MCLC: thought control at universities

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: joe alvaro <jjalvaro at student.cityu.edu.hk>
Subject: thought control at universities
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Source: South China Morning Post (1/5/12):
ttp://topics.scmp.com/news/china-news-watch/article/Thought-control-called-
for-at-universities

THOUGHT CONTROL CALLED FOR AT UNIVERSITIES
By Stephen Chen

Vice-President Xi Jinping has ordered universities to step up ideological
control of students and young lecturers ahead of the keynote 18th party
congress this autumn, CCTV reported yesterday. Xi is expected to succeed
President Hu Jintao in a new Politburo line-up at the Communist Party's
18th national congress - with the party seeking a smooth transition and
attempting to remove threats to its political control.

"University party organs must adopt firmer and stronger measures to
maintain harmony and stability in universities. Daily management of the
institutions should be stepped up to create a good atmosphere for the
success of the party's 18th congress," Xi said yesterday in Beijing at a
gathering of Communist Party representatives from universities.

The party, unnerved by a series of riots, demonstrations and strikes
caused by land seizures, pollution and labour disputes, is stepping up
control on different fronts - such as in propaganda, media and social
controls - to minimise political risks ahead of the congress. The
revolutions in the Middle East last year, along with online postings
calling for similar ones in China, have also put the party on high alert.

Universities have long been regarded as the most important stronghold for
the party's grip on ideology.

Liu Yandong , the highest-ranking woman in the party and in charge of
education, said a series of plans had been made - including holding
university presidents responsible for political missions, enhancing the
capability of leaders in managing universities, and having active and
strong party influence at the grass-roots level - to ensure the smooth
opening of the congress.

The transition of power from Hu to Xi will represent the passing of the
baton from the fourth-generation party leadership to the fifth, and
intense jockeying for power is expected in the coming months. Xi also
emphasised the importance of keeping an eye on lecturers, especially young
ones. "Young teachers have many interactions with students and cast
significant influence on them," Xi said, adding that their political
opinions and moral standards "have a very strong influence on students.
They also play a very important role in the spread of ideas".

Xi said universities must make it a paramount task to "instruct" the
thoughts of young lecturers and recruit more of them to join the party.

binglin.chen at scmp.com Copyright (c) 2012. South China Morning Post
Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.