Deeply Comprehend Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought to Promote the Integrated Development of Moral Education and Aesthetic Education in Higher Education Institutions

Moral education shapes the soul; aesthetic education nourishes the spirit. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “To do a good job in aesthetic education, we must uphold the principle of fostering virtue through education, root ourselves in the life of the times, follow the characteristics of aesthetic education, and promote the spirit of Chinese aesthetic education, so that the young generation of the motherland can grow up healthily in both body and mind.” [1]1 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s letter This provides the fundamental guidance for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in the New Era. Higher education institutions must adhere to Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought as their guide, deeply advance the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, strive to cultivate young people of the New Era who possess both moral integrity and professional competence as well as refined aesthetic taste, and inject inexhaustible spiritual impetus and talent support into the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

德育塑造灵魂，美育滋养心灵。习近平总书记指出，“做好美育工作，要坚持立德树人，扎根时代生活，遵循美育特点，弘扬中华美育精神，让祖国青年一代身心都健康成长。”这为新时代德育美育融合发展提供了根本遵循。高校要坚持以习近平文化思想为指引，深入推进德育美育融合发展，着力培养德才兼备、审美高雅的新时代青年，为中华民族伟大复兴注入不竭的精神动力和人才支撑。

The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education is a key pathway to achieving the comprehensive development of students.

德育美育融合发展是实现学生全面发展的关键路径

Education bears the historical mission of cultivating new generations of the era capable of shouldering the task of national rejuvenation. The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education is not only an important task for higher education institutions but also a key pathway to realizing the comprehensive development of human beings and improving the quality of the citizenry.

教育承载着培养担当民族复兴大任的时代新人的历史使命。德育美育融合发展不仅是高校的重要任务，更是实现人的全面发展、提升国民素质的关键路径。

Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought provides scientific guidance for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought profoundly reveals the foundational and strategic position of culture in national development and national rejuvenation. The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions must both focus on the foundational, comprehensive, and effective nature of moral education and give play to the unique role of aesthetic education in cultivating sentiment, moistening the soul, and enlightening wisdom, achieving mutual complementarity and mutual enhancement between the two.

习近平文化思想为高校德育美育融合发展提供科学指引。习近平文化思想深刻揭示了文化在国家发展、民族振兴中的基础性、战略性地位。高校德育美育融合发展，既要注重道德教育的基础性、全面性、实效性，也要发挥美育在陶冶情操、浸润心灵、启迪智慧等方面的独特作用，实现二者相辅相成、相得益彰。

Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought solidifies the educational foundation for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought emphasizes a people-centered approach. The fundamental task of education is to foster virtue through education, and the comprehensive development of human beings is the highest pursuit of socialist education. In the process of integrating moral education and aesthetic education, it is necessary to adhere to a student-centered approach and pay attention to the comprehensive development of students. Through moral education, we must guide young students to establish a correct worldview, outlook on life, and value system, forming a sound personality and good moral character; through aesthetic education, we must also stimulate their creativity and imagination, enhancing their aesthetic taste and humanistic literacy.

习近平文化思想为高校德育美育融合发展筑牢育人根基。习近平文化思想强调以人民为中心。教育的根本任务是立德树人，人的全面发展是社会主义教育的最高追求。在德育美育融合发展的过程中，必须坚持以学生为中心，关注学生全面发展。要通过德育，引导青年学生树立正确的世界观、人生观、价值观，形成健全的人格和良好的道德品质；还要借助美育，激发其创造力和想象力，提升其审美情趣和人文素养。

Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought enriches the cultural soil for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought advocates inheriting and promoting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and promoting its creative transformation and innovative development. Integrating elements of excellent traditional Chinese culture into moral education helps enhance students’ cultural confidence and national pride; drawing the artistic essence of excellent traditional Chinese culture into aesthetic education helps improve students’ aesthetic level and cultural literacy, injecting new vitality and connotation into the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions, making it more in line with the requirements of the times and the needs of youth.

习近平文化思想为高校德育美育融合发展厚植文化土壤。习近平文化思想倡导传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化和创新性发展。在德育中融入中华优秀传统文化元素，有助于增强学生的文化自信和民族自豪感；在美育中汲取中华优秀传统文化的艺术精髓，有助于提升学生的审美水平和文化素养，为高校德育美育融合发展注入新的活力和内涵，使之更加符合时代要求和青年需求。

Important insights from Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions.

习近平文化思想对高校德育美育融合发展的重要启示

The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought insists on the interconnection between historicity and contemporaneity, the unity of theory and practice, and the combination of national character and international character. It contains both innovative breakthroughs in cultural theoretical viewpoints and deployment requirements for cultural work layout, making the substance understood and the application realized, with substance and application integrated. [2] This provides rich theoretical nourishment and practical guidance for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions in the New Era.

时代是思想之母，实践是理论之源。习近平文化思想坚持历史性与时代性相贯通、理论性与实践性相统一、民族性与世界性相结合，既有文化理论观点上的创新突破，又有文化工作布局上的部署要求，明体达用、体用贯通，为新时代高校德育美育融合发展提供了丰富的理论滋养和实践指引。

The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions must adhere to the interconnection between historicity and contemporaneity. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought emphasizes the need to draw nourishment and wisdom from the excellent traditional culture accumulated by the Chinese nation over generations, to continue the cultural genes, extract the essence of thought, and display spiritual charm. In the process of integrating moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions, it is also necessary to adhere to the interconnection between historicity and contemporaneity, draw nourishment from the deep soil of excellent traditional Chinese culture, allow young students to feel the beauty of morality and art through its influence, and at the same time carry out innovative development in light of the characteristics of the New Era, integrating excellent traditional Chinese culture into the modern system of integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, so that the integration of moral education and aesthetic education becomes a bridge connecting the past and the future.

高校德育美育融合发展必须坚持历史性与时代性相贯通。习近平文化思想强调要努力从中华民族世世代代形成和积累的优秀传统文化中汲取营养和智慧，延续文化基因，萃取思想精华，展现精神魅力。在高校德育美育融合发展的过程中，也要坚持历史性与时代性相贯通，从中华优秀传统文化的深厚土壤中汲取营养，让青年学生在其熏陶中感受道德之美、艺术之美，同时结合新时代特点进行创新发展，将中华优秀传统文化融入现代德育美育融合发展体系之中，让德育美育融合贯通成为连接过去和未来的桥梁。

The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions must adhere to the unity of theory and practice. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought emphasizes the unity of cultural theory and cultural practice. In the process of promoting the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, higher education institutions must both focus on the construction of a theoretical system, deeply studying the theoretical foundation, goal orientation, content system, methods and strategies of the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, and constructing a scientific and systematic theoretical framework; and also focus on the exploration of practical pathways, paying attention to transforming the theoretical achievements of the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education into educational practice, through developing integrated moral education and aesthetic education courses with Chinese characteristics, holding rich and colorful integrated moral education and aesthetic education activities, and constructing an integrated moral education and aesthetic education system involving the collaboration of families, schools, and society, allowing young students to experience through participation and grow through experience.

高校德育美育融合发展必须坚持理论性与实践性相统一。习近平文化思想强调文化理论与文化实践的统一。高校在推进德育美育融合发展的过程中，既要注重理论体系的构建，深入研究德育美育融合发展的理论基础、目标定位、内容体系、方法策略等，构建一套科学、系统的理论框架；也要注重实践路径的探索，注重将德育美育融合发展的理论成果转化为教育实践，通过开发具有中国特色的德育美育融合课程、举办丰富多彩的德育美育融合活动、构建家校社协同的德育美育融合体系等方式，让青年学生在参与中体验、在体验中成长。

The integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions must adhere to the combination of national character and international character. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought embodies the organic unity of national character and international character. In the process of promoting the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, higher education institutions must also always adhere to the dialectical unity of national character and international character, strive to build an open, inclusive, and eclectic educational system, both promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and drawing on advanced educational concepts and methods from around the world.

高校德育美育融合发展必须坚持民族性与世界性相结合。习近平文化思想体现着民族性与世界性的有机统一。高校在推进德育美育融合发展的过程中，也要始终坚持民族性与世界性的辩证统一，致力构建开放包容、博采众长的教育体系，既弘扬中华优秀传统文化，又借鉴世界先进的教育理念和方法。

Accurately grasp the practical requirements of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions.

准确把握习近平文化思想对高校德育美育融合发展的实践要求

On the new journey of the New Era, to accurately grasp the practical requirements of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions, we must unswervingly adhere to the leadership of the Party, uphold the supremacy of the people, and uphold the principle of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, [3] striving to promote the deep integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education.

新时代新征程，准确把握习近平文化思想对高校德育美育融合发展的实践要求，就要矢志不渝地坚持党的领导、坚守人民至上、秉持守正创新，奋力推动德育美育深度融合发展。

Adhere to the leadership of the Party to consolidate the political guarantee for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. In the process of integrating moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions, it is necessary to strengthen the Party’s overall leadership over moral education and aesthetic education work in higher education institutions, integrate fostering virtue through education into the action of aesthetic education infiltration, [4] improve the moral education work system, perfect the aesthetic education work mechanism, and promote the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education through infiltration. The Party’s educational policy must be implemented throughout the entire process of the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. Through forms such as moral education courses and aesthetic education activities, ideals and beliefs, values, and moral norms should be integrated into the daily study and life of young students, focusing on cultivating their moral character, aesthetic literacy, and sense of social responsibility.

坚持党的领导，筑牢高校德育美育融合发展的政治保证。在高校德育美育融合发展的过程中，要加强党对高校德育美育工作的全面领导，将立德树人融入美育浸润行动之中，健全德育工作体系，完善美育工作机制，在浸润中推动德育美育融合发展。要将党的教育方针贯穿高校德育美育融合发展的全过程，通过德育课程、美育活动等形式，将理想信念、价值观念、道德规范等融入青年学生日常学习和生活中，注重培养其道德品质、审美素养和社会责任感。

Adhere to the supremacy of the people to firmly grasp the value orientation of the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. The people’s standpoint is the fundamental political standpoint of the Communist Party of China, and it is also the value orientation of the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education. In the process of promoting the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education, higher education institutions must focus on cultivating young students’ innovative spirit and practical ability, enhancing their aesthetic literacy and humanistic literacy, and providing strong support for the comprehensive development of young students. Attention must be paid to the fairness and inclusiveness of education. By optimizing the allocation of educational resources, strengthening the construction of the teaching staff, and improving the educational evaluation system, the educational gap should be narrowed, allowing every student to grow and develop through the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education.

坚持人民至上，把牢高校德育美育融合发展的价值取向。人民立场是中国共产党的根本政治立场，也是德育美育融合发展的价值取向。高校在推进德育美育融合发展的过程中，要注重培养青年学生的创新精神和实践能力，提升青年学生的审美素养和人文素养，为青年学生全面发展提供有力支撑。要注重教育的公平性和普惠性，通过优化教育资源配置、加强师资队伍建设、完善教育评价体系等方式，缩小教育差距，让每个学生都能在德育美育融合发展中成长成才。

Adhere to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground to explore new pathways for the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions. In the process of integrating moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions, it is necessary to both uphold excellent traditional Chinese culture, deeply excavate and inherit the moral education and aesthetic education resources within it, such as the values of benevolence and propriety in Confucian thought, as well as aesthetic forms like poetry, song, calligraphy, and painting, integrating them into the practice of integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education; and also actively draw on advanced educational concepts and methods from around the world, strengthen international cultural exchange and cooperation, and carry out localized transformation and innovation in light of China’s actual conditions, injecting a continuous stream of vitality into the integrated development of moral education and aesthetic education in higher education institutions.

坚持守正创新，探索高校德育美育融合发展的新路径。在高校德育美育融合发展的过程中，既要坚守中华优秀传统文化，深入挖掘和传承中华优秀传统文化中的德育美育资源，如儒家思想中的仁爱、礼义等价值观念，以及诗词歌赋、书画艺术等审美形式，将其融入德育美育融合发展实践；又要积极借鉴世界先进的教育理念和方法，加强国际文化交流与合作，结合中国实际进行本土化改造与创新，为高校德育美育融合发展注入源源不断的活力。

(Author: Chen Xiaohong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Fujian Normal University)

（作者：陈晓红，系福建师范大学党委副书记）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧