On the morning of March 25, the first session of “Reading One Book Together" was successfully held inRoom 101, at Haihua Building. Professor ZENG Jun, Vice-president of Shanghai Party Institute, YAN Weiqi, chief journalistof Guang Ming Daily and author of The Power of Seeds--Exploring the Inner World ofZHONG Yang, and Professor CHU Yongquan, Deputy Dean of the Graduate School of Fudan University, attended the event and awarded the winning trainees.

The book for this session was The Power of Seeds--Exploring the Inner World of ZHONG Yang. Members of the four classes, namely the No. 115 Further-Study Class for Leading Cadres, the No. 57 Training Class for Young and Middle-aged Cadres, the No.70 Training Class for Division-level Cadres at Party and government organs, and the No.95 Training Class for New-Appointed-Division-level Civil Servants of institutions in Shanghai all read the book and wrote theirthought after reading it. Each class had elected the best ones, 14 of which, through strict selection and anonymous review,were respectively awarded the first, second, third and recognition prizes.

At the session, six trainees talked about their thought after reading the book. BI Pengyu said that ZHONG Yang, who more than once turnedbackdeterminedly when he was about to approach the peak of his career, is beyond the understanding of ordinary people. It was the four seeds of ideal,interest, belief and hope that endowedhim with extraordinary strength. ZHANG Mei said that ZHONG Yang pursued his dream all alone, which perfectly embodies the characteristics of Shanghai cadres: full of passion and creativity and dare to take responsibility. LIU Gang said that the seedscould be seen aschips of innovation, and the fight for the seedswas a white war. ZHONG Yang wouldbe pleased to see that the seedshave beenpassed downfrom generation to generation. ZHU Zhengwei said that the eternal Tibetan flowers blooming among the mountains and gravel symbolize a communists ideal of striving for the cause of the Party and the most magnificent cause and responsibility in the world. ZHANG Zhengrong said that ZHONG Yang interpreted the "spirit of seeds" with his perseveranceand life, and this spirit has become a summitthat all Party cadres aspire to and strive for in the new era. QI Feng said that we saw from the book a patriotic pacesetter, a diligent doer, a tireless endeavor and a silent contributorwith nobility.

YAN Weiqis introduction enablesus to go deeper into the spiritual world of Mr. ZHONG Yang, a member of the Communist Party of China, andtriggers contemplation by everyone about the original aspirationand mission of a Communist Party member. According to YAN Weiqi, it was his sincere love for the motherland that had helped ZHONG Yang get through the difficulties and dangers and become dedicated to the cause. Every leading cadre should learn from ZHONG Yang, cultivate a noble spirit, develop lofty personality, have a keen appreciation of the Party spirit, improve morality to a new level, and dedicate his passion and entire life to pursuinghis ideal.

Professor CHU Yongquans talkhelped us gain a better understanding of ZHONG Yangs inexhaustible passion for work and his charisma. Professor CHU said that ZHONG Young was a person who valued the people most and was problem-driven, light-hearted and well organized. "He passed away and we lost a mobile library and research office. It’s hard to find another man of his academic level in and outside Fudan." ZHONG Yang was not only an outstanding biologist, but also an outstanding administrator and educator. His sense of mission as a teacher, and his concern and love for his students, have become a beacon to illuminate the lives of many young students.

Since its publication, The Power of Seeds--Exploring the Inner World of ZHONG Yang has evoked in many people patriotism and a sense of responsibility. This 120,000-character report literature is written in a fluent style, profoundly deep and emotional. It depicts from nine aspects the spiritual world and real-life experiences of Mr. ZHONG Yang, showing an advanced Communist Party members purity and richness at the spiritual level, and reproducing a great communist who would always remain in our memory.

"Reading One Book Together" is an event co-organized by Shanghai Party Institute, Jiefang Daily, Shanghai Peoples Publishing House and other institutions. The purposes of such an event are mainly as follows: first, to help trainees develop the habit of reading and highlight the role of "reading" in improving leading cadres’ grasp on the Party spirit and theories. As General Secretary XI Jinping once said at the new-term-opening ceremony of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC that reading is an important way for leading cadres to strengthen their understanding of the Party spirit, be firm about their ideal and belief, and improve their mental state. Leading cadres should take into reading, read good books, and become a wise reader. Secondly, the fact that different trainees read one same book can inspire them to learn and share. From time to time, Shanghai Party Institute would recommend trainees to read classic and contemporary works, which not only enables trainees to keep up with the times, but also allows them to look at the same thing from different perspectives. A better learning environment is created through such brainstorming. Finally, it helps spread the beautifully written articles by traineesatShanghaiParty Institute. A certain number of articles will beselected and published on relevant media, so that the public can get a glimpse of the beautiful minds of the trainees atShanghai Party Institute.