Strengthening Cultural Confidence and Preparing for the New Era: First Lecture of the New Semester by LIU Hongyi, Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen University Committee
On the afternoon of March 13, Liu Hongyi, Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen University Committee, gave the first lecture of the new semester on moral education in the South Hall of SZU Library. The topic of the lecture was “Strengthening Cultural Confidence and Being College Students with a Soul for the New Era”. More than 200 teachers and student representatives attended the lecture. Liu Hongyi began his speech with the keyword “culture”. He explained the importance of the soul for a nation and the ways of strengthening the cultural confidence and encouraged students to become college students with a soul for the new era.
Liu Hongyi first explained what culture is. He began from the evolution of the three Chinese characters ren “人”、wen “文”、hua “化”, inscribed on bones dating from the Shang Dynasty, and the relationship between the two English words, “culture”and“nature”, so as to explain that culture is humanization. He suggested that culture leads people towards a life of virtue rather than of vice; that the essence of human beings is culture, and culture is an essential and distinct feature of human beings.
Liu Hongyi proceeded to illustrate the significance of the soul to a country and a people, with Jewish culture as an example. He said, “If the soul of the people persists, a decayed country can be revived. If the soul of the people perishes, a prosperous country can be destroyed.” He indicated that although the Jewish people have experienced twists and turns in history and Jews are scattered all over the world, the Jewish culture has a strong power which serves as the spiritual bond and the core value of the Jewish people. It is because of this strong cohesive power that modern Israel is able to create an economic miracle. Therefore, culture is the soul of a country and its people. It is vital to the development of a country.
Strengthening cultural confidence is of great significance to the development of our country. Liu Hongyi pointed out that cultural confidence was put forward on the basis of the great achievements of China's reform and opening-up policy and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Over the past 30 years since the reform and opening-up policy, China's economy has developed rapidly. China has made various economic and social developments, creating one economic miracle after another, which has boosted our confidence. At the same time, however, facing profound and complex changes at home and abroad, China also needs to respond to a series of opportunities and challenges. Liu said that to strengthen cultural confidence, we must first establish a positive and confident attitude, neither inferior nor conceited; secondly, we must establish a dialectical method of historical thinking. He pointed out that cultural confidence is the confidence both of the spirit and the root.
During the lecture, Liu Hongyi interacted with students on issues such as “what is culture”, “why must people have a soul”, and “how can we strengthen cultural confidence”. Students expressed their opinions enthusiastically and showed a high degree of concern and interest in these issues.
On the topic of “How to be a college student with a soul for the new era?” Liu Hongyi indicated that SZU had issued the “Outline of Cultural Innovation Development of Shenzhen University”, which is designed to help the faculty and students in building cultural confidence. The Outline promotes a transition from the pursuit of “SZU speed” to the pursuit of “SZU quality” and “SZU mode” through carrying out ten major projects concerning university spirit, moral education and professional ethics, to increase the hard power and realize intensive development. Furthermore, Liu Hongyi encouraged students in the Shenzhen Special Zone to cultivate four qualities: First, to be spiritually strong and to adhere to the socialist core values with clear goals, firm beliefs and determination. Second, to be able to make wise judgement and be able to distinguish right from wrong, by using our own rational and independent judgment. Third, to be innovative, to absorb the dialectical and complementary eastern wisdom and to utilize the great achievements of human civilization to improve our overall quality and innovate our ways of thinking; Fourth, to be action-oriented, resilient and be able to bear hardships.
In the lecture, Liu Hongyi combined concrete analyses and data charts to explain the issues. He used rich quotations which enabled the audience to fully comprehend the profound connotation of cultural confidence, inspiring them to strengthen their ideals and aspirations, to be ambitious but down-to-earth, and to shoulder the mission of the New Era. The lecture ended in a big round of applause.
(Department of Public Relations)
