At least 37 top colleges and universities across China are set to offer a new ideological and political course called “Xi Thought” at the start of the Chinese New Year.
The course will methodically expound Chinese President Xi Jinping’s take on socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era.
According to several scholars, “Xi Thought” has been consolidated into China’s ideological and political education by People’s Liberation Army (PLA) authorities in a bid to cultivate a group of young people who are faithful to the leaders in power to not follow the likes of the youths protesting in Hong Kong.
As per an article published by the Chinese Ministry of Education in the Communist Party’s Journal in September, the course will be added to the curriculum in the fall semester of the current year.
According to public information, top universities with major national Marxist colleges like the Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Renmin University of China are to initiate the course.
The courses are reportedly set to be quickly rolled out everywhere across China with China Youth Daily reporting that the compulsory “Xi Jinping’s Introduction to Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era” course is generally offered to 2020 undergraduates.
Xi Thought or Xi Jinping Thought is a set of policies and ideals which are derived from the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.
The first official mention of the course was at the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress, in which it was incorporated into the Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party.
On March 11, 2018, the preamble of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China was amended to mention the Xi Xinping Thought at the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress.
The course will have a total of 16 lectures out of which 14 will be theoretical and two will be the practical teaching of “Xi Jinping’s New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the Land of Beijing”.
Pertaining to the current circumstances of the world, President Xi had said that the administration of ideological and political courses should be viewed in the context of the major changes in the world and the development of the party and the country.
“Our party is determined to make great achievements for the Chinese nation. It must train generations of useful talents who support the leadership of the Communist Party of China and my country’s socialist system and are determined to fight for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for life. This requires us to educate and train the next generation well. Grabbed from school, grabbed from a doll.” said Xi.
