The Celebration Site (photo by He Ming)
Editor’s Note: Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) is the earliest institution of higher learning in political science and law after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It was formerly known as Southwest People’s Revolution University founded in 1950, with Liu Bocheng, one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army, serving as the president. Southwest College of Political Science and Law was founded on the basis of the Department of Political Science and Law of Southwest People’s Revolution University in 1953, with General Zhou Baozhong, an Anti-Japanese national hero and former commander-in-chief of the Second Route Army of the Northeast Allied Anti-Japanese Army, serving as the first president. It was accredited as one of the National Key Universities by the State Council in 1978; approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council in 1993 as a doctorate-granting institution; renamed Southwest University of Political Science and Law with the approval of the former State Education Commission in 1995; approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council as one of the first batch of doctorate-granting institutions in law as a first-level discipline in 2003; approved by the State Ministry of Personnel to set up a post-doctoral research station in law in 2004; approved by the Political and Legal Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Ministry of Education to be among the first batch of Excellent Legal Talents Education and Cultivation Bases in August 2012; became a university jointly built by the Ministry of Education and the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government in October 2012; selected as among the universities under the National Basic Ability Construction Project of Western and Central China in 2016; and selected as among the universities under the Chongqing’s Construction Plan of First-class Disciplines in 2017.
After nearly 70 years’utmost efforts for excellence, abiding by the school motto of“Knowledge, Practice, Virtue, Law”, and adhering to the school-running philosophy of “Establish by Teaching, Enhance by Talents, Prosper by Scientific Research, Run by Law”, the spirit of SWUPL has gradually been crystalized–“bear in mind the world, exert oneself constantly, help each other in need, be rigorous and realistic”. It has formed a talent cultivation pattern with law as the mainstay, and coordinated development of philosophy, economics, literature, management, engineering and other disciplines at multi levels and of multi types from education for undergraduate, master and doctoral students, to continuing education, international student education. September 20, 2020 witnesses the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Southwest University of Political Science and Law.
On the morning of September 20, the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Southwest University of Political Science and Law was opened amid the enthusiastic eyes of teachers and students, the cheers of alumni from all over the world, and the congratulatory voices of "friends of SWUPL" from all over the world.
Among those guests who attended the Celebration are Zhang Xuan (Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Director of the Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress), Xiong Xue (Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government), Li Shaoping (Member of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court), Zhang Mingqi (Member of the Leading Party Members’ Group, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Law Society), Yang Linping (Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and President of Chongqing High People’s Court), He Hengyang (Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Chief Prosecutor of Chongqing People’s Procuratorate), Professor Shu Lichun (Secretary of the Party Committee of Chongqing University), Major General Wang Shengcheng (President of Military Medical University), Academician Cheng Jing (Chinese Academy of Engineering), Professor Li Buyun (Academic Committee Honorary Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Professor Li Lin (Academic Committee Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).
The Celebration was held both online and offline, with 70 sessions off campus and 16 sessions on campus.
Fan Wei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, presided over the Celebration.
Li Shaoping, member of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court, read out a congratulatory letter from the Supreme People’s Court, which says that it sincerely wishes that Southwest University of Political Science and Law would continue to deepen education reform, focus on highlighting the characteristics of school running, forge ahead and make innovations, cultivate and send more outstanding talents for the country, and provide better intellectual support for the construction of socialist rule of law.
He Hengyang, Secretary of Leading Party Members’Group and Procurator General of Chongqing Municipal Procuratorate, read out a congratulatory letter from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, which says that it very much wishes that Southwest University of Political Science and Law would make new achievements and glories in legal talent cultivation, legal theoretical research and rule of law culture construction, and make greater contributions to the implementation of the basic strategy of comprehensively adhering to the rule of law and the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Wu Yuhong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, read out a congratulatory letter from the Ministry of National Security.
Relevant departments from the central government, provinces and cities, sister universities, the People’s Liberation Army, people’s groups, social celebrities, as well as domestic and overseas Southwest University of Political Science and Law alumni associations and alumni also expressed their best wishes for the University’s 70th birthday through congratulatory letters, videos and other means.
Flag raising ceremony (photo by Hu Senrui)
Flag-raising ceremony procession (photo by Tang Siqi)
Flag raising scene (photo by Jing Ke)
As the SWUPL’s 70th Anniversary coincides with the 71st birthday of the PRC, at 8:00 a.m. before the start of the Celebration, all leaders, members of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, assistant to the president, as well as representatives of the teachers, students and alumni of the University, joined the flag-raising ceremony held in the flag-raising square of Yucai Building, paying in this special form tribute to the great motherland.
At 8 o’clock, the flag-raising ceremony began. With the majestic national anthem amid the eye salutes of more than one thousand teachers, students and alumni, the valiant members of the national flag guard escorted the five-star red flag into the field. Along with the solemn National Anthem of the People’s Republic of China, the five-star red flag was raised and fluttered in the wind, and the resonant sound of the national anthem resounded through the campus.
“This is one of the most meaningful flag-raising ceremonies I’ve ever attended, it's touching, and I wish my alma mater a prosperous future”, “the destiny of the SWUPL and the country are closely connected, and it is because of the bloodline of SWUPLers and its uninterrupted inheritance that the spirit of SWUPL is everlasting”, … exclaimed by 1958 alumni Yang Rongxin, 1968 alumni Wang Yuanju, 1978 alumni Deng Wending, 1988 alumni Bi Wuchang, and 1998 alumni Lin Xiaojun at the site of the flag-raising ceremony. They gathered in front of the Yucai Building, passing on their own unique passion for the SWUPL. Inheritance has always been the foundation of education, and also the foundation for the SWUPL. Remain true to our mission, pass on the torch, SWUPL, give it your all!
At 9:20 a.m., amid the cheerful theme song of “Running, the SWUPL!” on the site of the Celebration, led by the flag of the SWUPL, representatives of 36 alumni chapters from around the world waved their flags and converged on the center of the stage. “I am a SWUPLer, and I am proud of the SWUPL. I promise to carry forward the spirit of the SWUPL: bear in mind the world, exert oneself constantly, help each other in need, be rigorous and realistic. Running, the SWUPL! Go, go, China!” Representatives of global alumni took the oath in unison at the conference site.
“Running, the SWUPL” is one of the theme activities for the SWUPL’s 70th Anniversary. Since its launch in May this year, it has attracted tens of thousands of SWUPL alumni, lighting up the “SWUPL Stars” Mimi-App in 90 cities around the world. At present, the total mileage of the activity recorded by the Mimi-App has reached 130,000 kilometers, which can circle the earth 3 times.
Running has been the eternal theme of the SWUPLers; struggle has been the everlasting color of the SWUPLers. The 70 years of hardship and glory of the SWUPL is a relay race of one leg after another through the mountains and oceans, hardships and obstacles, showing the struggle attitude of the SWUPLers, bequeathing to us the heart-felt blessings and immortal merits engraved in the time passed by, gathering the invincible “force of the SWUPL”, amassing the happy and admirable “passion for the SWUPL”, preparing for the “ascending current” that awaits the eagle to soar the skies, and accumulating the “vigor” to set sail against the wind.
Over the past 70 years, as the earliest established higher institution for political science and law after the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the cradle that is home to most of the rule of law professionals, the SWUPL has written a thick and heavy stroke in the history of China’s legal education. The history of the SWUPL is a history along with magnificent development of the rule of law in the People’s Republic of China, an exploration history of higher education in the People’s Republic of China against difficulties, and a spiritual history for the SWUPLers to bear in mind the world, exert themself constantly, cultivate talents for the Party and the state.
There is a special agenda item at the Celebration - offering flowers and paying tribute to the 11 senior teaching staff, who have devoted themselves to the development of the university and solidified the foundation for the SWUPL’s first venture.
In the warm music, with the support of young teachers and students, 11 senior professors and teachers slowly stepped onto the stage. Among them are Professor Jin Ping (98 years old, national outstanding senior jurist), Associate Professor Huang Tao (94 years old, a teacher with the Southwest People’s Revolution University), Jin Shenghua (93 years old, a cadre with the Southwest People’s Revolution University), Cheng Zhengzong (91 years old, a cadre who is among the first batch to work in the SWUPL), Lou Bozhen (87 years old, a cadre with the Southwest People’s Revolution University), Professor Zou Mingli (85 years old, an expert who enjoys Special Government Allowance of the State Council), Professor Wu Guanghui (84 years old), Professor Zuo Kaida (81 years old), Professor Xu Jingcun (79 years old, one of the first batch of Contemporary Chinese Legal Scholars), Professor Wen Zhengbang (79 years old, an expert who enjoys Special Government Allowance of the State Council), and Professor Song Lei (72 years old, the Competent Translator awarded by the Translators Association of China). Although they are hobbling forward, their eyes are gleaming; although they have lived to a ripe old age, their hearts are still filled with passion. As those old professors and teachers with white hair walked towards the podium, there was warm applause after warm applause from the audience. In the applause, representatives of SWUPL 122 Talents, “good teachers, good students, good cadres”, new teachers, 2020 Year undergraduate and postgraduate students took the stage, presented the flowers full of respect to the old seniors for their immortal deeds performed for the development of the SWUPL, and bowed deeply in gratitude. Long-lasting applause again resounded the hall. Many alumni, teachers and students were moved and teary-eyed.
From the side of Hualong Bridge to the foot of Gele Mountain, the former generations, joining hand in hand with the SWUPL, pioneered in opening up virgin lands and forest, developed the university from being unpromising due to its geographic disadvantage into a national brand, from unparalleled development in law to the coordinated development of multi disciplines, from traditional disciplines to audacious exploration of emerging disciplines... The SWUPLers have ridden the wind and waves, and set sail on the era of innovation of the universities of political science and law, handing over a decent answer sheet.
Through 70 years’ vicissitudes, only the “SWUPL Spirit” developed, passed on and glorified by several generations of SWUPLers transcends time and space, and remains lasting and new.
“Professor Wen Zhengbang was my advisor when I was pursuing my master’s degree. Now, looking back, the scene of Mr. Wen’s teaching can still be vividly remembered. Despite his 79-year old age, he still pays close attention to the frontier in academic research and the development of the rule of law in China. A generous person, a meticulous scholar, that’s the ideal of a teacher”, said associate professor Feng Zixuan from the Artificial intelligence Law School, Professor Wen Zhengbang’s student, and representative of the First SWUPL 122 Talents.
"Born in a prosperous age, I will not let down the prosperous age”, said Wang Xuan, a representative of the graduate students from the Economic Law School Class of 2020, “the old teachers had worked hard and lived plainly and frugally in the hard times, and nurtured generations of newcomers. Our generation will also follow the footsteps of our predecessors and inherit the spirit of the SWUPL.”
Professor Lu Daifu, a teacher representative, said in his speech that over the decades, despite his identity changed from a student to a teacher, his feelings for the SWUPL have remained unchanged. The SWUPL is a university that you can trust, a university that is worthy of life-long dedication by every staff member, and a university the memory of which is worthy of cherishing by every alumni.
Student representative and 2017 undergraduate student from the School of Politics and Public Administration, Zhu Yu said in her speech that subconsciously the spirit of the SWUPL has been integrated into the blood of every student, giving them the courage and confidence to assume responsibility. Therefore, generations of SWUPL students have responded to the call of the Party by taking root at the grass-roots level, and integrating their personal growth with the great cause for a rich and strong motherland and the happiness of the people.
Zhang Mingqi, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Law Society, said in his speech that the 70 years of SWUPL’s development has witnessed its formation of distinctive features for running the school, “SWUPL Phenomenon” which is renowned in the national legal education sector, and the deep national sentiment and strong social responsibility. He hopes that the university would fully implement the Party’s education policy by taking fostering integrity and promoting rounded development of people as the starting point and landing point of the university’s development; focus on the central task and serve the overall interests by making more contributions to serve the national strategy and regional economic and social development; and expand international vision by bravely taking on the historical mission of accelerating the cultivation of high-quality talent for the rule of law.
Ma Huaide, President of China University of Political Science and Law, said in his speech that the SWUPL’s 70 years’ history since its founding is the history of China’s construction of democracy and rule of law, and the history of the development of China’s legal education. Over the years, China University of Political Science and Law and Southwest University of Political Science and Law have developed a comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship in various fields. We hope that the two universities will join hands to brave the tide of China’s legal education, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the traditional disciplines of law, innovate the mode of cultivating high-quality rule of law talents, and make new and greater contributions to running education to the satisfaction of the people.
In his video message, Christian Tietje, president of Martin Luther University in Germany, congratulated Southwest University of Political Science and Law on its 70th Anniversary, expressed his greetings to the teachers, students and alumni and hoped that the university would make new achievements in the new historical starting point.
It is understood that in the past 70 years, by developing from scratch, SWUPL has established in-depth cooperation and exchange with 167 universities and research institutions in 34 countries and regions around the world.
Cheng Jing, an alumni representative and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recalled in his speech his experience of participating in the preparation and development of the school’s judicial expertise center during his time at the SWUPL. He said that “my team has been committed to applied research such as cell chips, food safety testing and drug development, and these achievements have played a significant role in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 and were highly recognized by the party and the state. In retrospect, the ‘SWUPL’s spirit’ has always inspired me to move forward whenever I was under tremendous pressure to overcome scientific and technological problems.”
“Very fortunate to be a member experiencing and witnessing the ‘SWUPL phenomenon’”, said alumni representative and the Academic Committee Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Li Lin in his speech, “our alma mater is a university with unique charm, making everyone who comes here to study often immersed in a ‘SWUPL Complex’. This Complex is a valuable wealth shared by every SWUPLer, a bond that can never be separated. It bestows on every SWUPLer the power of “sense of home”. I wish the new generation of the SWUPLers can stand in a new historical starting point to continue to write a glorious school history.
“The SWUPL’s historical development over the past 70 years of overcoming difficulties and bearing the burden of self-improvement is a history of dedication to the Party’s educational cause, a history of struggle in upholding China’s legal education, and a history of the SWUPLers’ entrepreneurship in the cause of the rule of law”, said Fu Zitang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the SWUPL. In his speech, he reviews the development of the SWUPL in the past 70 years, profoundly expounded the SWUPL’s Spirit of “bear in mind the world, exert oneself constantly, help each other in need, be rigorous and realistic”, deeply commemorates the ancestors who had laid the historical foundation for the development of the SWUPL and the martyrs who had won high honor for the SWUPL, pays heartfelt tribute to all the SWUPLers who had done hard work and made silent contribution to the construction and development of the SWUPL, and sincerely thanks the eminent persons and friends from all walks of life for their care and support to the SWUPL’s development.
Fu Zitang says that our university will deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to the party’s education policy for the new era, take fostering integrity and promoting rounded development of people as the fundamental task of education, and train participants of and successors to the socialist cause who develop morally, intellectually, physically and aesthetically; our university will, by taking consideration of the national strategy and regional development needs, as well as the needs of the overall development of students, continue to strengthen the SWUPL’s distinctive features for running the school, strive to cultivate practical talents, and promote the further flourishing of the debate culture on campus; our university will build the peak of the first-class discipline of law, promote the construction of the plateau of journalism and communication, political science, and national security disciplines, and drive the linkage development of talent cultivation, faculty development, scientific research, and international exchange through discipline construction; our university will innovate the “great scientific research” working system and further expand international exchange and cooperation.
Fu Zitang indicates that in the new era and on the new journey all SWUPLers must push through adversities to make our university’s revolutionary gene constantly glow with infinite vitality and impute the “SWUPL’s Spirit” with vitality in the new era, so that the golden brand of SWUPL would become more glittering, that we can make new and greater contributions to the promotion of the comprehensive rule of law and China’s higher education, that we can create a new glory of the SWUPL, continue to write a new chapter in the more magnificent history of the SWUPL!
“Although the Anniversary Celebration has coming to an end, we believe that holding the celebration is not a goal, but a starting point for us to start afresh,” said Fan Wei, Secretary of the Party Committee at the end of the celebration, “from today on, all SWUPLers should do a better job in “two safeguardings”. We should insist on putting political construction in the first place by deeply studying and applying Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, constantly consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field of the university, being firm in the socialism direction in school running, implementing the ideological and political work in the whole process of education and management of the university, effectively strengthening the Party’s overall leadership of the university’s work, and consciously taking up the political responsibility of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.”
From today on, all SWUPLers should do a better job in “fostering integrity and promoting rounded development of people” by taking its effect as the fundamental criterion for assessing all the work of the university, focusing on the fundamental question of “what kind of people should we cultivate, how to cultivate, for whom should we cultivate”, and actively cultivate the new generation that can take on the great task of national rejuvenation in accordance with the requirements of cultivating participants of and successors to the socialist cause who develop morally, intellectually, physically and aesthetically.
From today on, all SWUPLers should do a better in “serving the society” by adhering to the idea that education should serve for the reform and opening up and the construction of socialist modernization, taking serving for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the important mission of education, by actively participating in the construction of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone and Western (Chongqing) Science City, and striving to make more SWUPL contribution to China’s rule of law and Chongqing economic and social development.
From today on, all SWUPLers should do a better job in “reform and innovation” by adhering to the potential and featured development of education, planning in a scientific manner the “14th Five-Year Plan”, promoting the high-quality development of education, placing strengthening the ranks of teachers as the basic work and work ethics as the first standard for evaluating the quality of the ranks of teachers, and solidly promoting the “Double First-Class” construction so as to vigorously improve the university’s ability and competence of governance, and run a university to the satisfaction of the people.
“We firmly believe that there is no mountain higher than a man and no road longer than his feet. No matter how high the mountain is, if you climb up, you will finally reach the top; no matter how long the road is, if you walk down, you will definitely finish it. Let us keep in mind the ardent advice of General Secretary Xi Jinping on education, and, under the strong leadership of Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, seriously implement the agreement between the Ministry of Education and Chongqing Municipal People’s Government on jointly accelerating the construction of first-class university and first-class disciplines. We shall never forget our original intention of establishing virtue and cultivating people, remember the mission of cultivating people for the Party and the country, start all over and set off again, roll up our sleeves and work harder to gain a strong foothold in the strong tide of the times. We shall have far-sighted thought and carry out in-depth academic research so as to cultivate the talents of the era and build a better future of the SWUPL”, said Fan Wei, Secretary of the Party Committee.
At the end of the Celebration, all those present sang the “Song of the SWUPL” and in the majestic song the Celebration came to a successful end.
It is understood that, during the Celebration, the university, by setting “thrifty, pragmatic, warm” as the keynote and “Pushing Through Adversity, Creating Bright Future” as the theme, carried out seven theme activities - storytelling, written discussion, singing, seminars, lectures, exposition and the anniversary celebration, and issued the first editions of the History of Southwest University of Political Science and Law (1950-2020) , the E meritus Professor s ’ Library of Southwest University of Political Science and Law , the Discipline History Manuscript of Southwest University of Political Science and Law (1950-2020 ) , and the Index of Academic Papers of Southwest University of Political Science and Law (1950-2020) to retrace the history, tell the story, gather the strength, and create the great cause, of the SWUPL.