspiration of “cultivating in the teaching field, strengthening the country with me.” Actively explore innovative paths for ideological-political education in universities in the era of artificial intelligence, and cultivate composite ideological-political teachers who master both modern scientific and technological knowledge and possess scientific ideological-political education concepts and methods. Second, create a group of grand masters for all-staff ideological-political work. Vigorously promote the spirit of educators and the spirit of scientists, and give full play to the exemplary role of top scientists such as academicians. Extensively mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of the majority of faculty and staff to participate in ideological-political theory education, enhance the professional quality of Party affairs administration, counselors, and other teams, and set up spiritual benchmarks. Third, implement a system of specially appointed professors and part-time teachers for ideological-political courses. Form a long-term mechanism for advanced representatives such as heroes, model workers, and master craftsmen, as well as docents and volunteers from red bases such as revolutionary memorial halls, Party history museums, and martyrs’ cemeteries, to regularly enter universities and participate in ideological-political course teaching.

“大思政课”要造就大先生。习近平总书记强调，办好思想政治理论课关键在教师，关键在发挥教师的积极性、主动性、创造性，并对思政课教师提出了“政治强、情怀深、思维新、视野广、自律严、人格正”的要求。造就大先生，一是建好建强思政课教师队伍。引导思政课教师做“经师”和“人师”的统一者，坚定“心有大我、至诚报国”的理想信念，树立“躬耕教坛、强国有我”的志向和抱负。积极探索人工智能时代高校思政教育创新路径，培养既掌握现代科技知识又具备科学的思政教育理念和方法的复合型思政教师。二是打造全员思政的大先生群体。大力弘扬教育家精神和科学家精神，充分发挥院士等顶尖科学家的榜样示范作用。广泛调动广大教职工参与思想政治理论教育的积极性、主动性，提升党务行政、辅导员等队伍的专业素养、树立精神标杆。三是实行思政课特聘教授、兼职教师制度。形成英雄人物、劳动模范、大国工匠等先进代表，革命纪念馆、党史馆、烈士陵园等红色基地讲解员、志愿者经常性进高校参与思政课教学的长效机制。

The “grand ideological-political course” must make good use of grand resources. The Party’s history is the most vivid and persuasive textbook. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must make good use of the channel of school ideological-political courses to better promote the Party’s history into textbooks, into classrooms, and into minds, and give full play to the important role of Party history in fostering virtue and nurturing people.” The ideological-political course should be examined and analyzed within the context of the 40-plus-year history of reform and opening up, the 70-plus-year history of New China, the 180-plus-year history of modern times, the 500-plus-year history of socialist development, and the 5,000-plus-year history of Chinese civilization. Deepen the understanding of the historical logic, theoretical logic, and practical logic of the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up, to becoming prosperous, to becoming strong, and enhance the ideological and action consciousness of listening to the Party and following the Party.

“大思政课”要善用大资源。党的历史是最生动、最有说服力的教科书。习近平总书记指出：“要用好学校思政课这个渠道，推动党的历史更好进教材、进课堂、进头脑，发挥好党史立德树人的重要作用。”应把思政课放在40多年改革开放史、70多年新中国史、180多年近现代史、500多年社会主义发展史和5000多年中华民族文明史中来考察和分析，加深理解中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃的历史逻辑、理论逻辑和实践逻辑，增强听党话、跟党走的思想和行动自觉。

The “grand ideological-political course” must gather grand synergy. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Combine the small classroom of ideological-political courses with the big classroom of society.” The “grand ideological-political course” is a grand social course, a systematic project. Relying solely on schools is far from enough; it requires the participation of all sectors of society, and it requires opening the door to run ideological-political courses. At the school level, clarify the main body of moral education and the responsibility list, construct an ideological-political education scene from “point” to “line,” gathering “surfaces” into a “body,” covering all “surfaces,” and linking multiple “bodies,” effectively playing the leading, coordinating, and supporting roles of each main body of the ideological-political course in the scene and chain, achieving the educational effect of enlightening the mind and nourishing the heart through subtle influence and silent nourishment. Build and make good use of the Youth Research Center, strengthen red ideological-political practice education, integrate the concept of curriculum ideological-political education into the entire process of education and teaching, and promote the alignment of ideological-political courses and curriculum ideological-political education. Carefully organize and carry out activities such as the “First Ideological-Political Course” by the Party secretary, the president, and the heads of various colleges and departments, and improve the ideological-political course system. At the social level, fully mobilize the forces and resources of the whole society, promote the combination of the small classroom of ideological-political courses with the big classroom of society, gather more open and diverse resources for the “grand ideological-political course,” form a synergy for the “grand ideological-political course,” and build a coordinated and integrated mechanism for the “grand ideological-political course.”

“大思政课”要汇聚大合力。习近平总书记指出，“把思政小课堂同社会大课堂结合起来”。“大思政课”是一门社会大课，是系统工程，仅依靠学校远远不够，需要社会各方面的参与，需要开门办思政课。在学校层面，明确德育主体和责任清单，构建由“点”到“线”、聚“面”成“体”，“面”“面”俱到、多“体”联动的思政教育场景，在场景、链条中有效发挥思政课各主体的引领、协同、支撑作用，在潜移默化、润物无声中达到启智润心的育人效果。建好用好青年研究中心，加强红色思政实践教育，将课程思政理念融入教育教学全过程，促进思政课程和课程思政同向同行。精心组织开展书记、校长及各院系负责人“思政第一课”等活动，完善思政课程体系。在社会层面，充分调动全社会力量和资源，推动思政小课堂与社会大课堂相结合，汇聚更加开放多元的“大思政课”资源，形成“大思政课”合力、构建协同一体的“大思政课”机制。

The “grand ideological-political course” must build a grand system. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “School ideological-political work is not simply a single-line task, but should be all-encompassing.” It is necessary to use a systematic concept, overall awareness, and strategic thinking to create a three-dimensional structure for educating people in all-staff, whole-process, and all-round ways, providing a strong institutional guarantee for implementing the fundamental task of fostering virtue and nurturing people and cultivating the soul. On the one hand, strengthen the Party’s overall leadership over ideological-political work. Further improve the leadership functions and working mechanisms of the university ideological-political work leading group, and give full play to its overall planning and coordination functions. Build a work responsibility system of unified leadership by the Party committee and joint management by the Party and government. Secretaries of grassroots Party organizations, heads of colleges and administrative departments, professional teachers, Communist Youth League cadres, and counselors should all assume important responsibilities for ideological-political work. On the other hand, through scientific and effective institutional arrangements, provide political guarantees, organizational guarantees, and environmental guarantees for the construction of the “grand ideological-political course.” Actively explore the linkage mechanism between teaching, scientific research, and management work and the work pattern of the “grand ideological-political course,” strengthen the process orientation and operability of the system, strengthen system publicity and information disclosure, and establish and improve the system operation system.

“大思政课”要构建大系统。习近平总书记指出：“学校思想政治工作不是单纯一条线的工作，而应该是全方位的。”要以系统观念、全局意识、战略思维，打造全员、全过程、全方位育人的立体结构，为落实立德树人、培根铸魂根本任务提供有力的制度保障。一方面，加强党对思政工作的全面领导。进一步完善高校思想政治工作领导小组的领导职能和工作机制，充分发挥其统筹协调功能。构建党委统一领导、党政齐抓共管的工作责任制。各基层党组织书记和院系、行政部门负责人，专业教师、共青团干部、辅导员，均应承担起思政工作的重要职责。另一方面，通过科学有效的制度安排，为“大思政课”建设提供政治保障、组织保障和氛围保障。积极探索教学、科研和管理工作与“大思政课”工作格局的联动机制，加强制度的流程化和可操作性，加强制度宣讲和信息公开，建立健全制度运行体系。

At present, China’s ideological and political education has entered a new stage of overall quality improvement and connotative development as a whole. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on the “big ideological and political course” provides important directional guidance for writing the “big” article of ideological and political education. Standing at a new historical starting point, colleges and universities should take the construction of the “big ideological and political course” as a lever, continuously promote the high-quality development of ideological and political courses and ideological and political education, build a spiritual foundation and consolidate the foundation of life for young college students, cultivate new people of the times for Chinese-path modernization, and write a new chapter of forging souls and educating people with vigorous progress.

当前，我国思想政治教育已整体进入质量提升和内涵发展的新阶段。习近平总书记关于“大思政课”的重要论述，为做好思政育人“大”文章提供了重要方向指引。站在新的历史起点，高校应以“大思政课”建设为抓手，持续推动思政课和思想政治教育高质量发展，为青年大学生构筑精神基石、夯实人生根基，为中国式现代化培育时代新人，书写铸魂育人的奋进新篇章。

(Author: Zhang Ling, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Southern University of Science and Technology)

（作者：张凌，系南方科技大学党委副书记）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心