On February 14th, the Fourth Plenary (Expanded) Session of the Fourth Committee of the Communist Party of China at Jiangsu University of Science and Technology (JUST) was held. The main venue was located at the Chuan Yuan Theater on the Changshan Campus, with additional branch venues set up across various schools of the Changshan Campus, the Mengxi Campus, and the Zhangjiagang Campus. Members of the University Party Committee and all faculty members attended the meeting. Yang Jianxin, Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC) Jiangsu University of Science and Technology Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a work report. Ji Chunyan, President of JUST, also presented a work report. Other university leaders, including Pan Jinquan, Ren Nan, An Xiangwei, Li Muwang, Shi Weidong, Zhou Honggen, and Ye Yonglin, attended the meeting at the main venue. The entire faculty of the university came together to chart a blueprint for the institution's high-quality development, demonstrating unwavering determination to forge a new chapter in the construction of a high-level university.
In 2024, the university will be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, the 2nd and 3rd plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the National Education Conference, conscientiously study and implement the spirit of Xi Jinping's important speech on the work of Jiangsu, deeply carry out the decisions and deployments made by the central government and the provincial committee, insist on the Communist Party of China's (CPC) overall leadership of the work of the university, implement the basic task of fostering virtue through education and comprehensively push forward the High-level university construction. The university is ranked 139th among Chinese universities in the 2024 Soft Science Ranking of Chinese Universities by a third-party evaluation agency. It holds the 138th position in the latest Nature Index ranking among mainland Chinese universities and is placed 145th in the ESI subject rankings within domestic higher education institutions.
The year 2025 signifies a pivotal period for the comprehensive layout and high-level advancement of building a strong educational nation. It marks the concluding year of the 14th Five-Year Plan（2021-2025） and the preparatory year for the 15th Five-Year Plan（2026-2030）. It is also the decisive year for the construction of Jiangsu's high-level university peak plan and the deepening year for implementing the spirit of the Fourth Party Congress of the university. The entire academic community of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology will unite with unwavering determination and vigorous effort, striving towards the goal of establishing a distinctive, internationally renowned high-level university.
Yang Jianxin, Secretary of CPC Jiangsu University of Science and Technology Committee, delivered a work report titled Action as the Priority, Innovation as the Key, Striving to Create a New Phase in the Construction of a High-Level University. He highlighted that over the past year, the university has strengthened the Communist Party of China's (CPC) comprehensive leadership, achieving new successes in high-quality development under the Party's guidance. The university has also fortified its foundations and built strong bulwarks, leading to a fresh atmosphere in Party building. Furthermore, by fostering a harmonious campus environment, there has been a notable shift towards a positive climate for entrepreneurship and initiative.
Yang Jianxin, on behalf of the University Party Committee, proposed three key work directives for the year 2025 to ensure effective execution of tasks. Firstly, it is essential to understand and adapt to the current trends, seizing opportunities with a resolute determination to maintain the initiative and make strategic moves. The university must capitalize on the opportunities presented by the development of higher education and Jiangsu's pioneering and exemplary development strategy to gain a competitive edge. It is crucial to confront external competitive pressures, the alignment of disciplinary characteristics with industrial upgrading, and internal developmental challenges with confidence. Recognizing the situation and clarifying the direction, the university should adhere to the principles of maintaining integrity while innovating, fostering university-local collaboration, and integrating industry with education.
Secondly, action must be prioritized, tackling difficulties head-on, and uniting efforts to forge a new phase in the construction of a high-level university. The university should update its development philosophy, shape new developmental momentum, and maintain a systematic approach with an emphasis on comprehensive planning. It should promote integrated development, conduct in-depth research, and persist in making targeted efforts for major breakthroughs to enhance innovative capabilities. High-quality Party construction should lead the development of a high-level university, with the political construction of the Party always taking precedence. Strengthening the construction of grassroots Party organizations, the university should plan, deploy, advance, and assess Party construction alongside professional work. Characteristic development should empower the construction of a high-level university, highlighting the essence of education, forging the backbone of the industry, anchoring strategic directions, reinforcing distinctive advantages, deepening collaborative innovation, activating innovative momentum, attracting and nurturing leading talents, and creating developmental engines. The university must persist on the path of strategic synergy with industry and region, seize opportunities, anchor the direction of integrated development, build systems, solidify the foundation of integrated development, and expedite the demonstration of the university's science and technology park construction. It should cultivate a cadre of loyal, clean, and responsible officials, liberate thinking and transform perspectives, have the courage to take responsibility, dare to act, and uphold political integrity and bottom lines. The university must continuously improve its precision governance, strengthen resource optimization and cost-efficiency measures, optimize resource allocation, empower with digital technology, enhance governance efficiency, prioritize the well-being of teachers and students, and stimulate internal motivation.
Thirdly, it is imperative to strengthen responsibility, persevere with tenacity, and advance the comprehensive strict governance of the Party with a reformist spirit and stringent standards. The university must strictly implement the political responsibility of inspection and rectification, firmly safeguard the bottom lines of safety, stability, and ideology, deepen the construction of work style, and fortify disciplinary defenses to provide a strong political guarantee for the construction of a high-level university.
Ji Chunyan, President of JUST, presented a work report titled Cultivating with Meticulous Effort, Strategizing with Pragmatic Responsibility, and Delicately Depicting a New Panorama of High-Quality Development. The report reviewed the university's achievements and highlights of the year 2024 and outlined the work plan for the year 2025.
The report delineates that in 2025, the university will concentrate on Party construction, high-quality development, and resource condition guarantees, having identified 13 key annual tasks and 74 annual objectives for Party and administrative work.
President Ji Chunyan emphasized the significant importance of executing the 2025 tasks with excellence, particularly by dedicating full efforts to complete the construction tasks of the peak plan with high quality. It is essential to focus intently on planning the development of discipline construction to high standards, to integrate resources for an organized enhancement of competitive advantages in industry sectors, to proactively strive to revitalize educational resources both on and off-campus, and to engage in forward-looking planning to comprehensively initiate the 15th Five-Year development plan for the university's undertakings.
Ji Chunyan articulated three hopes and requirements for the high-quality completion of all tasks. Firstly, building a high-level university requires unity and overcoming difficulties. The entire university must maintain a strong resolve to keep its principles and ambitions unchanged, persisting in an indefatigable spirit and a forward-striving attitude. It should possess the boldness and courage to innovate and tackle tough challenges, not only pursuing the goal of building a high-level university but also genuinely comparing and surpassing all tasks within the ranks of high-level universities. Secondly, constructing a high-level university necessitates focusing on key areas and strategic planning. It should concentrate on improving the quality of talent cultivation, deepening discipline construction, enhancing research standards, attracting and nurturing high-end talents, and achieving breakthroughs in significant and important results. Scientific planning and resource concentration are required to tackle difficulties with precision and unity. Thirdly, building a high-level university should leverage strengths and opportunities, and be adept at learning. It should seize policy opportunities to gain external support, utilize industry trends to deepen the integration of industry and education, harness the power of alumni to build a development network, and be skilled in learning to promote self-innovation, thereby serving the industry and local economic and social development with stronger capabilities and higher standards.
Yang Jianxin called upon all faculty and staff to uphold the principle of action as the priority, bolster confidence, rise to challenges, and strive with vigor to transform the constant sense of responsibility into a proactive force that ensures confidence in every task. He urged immediate action and swift execution to carve out new horizons for the university's development and to strive diligently towards the goal of building a distinctive, internationally renowned high-level university.
All departments and units have delved into in-depth study and discussion of the new semester work reports presented by the Secretary and the President. There is a consensus that the reports have clear objectives, specific tasks, and robust measures, providing clear direction for the work of the new semester. Everyone has expressed that the achievements of the university are inspiring and motivating. They are committed to focusing on the central tasks of the university and driving the construction of a high-level university to new heights through practical actions, tangible results, and effective outcomes.