Exploration and Innovative Research on the Training of Party Branch Secretaries of Students in Colleges and Universities in the New Era ()
1. Introduction
The regulations on the work of grassroots organizations in ordinary colleges and universities of the Communist Party of China point out that in order to thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, it is necessary to uphold and strengthen the party’s overall leadership over ordinary colleges and universities, and to strengthen and improve party building in colleges and universities. As the party’s grass-roots organization, the party branch is the foundation of all the party’s work and combat effectiveness. It has the main responsibilities of educating, managing, supervising, serving party members, organizing, propaganda, cohesion, and serving the masses.
However, the secretary of the party branch of college students, as the leader of the party’s grass-roots organization, is the “leading goose” for the implementation of the party’s line, principles, policies and various work tasks at the grass-roots level (Li, 2015). In the new era, how to innovate the training of party branch secretaries of college students and build a team of leaders of grass-roots party organizations with strong ideology and politics and excellent work style is a major task facing the party building work in colleges and universities.
2. The Significance of Exploration and Innovation Research on the Training of Party Branch Secretaries of Students in Colleges and Universities
2.1. Party Building Work in Colleges and Universities Has a Strong Function of Ideological and Political Education
As the main front of higher education, colleges and universities have the responsibility of talent training, scientific research, and social service, and shoulder the major task of cultivating socialist career builders and successors who develop morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor in an all-round way (Xi, 2016). In the political direction, we should explore effective ways to integrate the socialist core values into the process of cultivating people with morality, so as to realize the education of all employees, the whole process of education, and the all-round education. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the “2016 National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities” that “our colleges and universities are colleges and universities under the leadership of the party and socialist colleges with Chinese characteristics. We must adhere to the guidance of Marxism and fully implement the party’s educational policy (Xi, 2016).” Party building in colleges and universities is an important starting point for talent training and moral cultivation in colleges and universities, and it has the function of ideological and political education, while college student party branches are the bridge and link between the party and young college students, and are mainly responsible for the education, management, supervision and service of college students’ party members, etc. and obey the arrangements of the higher party organization, publicity and implement the party’s line, principles and policies. Therefore, it is of great political significance to innovate, explore and study the training of party branch secretaries in colleges and universities.
2.2. The Quality of College Student Party Branch Secretary Is Related to the Development Quality and Educational Effect of College Student Party Members
In the new era, the requirements of college students’ party building work have changed from the emphasis on quantity in the past to the emphasis on quality. The student party branch of colleges and universities undertakes the important functions of developing party members and educating party members. At the same time, the secretary of the college student party branch is the first responsible person for the development of college students’ party members. Whether their party affairs knowledge is solid, party spirit cultivation is excellent, and work level is passed, which directly affects In the process of developing college students’ party members, it is necessary to strengthen the education of ideals and beliefs, and help college students’ party members to establish a correct world outlook, outlook on life, and values.”Practice has proved that training is an important channel to improve the quality, ability and work level of party branch secretaries, and an effective way to cultivate a team of high-quality leaders (Li, 2015)”.
2.3. Student Party Members Are an Important Force among CPC Members
College students are very valuable talent resources, and college student party members are the advanced elements in the college student group, and they are the firm and forerunners of spreading Marxism. However, as the secretary of the grass-roots student party branch in colleges and universities, as an important person responsible for educating, managing and supervising college students’ party members, cultivating party activists, and developing college students’ party members, its role is self-evident. Party committees and departments at all levels should attach great importance to their selection, management, and especially training.
3. Problems Existing in the Current Training of Party Branch Secretaries in Colleges and Universities
3.1. Insufficient Training of Party Branch Secretaries of College Students and Lack of Systematization
It is understood that the current colleges and universities do not pay enough attention to the training of student party branch secretaries, do not fully recognize the importance of the construction of the student party branch secretary team, and lack an effective mechanism for the training of student party branch secretaries. Some colleges and universities provide training for student party branch secretaries once a year, and some colleges and universities even have no training at all. Specifically, the current training content is still limited to the training level of the development procedures and requirements of student party members, which content is simple and the form is single. There is no corresponding ideological and political education, situational policy for student party branch secretaries in accordance with changes in the situation, and the training lack of pertinence and cutting-edge (Yan, 2011). In addition, there is a lack of in-depth research on training projects and topics; there is no good tracking and feedback mechanism for training results.
3.2. The Training of Party Branch Secretaries of College Students Is Not Closely Integrated with the Latest Achievements of the Sinicization of Marxism
The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that after long-term efforts, my country’s development has entered a new historical position—socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement of the Sinicization of Marxism, and it is an action guide for the entire Party and the whole people to strive for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”Once the Communist Party of China was established, it took the realization of communism as the party’s highest ideal and ultimate goal, and it took the historical mission of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation without hesitation (Xi, 2017).” At present, although the training of party branch secretaries in colleges and universities is mainly based on the theoretical teaching of party affairs, there is a lack of continuous in-depth systematic study and special training on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. To promote and popularize the major proposition of the times “what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to adhere to and develop, and how to adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics”, and then achieve the goal of educating and guiding the majority of advanced college students to strengthen their belief in communism, in order to realize the “two 100-year goal and the “Chinese Dream” of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
3.3. The Training Form of Party Branch Secretaries of College Students Is Single, and the Political Leading Function Is Not Obvious
At present, the training of party branch secretaries in colleges and universities mainly adopts the method of large class teaching and centralized training, which is limited by the traditional indoctrination education model, which is not interactive, and lacks case teaching, scenario simulation, online courses, and the exchange of work experience of excellent student party branch secretaries, etc. flexible and diverse teaching methods. In addition, it is understood that some colleges and universities currently focus on the “Party Member Development Manual” and the filling requirements and formats of various forms in the process of carrying out the training of party branch secretaries for students. The long-term opinion requires that the party history study, the party’s mass line education and practice activities, and the party’s loyalty education should be carried out on a regular basis, and the party branch secretary should be educated and guided to further learn the history, increase the trust, honor the morality, practice the history, and comprehend the history. Further comprehend the decisive significance of “two establishments”, resolutely achieve “two maintenances”, and firmly establish the purpose and awareness of serving the people wholeheartedly, thus highlighting the ideological and political leading role of the training of student party branch secretaries.
4. Countermeasures for the Training of Party Branch Secretaries of Students in Colleges and Universities in the New Era
4.1. Optimize the Top-Level Design, Carry out Large-Scale Research, and Scientifically Formulate the Annual Training Theme for Student Party Branch Secretaries
Party committees in colleges and universities should effectively play the leading role in the overall work of “setting a good direction, grasping major events, and developing good ideas”, and firmly establish the concept of “doing a good job in party building is the greatest political achievement”. The Organization Department of the Party Committee of the University shall lead the establishment of a training working group for the secretary of the Party Branch of the University, establish and improve the organization and staffing of Party schools at all levels, give full play to the leading role of Party schools in the Party’s theoretical education and Party spirit education, and build a multi-channel and multi-level training and education system, to form a new model of education and training that combines school-level party schools and college-level party schools. In addition, colleges and universities should attach importance to the research work before carrying out the training of student party branch secretaries, and then formulate the annual training theme for student party branch secretaries through in-depth and detailed understanding, and implement the training work in a planned way. At the same time, pay attention to the effectiveness of training, and carry out the “Student Party Branch Secretary Project” by adopting the “designated + self-selected” assessment form to scientifically grasp the training experience and ideological dynamics of student Party branch secretaries.
4.2. Guided by the “Spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Series of Important Speeches”, Comprehensively Strengthen the Party Building Training for College Students’ Party Branch Secretaries
After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Committee of the Party made a strategic deployment of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and united and led the whole Party to create a new situation in Party building. “Speaking clearly about politics is the fundamental requirement of our party as a Marxist party (Xi, 2018).” Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clarifies the direction, overall layout, and strategic layout of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and puts forward the general requirements for party building in the new era. In the new era, the training of party branch secretaries for grass-roots students in colleges and universities should focus on serving the overall situation, thoroughly implement the overall requirements of party building in the new era, and take the political building of the party as the guide. Strengthen the education of Marxist theory and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the secretary of the student party branch to ensure that the party’s principles and policies in the new era can be effectively implemented in colleges and universities, thereby consolidating the construction of college students’ party branches, promoting the ideals and beliefs of college students’ party members, and giving full play to the function of party building and educating people.
4.3. Grasp the Study and Training of Party Branch Secretaries of College Students by Classification, and Highlight the Function of Political Leadership
The training of party branch secretaries of college students is a systematic project. In addition to the training of party affairs knowledge, it should also include training to improve the quality of organization, management, and scientific research capabilities. In the process of carrying out the training of party branch secretaries of students in colleges and universities, we must be good at evaluating big data in combination with party building work, adhere to the principle of problem orientation, and adopt case teaching, special lectures, advanced typical reports, and exchange seminars, “Menu-style” centralized training and online course training, according to the needs of the quality and ability construction of student party branch secretaries to do a good job in the training of student branch secretaries by classification and layering. For example, for the new student party branch secretary, it is necessary to highlight the systematic training of work content and requirements, work experience skills and situational policies (Qi, Liu, & Li, 2011). For student party branch secretaries who have solid knowledge of party affairs, excellent work, and certain scientific research ability, they can choose to go out to participate in “research activities” carried out by higher-level party schools and party affairs departments, focusing on promoting work and strengthening their ability to perform their duties and party building research. In addition, colleges and universities must realize that the training of student party branch secretaries not only has an educational function, but also has a political leading function. By carrying out activities such as the exchange of work experience of outstanding student party branch secretaries, advanced typical reports and other activities at the training conference, the advanced ones are commended and an atmosphere of party affairs work that strives for excellence is created.
5. Conclusion
This paper follows the growth law of college student party branch secretaries, from the perspective of strengthening party building and educating people, combined with the political functions of party branches and college student party branch secretaries, which considers training strategies from the aspects of system construction, classification training, and ideological guidance. Inevitably, due to the limitations of the author’s understanding and practice, the research on the training forms and carriers of party branch secretaries in colleges and universities and the “integrated development of party building” still needs to be strengthened.
Fund Project
The 13th Five-Year Plan of Guangdong Province Philosophy and Social Sciences 2020 Disciplinary Co-construction Project “Research on Educational Intervention of Rural Left-behind Children with Learning Disabilities Driven by Cognitive Intelligence” (No. GD20XJY06).