On the morning of October 11, 2025, the 4th World Marxist Conference opened in the Sunshine Hall of the Yingjie Exchange Center of Peking University. Li Yi, Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Administration), Wang Richun, Director of the Department of Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Zhang Ji, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and He Guangcai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Peking University, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. With the theme of "Marxism and Human Civilization", this conference set up 11 sub-forums and 3 high-end special sessions, with more than 50 international scholars from more than 20 countries and more than 400 domestic scholars attending the meeting. President Gong Qihuang presided over the opening ceremony.
He Guangcai said that General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "In the history of human thought, no ideological theory has had such a broad and profound impact on mankind as Marxism. "Peking University is an important base for the earliest spread of Marxism in China, and studying, researching and disseminating Marxism is the most important academic tradition and glorious mission. Peking University will deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continue to promote theoretical innovation, cultivate youth power, open global cooperation, and promote Marxism to form a wider influence in the contemporary world.
Li Yi pointed out that the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-style modernization is open and inclusive, and we must persist in transcending conflicts and barriers through exchanges and mutual learning. He expects the academic community to strengthen research cooperation, continuously promote the systematization, theoretical research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and make the truth of contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism in the 21st century shine brighter.
Wang Richun pointed out that the holding of the World Marxist Conference by Peking University not only reflects the source of the spread and development of Marxism in China, but also reflects the tribute and inheritance of Marxism by China's top universities. He looked forward to the conference forming more influential conference results, carrying out more cutting-edge academic exchanges, and contributing more wisdom to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Zhang Ji pointed out that Beijing is one of the first cities in China to spread Marxism and establish a Communist Party organization, and attaches great importance to the study, research and dissemination of Marxism. Beijing will continue to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, strive to build a highland for the dissemination of Marxist research, and make due contributions to promoting exchanges among human civilizations.
At the opening ceremony, the results of the 10th anniversary of the compilation and research project of "Ma Zang" were released. The "Ma Zang" project is a major basic academic and cultural project for the theoretical research of Chinese Marxism built by Peking University, and has edited and published 23 volumes and nearly 15 million words. He Guangcai, Gong Qihuang, Professor Gu Hailiang, editor-in-chief of the "Ma Zang" project, chairman of the Academic Committee of the Xi Jinping Research Center for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Ministry of Education, and Ma Yue, deputy editor-in-chief of Science Press, jointly unveiled the compilation results of "Ma Zang".
Jin Minqing, Gu Hailiang, John Bellamy Foster, professor emeritus of the University of Oregon, Tomonaga Hirako, professor emeritus of Hitotsubashi University in Japan, Yang Geng, former vice president of Beijing Normal University, and Carlos Torres, distinguished professor of the University of California, Los Angeles, delivered keynote speeches respectively. Yang Haifeng, Dean of the School of Marxism, presided over the keynote speech.
In the two-day high-end special sessions and sub-forums, the participating scholars conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as "Marxism and the Modernity of Chinese Civilization", "The Communist Party of China and the Global Governance Order", and "Socialism and the Diversity of Civilizations".
