The predecessors of the School of Marxism Studies of Renmin University of China (RUC) are the Institute of Marxism-Leninism History (founded in 1956), the Theoretical Education Institute of Marxism (founded in 1986), and the Department of Chinese Communist Party History (enrollment began in 1956, formally founded in 1958). The Institute of Marxism-Leninism History and the Theoretical Education Institute of Marxism merged into the School of Marxism Studies in December 1996. In July 2003, the former School of Marxism Studies and the Department of Chinese Communist Party History merged to form the new School of Marxism Studies. Currently, the main teaching and research units of the School contain four teaching and research departments, including the Department of Basic Principles of Marxism, the Department of Chinese Marxism, the Department of Ideological and Political Education, and the Department of Modern Chinese History, two research institutes, including the Institute of Marxism-Leninism History and the Theoretical Education Institute of Marxism, as well as the Department of Chinese Communist Party History. In addition, there are some scientific research institutions affiliated to the School, such as the Chinese Socialism Research Center as a key research base of humanities and social sciences in Chinese universities, the Marxist Institute as a Marxism research base in Beijing, the Marxism and Chinese Path Collaborative Innovation Center, the Chinese Communist Party History and Theory Research Institute, and the Contemporary China Research Center. There are also some internal research institutions in the School, such as the Social Development Research Center, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Research Center, and the Ideological and Political Education Institute.
The School has established the most complete Marxist discipline system in China. It has the first-level discipline of Marxist theory (with 7 second-level disciplines under it, including the basic principles of Marxism, the history of Marxism, foreign Marxism, Chinese Marxism, ideological and political education, basic issues in modern Chinese history, and the building of the Party), which is the sole national key first-level discipline. Besides, the School also has Marxist philosophy, political economy, scientific socialism and international communist movement, the history of the Communist Party of China and other Marxist disciplines. Among them, the history of the Communist Party of China is the only national key second-level discipline in Chinese universities. The School has 12 doctoral stations. In addition to the aforesaid 10 second-level disciplines that recruit doctoral students, the School also established two professional doctoral stations with the approval of RUC, which are Chinese socialism and contemporary Chinese history.
The discipline of Marxist theory of RUC has been continuously strengthening its advantages, and has achieved outstanding results in discipline construction, personnel training, education and teaching, scientific research, and social services. Leading in the country, it has reached the top level in China, and will continue to deliver demonstration and radiation effects across the country and render increasing international influence. In September 2017, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission issued the Notice on Announcing the List of World’s First Class Universities and First Class Disciplines Construction, releasing the list of the universities and disciplines to be developed into first class ones in the world (referred to as “Double First Class”). The discipline of Marxist theory of RUC has been listed as a first-class discipline. According to the results of the fourth round of national discipline assessment published by China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education in December 2017, the discipline of Marxist theory of RUC was awarded Class A+.
Leading in the country, the discipline of Marxist theory of RUC is supported by many high-end platforms and scientific research institutions, such as the RUC Institute for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the first batch national key School of Marxism Studies, the Chinese Socialism Research Center as a key research base of humanities and social sciences in Chinese universities supported by the Ministry of Education, the Innovation Center for Top Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Universities of Beijing, the 21st Century Chinese Marxism Collaborative Innovation Center as a Chinese socialism theory collaborative innovation center for universities of Beijing, the Marxist Institute as a key research base in Beijing, the RUC Sub-center of Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the RUC Institute for Chinese Communist Party History and Construction, the RUC Marxism and Chinese Path Collaborative Innovation Center, the Contemporary China Research Center, the Social Development Research Center, the Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao Research Center, and the Ideological and Political Education Institute. The benign interaction and combined capabilities of the scientific research platforms promote joint decisive research on major theoretical and practical issues, such as Marxist basic theory, theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Chinese Marxism in the 21st century, and education and teaching of ideological and political theory courses, aiming to deliver high-standard and high-quality research results.
Since the new century, the School has actively developed foreign academic exchanges and cooperation, and is committed to cultivating international talents with innovative ability, critical thinking, practical skills, and international vision. In particular, in recent years, the School has greatly enhanced its level of internationalization. It has successively held several large-scale international academic conferences, such as “World Socialism and Chinese Path in the 21st Century”, “Marx and the Present Age: International High-end Forum Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Marx’s Birth”, and “The Communist Party of China and the Chinese Path: International Academic Workshop Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening Up”. In order for our teachers and students to get close to the international academic frontier, the School has invited internationally well-known scholars, such as David Mclellan, Joseph Nye, and Samir Amin to deliver academic seminars, lectures, and courses. So far, nearly 100 academic events have been held. At the same time, the School strongly supports and encourages teachers and students to study and conduct exchanges abroad. In the past three years, nearly 60 exchange students have been sent to more than 10 countries and regions. Teachers at the School going to the United States, Germany, the UK, Japan and other dozens of countries and regions to have friendly visits, short-term training, academic exchanges, and to participate in various international academic exchanges have reached more than 100 person-times. In addition, the School has established various forms of academic exchanges and cooperation with universities and research institutes in countries like the United States, the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and Japan and regions like Hong Kong and Taiwan.
