Recently, the Ministry of Education’s General Office announced the national list of action teams for the “Strengthening China Initiative” (referred to as the “Initiative”), part of the “Dual Role” Teacher-Party Branch Secretary Program for universities and colleges across the country. Two Party branches from Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU) were selected: the Party Branch of Faculty for the Cloud Computing and Blockchain Technology Application Program in the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Party Branch of Faculty for the Innovation Societies in the School of Electromechanical Engineering. Additionally, the Guangdong Provincial Education Work Committee announced the provincial “Guangdong Initiative” list for the same program, in which SZPU’s Party Branch of Faculty for the New Energy Vehicle Technology Program in the School of Automotive and Transportation was selected.

The “Strengthening China” and “Guangdong” initiatives are special three-year projects launched by the Ministry of Education to support the development of “Dual Role” (teachers and Party branch secretaries) leaders in higher education. These projects aim to implement the core mission of fostering virtue and character, advancing the “Dual Role” faculty program, and setting a model for university-wide engagement in building a modern socialist country. The initiatives focus on four primary tasks: promoting integrated Party-building efforts, delivering educational services, advancing technology empowerment, and enhancing practical training to guide faculty and students in embracing new responsibilities in China’s modernization journey.

The Cloud Computing and Blockchain Technology Party Branch in the School of Artificial Intelligence has established an “Anchor and Three Links” Party-building model: “anchoring in political construction, linking professional faculty and students for ideological development, linking to the IT innovation industry to address value-driven needs, and linking social demand to enhance technology services.” This model embeds Party-building efforts within professional, industry, and service fields, integrating Party work with professional and industry needs and using high-quality Party-building to drive high-quality vocational education in artificial intelligence.

The Innovation Societies Party Branch in the School of Electromechanical Engineering emphasizes a unique approach that merges student society management, skill competitions, research projects, and program development, positioning the Party at the forefront of industry-education integration, talent training, research, and social service initiatives. Through a “Party-Building Plus” model for program development, the branch actively promotes joint Party-building efforts with enterprises, skills training, technology development, and equipment innovation, helping vocational education empower new productive forces and drive economic and social advancement.

The New Energy Vehicle Technology Party Branch in the School of Automotive and Transportation leverages the organizational strengths of the Party to guide character-building education and to create a learning-oriented, service-oriented, and innovation-oriented “Three-in-One” Party branch. It has established a “Five Strengths, Five Integrations” model to incorporate Party guidance in high-end Chinese manufacturing, integrate Party members into the advanced industrial chain, include craftsmanship training in high-end industrial clusters, provide targeted support to the new energy sector, and promote vocational education as part of global-leading enterprises.

In recent years, SZPU’s Party Committee has emphasized developing the “Dual Role” faculty program, establishing a “national-provincial-university” three-tiered training and creation system that has produced a cohort of “Dual Role” faculty with strong political and professional expertise. Going forward, SZPU’s Party Committee will combine the implementation of these initiatives with a deeper understanding and application of the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, as well as the National Education Conference, using these initiatives to set an example for grassroots Party organizations across the university. This will inspire Party members, faculty, and students to make greater contributions to the advancement of education, national strategies, and regional economic and social development.

(Office of Party and Administration)