Let the Party’s Innovative Theory Enter the Brain, Enter the Heart, and Enter the Soul

As the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the twenty-first century, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is profound and extensive, covering all aspects of governance, involving numerous disciplines and fields, and the theory itself continuously develops along with the advancement of the practice of reform and change in the New Era. For instructors to teach the course “An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” well, they need a comprehensive grasp and deep understanding of this important thought, a profound insight into the times and society, a solid theoretical foundation and rich teaching practice themselves, and the ability to promptly summarize teaching laws and teaching methods, so as to ensure through an attractive classroom that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era enters the brain, enters the heart, and enters the soul.

作为当代中国马克思主义、二十一世纪马克思主义，习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想博大精深，涵盖治国理政方方面面，涉及众多学科众多领域，而且理论本身随着新时代变革实践的推进不断发展。授课教师要讲好“习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想概论”课，需要对这一重要思想有全面把握和深刻理解，对时代和社会有深刻洞察，自身具有扎实的理论功底和丰富的教学实践，并能及时总结教学规律与教学方法，以有吸引力的课堂保证习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想入脑入心入魂。

1. Constantly ask “what is gained from learning,” clarifying the teaching philosophy and teaching objectives of the course

1.时时追问“学有何获”，明确课程的教学理念和教学目标

To teach this course well, every teacher should ponder and constantly ask the question: What kind of course is this exactly? What gains can this course actually bring to students in various aspects? Clearly, this course is one that teaches systematic and profound thought, one that teaches theory that responds to reality, and one that teaches the politics of governance. Interest is the best teacher, and gain is the greatest motivation. If students cannot find points of interest and finish the course without a sense of gain, this course is doomed to lack appeal. To teach this course well, it must be carried out around what gains it can provide to students, allowing students to feel that learning can increase wisdom, that learning brings gains, and that what is learned can be used afterward. As long as there are gains and inspiration, even if the theory is challenging and understanding is difficult, students will certainly accept and identify with it.

讲好这门课，每位教师都应思考并始终追问的问题是：这究竟是一门什么样的课？这门课到底能给学生带来哪些方面的收获？显然，这门课是要讲系统深刻的思想的课，是要讲回应现实的理论的课，是要讲治国理政的政治课。兴趣是最好的老师，收获是最大的动力。如果学生不能找到兴趣点，上完课没有获得感，这门课就注定没有吸引力。讲好这门课，要紧扣能给学生提供什么样的收获展开，要让学生感受到学能增智、学有所获、学后能用。只要有收获、有启发，哪怕理论有挑战，理解有困难，学生也一定会接受和认同。

The concept that teachers should clearly explain to students and also earnestly convey in teaching is: thought has power, politics is the activity that most requires wisdom in human society, and theory is a body of knowledge whose great usefulness lies in its apparent uselessness. A person who achieves a great career must be one who recognizes early that thought has power and theory has great use, one who participates in the cause of the Party and the state and integrates into the process of the times and society. A qualified builder and successor of socialism must be one who masters the theoretical weapon of Marxism and the practical wisdom of governance, one who explores the knowledge that discerns and leads the times and possesses the ability to analyze and solve complex social problems. This course should allow students to perceive the power of contemporary Chinese Marxist thought, to appreciate the wisdom of the governance practice of Chinese Communists in the New Era, and to provide a methodology for understanding our times, our society, and our lives.

教师应该给学生讲清楚同时在教学中也应该认真传达的理念是：思想是有力量的，政治是人类社会最需要智慧的活动，理论是具有无用之大用的学问。一个成就一番事业的人，一定是及早认识到思想有力量、理论有大用的人，一定是参与到党和国家事业、融入时代和社会进程中的人。一个合格的社会主义建设者和接班人，一定是掌握马克思主义理论武器和治国理政实践智慧的人，一定是探求洞察时代、引领时代的学问和具备分析解决社会复杂问题能力的人。这门课应该让学生感悟当代中国马克思主义思想的力量，品鉴新时代中国共产党人治国理政实践的智慧，提供读懂我们的时代、我们的社会、我们的生活的方法论。

2. Strengthen awareness of the “two objects,” integrating the wisdom of governance with the principles of growing into talent

2.强化“两个对象”意识，融通治国理政智慧与成长成才道理

To teach this course well, teachers should understand the “two objects”: first, what is taught, i.e., Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; second, to whom it is taught, i.e., university students in the New Era. This means the difficulty of this course lies in how to make the guiding ideology for building a strong country, national rejuvenation, and governance, the contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism of the twenty-first century that discerns and leads the times, understood and identified with by university students who are still in school and have not truly entered society. To achieve this, teachers must truly learn, understand, and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era from the height of governance, responding to the times, and leading the future. If one only considers one’s own daily life, teaching experience, and scientific research work, it is impossible to truly understand the rich content contained in this important thought itself, as well as the major propositions and major judgments it puts forward.

讲好这门课，教师应该读懂“两个对象”：一是讲什么，即习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想；二是给谁讲，即新时代的大学生。这意味着这门课的难点就在于，如何将强国建设、民族复兴、治国理政的指导思想，洞察时代、引领时代的当代中国马克思主义、二十一世纪马克思主义，让还处于在校求学期间、没有真正走向社会的大学生们领会并且认同。做到这一点，教师要从治国理政、回应时代、引领未来的高度真正学懂弄通做实习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。如果只是从自己的日常生活、教学经验、科研工作考虑，是无法真正理解这一重要思想本身所包含的丰富内容以及所提出的重大命题、重大判断的。

In teaching Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to university students, the thread to grasp is the pursuit of the integration of the wisdom of governance with the principles of university students growing into talent and achieving great careers. The integration of the two is reflected in that, on the one hand, the content of this important thought can be narrated by drawing on the principles of university students’ growth, and on the other hand, the Party’s innovative theory can provide guidance and direction for university students to achieve great careers. When teaching this course, one must not distance it from students’ daily lives and core concerns; the Party’s innovative theory should be combined with the actual life of university students. When narrating the “big” theory of governance, one should always remember to trigger students’ “small” reflections on personal growth. For example, this important thought emphasizes comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, clarifying the next phased goals, i.e., basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 and fully building a modern socialist country by the middle of the twenty-first century. Students can be told that in their own growth process, they should also clarify their own phased goals. They should understand that if they only have long-term goals, they may feel lost if they cannot achieve them; if they only have short-term goals, they may not know where to strive next after achieving them. For another example, this important thought emphasizes the Party’s self-revolution, which actually emphasizes that the CPC should conform to the development of Chinese society and the historical process of human society, actively seek change to adapt to and lead the times. University students should also constantly change their thinking and enhance their abilities according to changes in their own lives and different stages of learning, achieving self-renovation. The wisdom and principles are interconnected.

将习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想讲给大学生，应该抓住的线索是追求治国理政的智慧与大学生成长成才、成就一番事业道理的融通。两者的融通体现在，一方面可以借助于大学生成长中的道理来讲述这一重要思想的内容，另一方面可以让党的创新理论为大学生成就一番事业提供引领和指导。讲这门课，一定不能远离学生的日常生活与核心关切，应把党的创新理论与大学生生活实际结合起来。应该在讲述治国理政“大”理论的时候，时刻记得引发学生个人成长的“小”思考。比如，这一重要思想强调以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，明确接下来的阶段性目标，即2035年基本实现社会主义现代化、21世纪中叶全面建成社会主义现代化强国，可以告诉学生在自身成长过程中也应该明确自己的阶段性目标。要明白如果只有远期目标，实现不了会感觉迷茫；只有近期目标，实现后可能不知道接下来该向何处努力。再比如，这一重要思想强调党的自我革命，实际上是强调中国共产党应顺应中国社会发展、人类社会历史进程主动寻求变革以适应时代、引领时代。大学生也应该根据自己生活的变化、学习阶段的不同，不断变革思维、提升能力，实现自我革新。其中的智慧与道理是相通的。

3. Highlight the problem orientation, realizing the transformation from textbook logic to teaching logic

3.突出问题导向，实现教材逻辑向教学逻辑的转化

Teaching cannot be separated from textbooks, but simply copying textbooks, reading teaching courseware verbatim, and thinking about covering all the content of textbooks and courseware in every class makes it impossible to teach well. One must understand the difference between textbook logic and teaching logic: textbooks pursue systematic construction, while teaching emphasizes problem orientation; textbooks pursue comprehensive viewpoints, while teaching emphasizes highlighting key points; textbooks pursue rigorous and precise language, while teaching emphasizes vivid and vivid expression. Textbooks should highlight the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflect the completeness and systematicity of the thought, and each chapter should present as comprehensively as possible the core categories, major propositions, and important judgments involved in the relevant topic. On the basis of thoroughly studying the textbook and understanding the framework and structure of the textbook, teachers should follow teaching logic, do a good job of teaching design based on the textbook content but not limited to it, present their own understanding and viewpoints, encourage students to read the textbook carefully, and achieve complementarity between teaching content and textbook content. Teachers should also have an attitude of joint exchange and equal dialogue with students, adopt expressions that students can easily understand, use a tone that students can accept, and make their own language easy to understand and accept.

教学离不开教材，但简单地照搬教材、照读教学课件，每一次上课都想着把教材、课件的内容讲全，是不可能讲好课的。要理解教材逻辑与教学逻辑的不同，教材追求体系建构，教学则强调问题导向；教材追求观点全面，教学则强调重点突出；教材追求文字严肃严谨，教学则强调语言生动形象。教材要凸显习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的理论体系，要体现思想的完整性、系统性，每一章都要尽可能全面呈现相关专题涉及的核心范畴、重大命题、重要论断。教师要在研究透教材、搞明白教材框架结构安排的基础上，遵循教学逻辑，做好以教材内容为基础但又不局限于教材内容的教学设计，讲出自己的理解和观点，鼓励学生去细读教材，实现教学内容与教材内容的互补。教师还要有与学生共同交流、平等对话的态度，采用学生容易理解的表达，使用学生能够接受的语气，让自己的语言通俗易懂，易于接受。

The more profound and extensive the theory, the more it needs to be simplified; the richer the content, the more it needs to be clear and distinct. To teach this course well and pursue the transformation from the textbook system to the teaching system, one should achieve in teaching that each topic is simplified and the line of thought is clear and distinct. For example, when teaching the topic “Upholding and Developing Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era,” the logic that should be clarified is: how socialism with Chinese characteristics has come this far, what kind of socialism it is, what historical position it is in now, and how to proceed next. For example, when teaching the topic “Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Opening Up,” the logic that should be clarified is: why reform and opening up, why further comprehensively deepen reform? What exactly is reform, what is comprehensively deepening reform? What is the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform and what are the sub-goals around this overall goal? How to advance comprehensively deepening reform and opening up?

理论越是博大精深，越需要化繁为简；越是内容丰富，越需要清晰明了。讲好这门课，追求教材体系向教学体系的转化，应该做到在教学中每个专题都要化繁为简，思路清晰明了。比如讲“新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义”这个专题，应该明确的逻辑是：中国特色社会主义是如何一路走来的，是什么样的社会主义，现在处于什么样的历史方位，接下来如何走好。比如讲“全面深化改革开放”这个专题，应该明确的逻辑是：为什么要改革开放、为什么要进一步全面深化改革？究竟什么是改革、什么是全面深化改革？全面深化改革的总目标是什么以及围绕这一总目标的分目标是什么？如何推进全面深化改革开放？

In teaching, one cannot exert equal effort on the content involved in each topic; this requires adhering to the problem orientation in teaching and achieving prominent key points. Lecturing is directly for students, so one should ponder the questions that students may be interested in, the difficult problems they may be confused about or even question, such as “how to understand that socialism with Chinese characteristics is socialism and not some other ism,” “why is it said that ‘the Party is greater than the law or the law is greater than the Party is a false proposition,’” “why is ‘the Second Integration’ another ideological emancipation,” “how to understand the Party’s overall leadership,” etc. In one class session, several key questions should be determined; once determined, one must find ways to explain them deeply and thoroughly.

教学中对每个专题所涉及的内容不能平均用力，这就要求在教学中坚持问题导向，做到重点突出。讲课是直接讲给学生听的，应该琢磨学生可能会感兴趣的问题，可能会困惑甚至质疑的难题，比如“如何理解中国特色社会主义是社会主义而不是其他的什么主义”“为什么说‘党大还是法大是个伪命题’”“‘第二个结合’何以是又一次思想解放”“如何理解党的全面领导”等。一节课要确定好几个重点问题，确定好了一定要想方设法讲深讲透。

4. Deepen theoretical elucidation, supporting classroom teaching with profound academic research

4.深化学理阐释，以深厚的学术研究支撑课堂教学

When a course in ideological-political education speaks of politics, it does so through thought and theory. Without academic research, without unique viewpoints and insights, and divorced from reasoning, scholarly principles, and philosophical logic, it is impossible to truly teach it well. Only with academic research as support, with scientific research results as backing, can one possibly achieve the ability to cite extensively and draw upon knowledge at will. Teachers who give this course should engage in academic research related to the teaching content, recognizing that the content to be taught and the questions to be addressed in this course are all topics worthy of truly in-depth study. Academic questions should be discovered from teaching, using teaching to drive research, determining research topics and academic research directions. Research and academic content should be brought into the classroom for sharing, achieving a positive interaction and mutual reinforcement between teaching and scholarship.

思政课讲政治，是通过思想和理论来讲的。如果没有学术研究，没有独到的观点见解，离开道理、学理、哲理，不可能真正讲好。只有以学术研究作支撑，有科研成果作支撑，才有可能真正做到旁征博引、信手拈来。讲授这门课的教师，应该从事与教学内容相关的学术研究，认识到这门课所要讲授的内容、所要回应的问题，都是值得真正深入研究的课题。要从教学中发现学术问题，以教学来倒逼科研，确定科研选题、学术研究方向，要把科研、学术研究的内容拿到课堂上分享，实现教学与学术的良性互动、相得益彰。

What aspects of academic research should this course engage in? Several directions can be considered: First, conduct in-depth research around some major theses and important propositions, such as where the “newness” of the new form of human civilization lies, how to understand the “whole process” of whole-process people’s democracy, and how to understand the relationship between the common values of all humanity and the so-called “universal values” of the West. Second, focus on some core keywords and original categories, such as Chinese-path modernization, modernization of national governance, the new cultural life-form, cultural subjectivity, and a community with a shared future for mankind, carrying out planned long-term research. Third, conduct in-depth research on the important writings of General Secretary Xi Jinping, treating them as classic Marxist texts of the New Era to be read repeatedly, forming research results based on the texts as much as possible, and interspersing interpretations and sharing of these texts in teaching. Fourth, deepen research on the basic principles of Marxism related to this, such as the issue of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, the worldview and methodology of Marxism, and Marxist political party theory. Research on these aspects should be planned for the long term. Several research topics should be selected within the content of each chapter, frameworks and viewpoints should be tentatively presented in class, and they should be continuously refined through teaching and reflection over one semester after another, ultimately forming insightful articles. These research results should then be used to support teaching, using profound academic research to consolidate the teaching content.

这门课应该从事什么方面的学术研究呢？可以从几个方向考虑：一是围绕一些重大论断、重要命题进行深入研究，比如人类文明新形态“新”在哪里，如何理解全过程人民民主的“全过程”，如何理解全人类共同价值与西方所谓“普世价值”的关系等；二是聚焦一些核心关键词、原创性范畴，如中国式现代化、国家治理现代化、新的文化生命体、文化主体性、人类命运共同体等，开展有规划的长期研究；三是深入研究习近平总书记的重要文献，将其作为新时代马克思主义经典文献反复阅读，尽可能基于文献形成研究成果，并在教学中穿插对这些文献的解读分享；四是深化与之相关的马克思主义基本原理的研究，比如马克思主义中国化时代化问题、马克思主义的世界观与方法论问题、马克思主义政党理论等。对这些方面的研究应该做好长期规划，要在每一章内容中选定若干研究选题，在课堂上尝试性地讲出框架、讲出观点，在一个学期又一个学期的教学与思考中不断完善，最终形成有见地的文章，并以这些研究成果来支撑教学，用深厚的学术研究来夯实教学内容。

5. Organically integrate practical cases, guiding students toward constructive and forward-looking thinking

5.有机融入实践案例，引领学生建设性与前瞻性思考

Theory must be combined with practice; weighty ideas need to be presented in a down-to-earth manner. To teach this course well, one should flexibly employ teaching methods, focusing on using cases, stories, and data from the New Era to explain principles and theories, organically integrating cases from the transformative practices of the New Era into teaching to enhance its appeal and persuasiveness. We should be clear about why we use cases and what purpose they serve; the answer is to help students recognize the close relationship between this important thought and their own lives, to understand how its new categories, new propositions, and new judgments were formulated, and what role they have played in social development. In teaching, it should be made clear that only ideas capable of answering the questions of the times are genuine ideas, and that consciously responding to the questions of the times is the only way to achieve theoretical innovation. It was precisely through actively responding to the transformative practices of the New Era that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It should be made clear that the great achievements of the New Era were not easily won; without the guidance of scientific theory and the timely advancement of the guiding ideology, they would have been impossible.

理论要与实践相结合，厚重的思想需要通过接地气的方式来呈现。讲好这门课，要灵活运用教学方法，注重用新时代的案例、故事、数据来讲道理、讲理论，将新时代变革实践的案例有机融入教学，提升教学的吸引力、说服力。我们应该明确为什么要讲案例，讲案例是为了什么，答案是为了让学生认识到这一重要思想与自己生活的密切关系，明白其中的新范畴新命题新判断是如何提出来的，又对社会发展发挥了什么样的作用。在教学中应该讲清楚，能够回答时代问题的思想才是真正的思想，自觉回应时代问题才能实现理论创新。正是在对新时代变革实践的积极回应中，习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。应该讲清楚新时代所取得的伟大成就并不容易，如果没有科学理论的指导，没有指导思想的与时俱进，是不可能实现的。

Organically integrating practical cases from the New Era into teaching, telling cases is not the goal; one must guard against the phenomenon of telling cases for the sake of telling cases, where cases are unrelated to the theory. If a case is told very well, but it is disconnected from the thought and theory, it will not be of much help for students to truly understand the thought; such case-based teaching is a failure. Moreover, cases are only auxiliary, not the hard core of the course. A single class session is not suitable for too many cases. Turning a lecture into merely giving some examples to prove that a certain theoretical viewpoint is correct is not conducive to students’ identification with the thought itself. Telling cases is for the sake of telling thought and theory, for enabling students to use thought and theory to analyze and solve problems. Ideological-political education courses must not only face history and reality, but also face the future; they must lead students to deeply ponder the logic of China’s economic and social development. Ideological-political education courses cannot avoid touching on real problems. Good cases and good stories must contain the real problems of contemporary Chinese society. Students should be guided to engage in constructive and forward-looking thinking about the issues involved in the cases, enhancing their awareness, literacy, and ability to analyze and solve problems. Students should be guided to consciously apply what they have learned to the practice of the New Era, becoming qualified builders and successors of socialism.

将新时代变革实践有机融入教学，讲案例不是目的，要防止为了讲案例而讲案例、案例与理论无关的现象。案例讲得很好，但如果与思想、理论脱节，对于学生真正理解思想并没有太多帮助，那这样的案例教学是失败的。而且，案例只是辅助，不是课程的硬核。一堂课并不适合太多案例，把讲课变成只是举一些例子来证明某个理论观点是对的这种做法，不利于学生对思想本身的认同。讲案例是为了讲思想、讲理论，是为了让学生运用思想、理论来分析问题、解决问题。思政课不只是要面向历史、面向现实，更要面向未来，要引领学生深思中国经济社会发展前行的理路。思政课不能不触碰真问题，好的案例、好的故事一定包含着当今中国社会的现实问题，应该引导学生对案例所涉及的问题进行建设性和前瞻性思考，提升学生分析问题、解决问题的意识、素养和能力，引导学生将自己所学自觉运用到新时代实践中，做合格的社会主义建设者和接班人。

(Author: Chen Peiyong, Professor and Vice Dean of the School of Marxism, Peking University)

（作者：陈培永，系北京大学马克思主义学院副院长、教授）