To further implement the instructions from General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech on promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, Party schools in the Yangtze River Delta region have leveraged their respective advantages, deepened cooperation, empowered each other, and actively promoted joint contribution and sharing in official education and training, scientific research, and think tank development. On the morning of September 18, the opening ceremony of the seminar for competent key teachers, researchers and consultants on the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, co-organized by the four provincial Party schools of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, was held in Shanghai. The competent key teachers, researchers and consultants from seven Party schools in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Ningbo gathered to jointly study and conduct in-depth discussions on the joint contribution and sharing in teaching, research and consultation-related work of Party schools in the Yangtze River Delta region. LUO Feng, Vice President of Shanghai Party Institute of CPC (hereinafter referred to as “SPI”), attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. LI Meng, Director of the Division of Scientific Research Management, SPI, presided over the ceremony.

This seminar adopted phased intensive training. Phase I was organized and implemented by SPI, which lasted for 3 days. The other three phases were organized and implemented by the Party schools of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui Provincial Committees of the CPC, respectively. The conveners of each Party school were the directors in charge of the Division of Scientific Research Management, Decision-making and Consultation Department, and Teaching and Research Departments, and the class leader was rotated by the conveners of the four provincial Party schools of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

Focusing on the founding mission of Party schools, which was put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the celebration of the 90^th anniversary of the founding of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, to foster talent and contribute wisdom to the CPC, and adhering to problem orientation, this seminar stepped up efforts to promote local development in the Yangtze River Delta region and gave full play to the role of the Yangtze River Delta region as a source of power in further comprehensively deepening reform. Multiple forms, including special lectures, on-site teaching, exchanges, discussions and student forums were adopted to share experience, discuss issues and launch results. After consultation and discussion, the seminar focused on three aspects.

We should insist on getting united and deepening research efforts on major issues. On November 30, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed, at the symposium on advancing the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, coordinating scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, leading role with each strong point demonstrated, hardware connectivity with mechanism coordination, and environmental protection with economic development. With a focus on key and priority issues in coordinating the foregoing aspects, the seminar carried out in-depth and systematic research, put forward farsighted and practical countermeasures and suggestions, strengthened the transformation and application of scientific research results, actively made suggestions to the Party committees and governments, and provided intellectual support for the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

We should build a consensus on pooling strengths and strengthen awareness of decision-making and consultation. The seminar has kept track of the latest developments and trends in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, better understood the actual needs of local governments, enterprises, and society, deeply analyzed the bottlenecks and outstanding issues in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, established and improved a tracking and feedback mechanism for decision-making consulting results, strengthened communication and coordination with relevant departments, and promoted the transformation of consulting results into actual policies and work measures to ensure that decision-making consultation is targeted, accurate and efficient and helps promote high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

We should set “high-quality” goals and focus on effectively transforming learning outcomes. The “Six Ones” result was gradually formed during the seminar. A blue book shall be published every year, with the conveners of the four Party schools of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui taking turns to serve as editors-in-chief. A series of books shall be jointly launched by the Party schools in the Yangtze River Delta region to showcase the vivid practice of the Yangtze River Delta region in leading Chinese modernization. A series of topics shall be conducted for in-depth research, under the leadership of the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, with Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui Provinces each leveraging their strengths. A series of academic papers shall be published in columns in the journals of the four Party schools of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui by citing the latest economic data, policy documents and actual cases in the Yangtze River Delta region, to improve the timeliness and practicality of the research. A series of decision-making consultation reports based on research results shall be submitted to relevant departments as policy proposals on high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, with specific policy recommendations and practical solutions. A series of courses, covering a main course, case-based teaching, and several sub-courses, shall be jointly developed by the Party schools in the Yangtze River Delta region on the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

After the opening ceremony, the students all said that the unity of knowledge and doing is an important manifestation of the Party schools’ efforts in promoting and pursuing integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta is a long-term and arduous task. The students said they all will particularly cherish this opportunity to attend this seminar to listen earnestly, think thoroughly, and communicate actively. They will stay patient and resilient and make persistent efforts to contribute their wisdom and strengths to the high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.