In January 2001, The Department of Marxist Theory Teaching, one of the departments of Shandong University, was founded based on the former Department of Marxism-Leninism of Shandong University, the former Department of Social Science of Shandong Medicine University, and the former Department of Shandong Engineering University. Currently, it has 87 faculty members, including 15 professors, 42 associate professors, one Ph.D. supervisor and 14 M.A. supervisors. About 10 teachers have obtained and are studying for their Ph.D. degrees, and about 40 teachers have obtained and are studying for their M.A. degrees.
The main tasks of the Department are to hold courses of political theory and ideological and moral education for the all the students including the undergraduate students, graduate students, and Ph.D. candidates. The courses for the undergraduate students are "Marxist Philosophy", "Marxist Political Economics", "The Introduction of Mao Zedong Thoughts", "The Introduction of Deng Xiaoping Theory", "The Ideological and Moral Education", "The Law". The courses for the graduate students are "The Theory and Practice of Scientific Socialism", "The Introduction of Dialectics of Nature", "The Selected Reading of Marxist Classical Works". The courses for the Ph.D. candidates are "The Modern Scientific and Technological Revolution and Marxism", "Marxism and the Contemporary Social Trend of Thought". In addition, it also offers some elective courses welcomed warmly by the students.
In 1990, the Department was qualified to award M.A. degree in "Marxist Theory and Ideological and Political Education", which covers five research fields: the Marxist world outlook and methodology, the Marxist political economics and socialist modernization construction, How to develop Marxism according to Chinese situation, the ancient Chinese culture and the contemporary culture construction, and the theory and practice of ideological and moral education. About 50 graduate students have been graduated and obtained their M.A. degrees from the Department. Some of them have enrolled themselves as Ph.D. candidates in some famous universities like Peking University. At present, it has actively made efforts to get the qualifications for awarding Ph.D. degree.
While completing the teaching tasks, the Department has also paid much attention to strengthening scientific research. In recent years, more than 280 papers have been published at home and abroad, and 55 books or textbooks have been published. About 30 awards have been granted to the Department and its staff. The Department and its staff have held 30 research programmes granted by the state, the province and the departments of State of Council.
The following is the brief introduction of the main research fields of "Marxism and Ideological and Political Education".
1. The Marxist world outlook and methodology
Focused on the study of the basic contents, the main characteristics, social functions of the Marxist world outlook and methodology and its development and challenges in contemporary world.
2. The Marxist economic theory and the economic construction in China
Focused on the basic theory of Marxist economics, scientific system and its application and development in contemporary China, and on probe the law of the economic construction with Chinese characteristics.
3. How to develop the Marxism according to the Chinese situation
Focused on the historic process, the basic law and its main experience of Marxism development in China, and on the historical status, the theoretical system, the practical values and development of Mao Zedong Thoughts, Deng Xiaoping Theory─the theoretical results of combining Marxism with Chinese reality.
4. The Chinese ancient culture and the socialist culture construction
Focused on the law of the development of Chinese ancient culture, the relationship between carrying on critically the good elements of the ancient culture and the socialist culture construction, and on the role and significance of ancient culture in contemporary China.
5. The theory and practice of ideological and political education
Focused on the theoretical principles and scientific methodology of ideological and political education, the historic experience of the practice of ideological and political education, and on the guiding law of ideological and political education in the new situation.
