Overview of the Conference and Its Significance

On April 3, 2026, Nanjing University (NJU), one of China's premier institutions of higher learning, convened its annual Comprehensive Strict Governance of the Party Work Conference at the Xianlin Campus. This event, attended by top university leadership including Party Secretary Tan Tieniu and President Tan Zheming—both academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—marked a pivotal moment in the university's ongoing commitment to strengthening Party leadership and self-governance. The conference served as a platform to review the previous year's efforts, analyze current challenges, and outline strategic priorities for 2026, aligning with national directives for the '15th Five-Year Plan' (2026-2030).

Comprehensive strict governance of the Party (全面从严治党, quánmiàn cóngyán zhìdǎng), a cornerstone policy under General Secretary Xi Jinping, emphasizes rigorous self-discipline, anti-corruption measures, ideological purity, and organizational vitality within the Communist Party of China (CPC). In the context of higher education, it ensures that universities like NJU maintain unwavering alignment with socialist core values, safeguard ideological security, and contribute to national rejuvenation through education, research, and talent cultivation.

The gathering included members of the school Party and government leadership, Party committee members, discipline inspection committee members, and cadres at deputy department level and above. Deputy Party Secretary Chen Yunsong presided, while key addresses were delivered by Tan Tieniu and Discipline Inspection Secretary Liu Miao. This structured approach—review, analysis, deployment—mirrors national and provincial patterns, as seen in the Ministry of Education's (MOE) video conference on February 5, 2026.

Party Secretary Tan Tieniu's Keynote Address: Review and Vision

Tan Tieniu, a distinguished computer vision expert born in 1963 in Hunan Province and elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered the keynote. His speech profoundly engaged with Xi Jinping's address at the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's Fifth Plenary Session, urging participants to convert learning into momentum for building an education powerhouse and a world-class NJU with Chinese characteristics.

Summarizing 2025 achievements, Tan highlighted five areas:

• Strengthened theoretical arming, solidifying ideological foundations.
• Honoring central entrustments with firm progress.
• Fulfilling political responsibilities through comprehensive Party building.
• Implementing organizational routes for vibrant grassroots Party branches and cadres.
• Deepening self-revolution for an improving political ecology.

Despite these gains, Tan candidly addressed gaps, such as insufficient depth in some ideological work and uneven grassroots vitality, calling for self-reflection and rectification.

Discipline and Supervision: Liu Miao's Strategic Directions

Liu Miao, Deputy Party Secretary and Discipline Inspection Secretary, provided a sector-specific analysis of anti-corruption trends in education. Noting persistent risks in procurement, promotions, and research funding, she outlined four imperatives for NJU's discipline work:

• Reinforce political supervision to uphold 'two maintenances' (safeguarding Xi's core position and Central authority).
• Deepen style rectification, addressing style-corruption linkages.
• Integrate 'three non-corruptions' (不敢腐 cannot corrupt, 不能腐 will not corrupt, 不想腐 do not want to corrupt).
• Build a professional, ironclad discipline team through standardization and rule of law.

This framework echoes national calls, where 2025 saw over 1 million corruption investigations nationwide, including higher ed cases like admissions bribery at Peking University.

2025 Achievements in NJU Party Building: Building Momentum

NJU's Party efforts in 2025 laid robust groundwork. Ideological education reached deeper, with theoretical centers hosting sessions on Xi Jinping Thought. Grassroots branches—numbering in the hundreds across campuses—gained vitality through innovative activities, aligning with MOE's fifth batch of Party building demonstration projects (2025-2027).

Under 'Striving Action 1.0' (2023-2025), NJU advanced in talent recruitment and research, ranking 73rd globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, with top scores in research quality (85.1) and industry income (99.6). Political ecology improved via self-revolution, reducing minor violations and enhancing accountability.

Identified Challenges: Addressing Gaps for Sustainable Governance

Tan Tieniu identified key shortfalls: uneven theoretical penetration among some cadres, lax in certain organizational functions, and residual style issues. These mirror national education sector challenges, where corruption risks persist in funding allocation and international collaborations amid ideological vigilance.

Step-by-step, the conference dissected problems: first, self-assessment via inspections; second, root-cause analysis linking to external pressures like global competition; third, targeted remedies through education and supervision. This proactive stance positions NJU to mitigate risks early in the 15th FYP.

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Six Priority Tasks for 2026: Roadmap to Excellence

The conference deployed six focal tasks, providing a clear, actionable blueprint:

1. Political construction: Persist in Party leadership, ensuring alignment with Central directives.
2. Ideological construction: Embed theoretical innovation in daily teaching and research.
3. Organizational construction: Forge robust grassroots fortresses, enhancing cadre vitality.
4. Discipline construction: Strictly enforce rules for Party and school governance.
5. Anti-corruption integration: Advance 'three non-corruptions' for pure ecology.
6. Responsibility chains: Implement full accountability, driving pervasive governance.

These tasks synchronize with MOE's six national priorities, emphasizing a high-quality '15th FYP' launch.MOE 2026 Education System Conference

Context Within Chinese Higher Education Landscape

NJU's conference exemplifies a nationwide wave. Following MOE's February directive, provinces like Jiangsu held theirs in March, with over 100 universities conducting similar events. In 2025, education anti-corruption intensified, targeting procurement fraud and nepotism, amid Xi's 'self-revolution' emphasis.

Culturally, in China's collectivist framework, Party governance ensures universities prioritize national service over individualism, fostering harmony between academia and state goals. For NJU, founded in 1902 as Nanking Higher Normal School, this reinforces its C9 League status and Double First-Class drive.

Implications for Faculty, Students, and Research

For faculty, stricter discipline means enhanced integrity in promotions and funding, benefiting ethical researchers. Students gain from ideological courses promoting patriotism, while research aligns with national priorities like AI and atmospheric sciences—fields led by NJU leaders Tan Tieniu and Tan Zheming.

Stakeholders, including international partners, note balanced views: strengthened governance boosts stability but heightens scrutiny. Real-world case: Recent probes into research fraud underscore the 'three non-corruptions' push.

Alignment with National Strategies and 15th Five-Year Plan

As 2026 kicks off the 15th FYP, NJU's plans support 'education强国' construction. 'Striving Action 2.0' builds on phase 1 successes: new schools, talent influx, research surges. Party governance provides the 'strong guarantee,' per Xi, ensuring ideological alignment with tech self-reliance.

Comparatively, peers like Tsinghua emphasize similar integrations, with MOE promoting demonstration sites—NJU poised for contention.

Future Outlook: Opportunities and Actionable Insights

Looking ahead, NJU's robust framework promises sustained excellence, potentially elevating global rankings further. Actionable insights for educators: Prioritize theoretical study via branch activities; for administrators, tighten procurement audits; for researchers, document ethics rigorously.

Multi-perspective: Optimists see empowered innovation; critics note potential over-supervision. Balanced, it fosters a clean, dynamic environment for China's higher ed ascent.

Photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash

Stakeholder Perspectives and Broader Impacts

University affiliates praise the conference for clarity, with cadres energized for implementation. Nationally, it contributes to 60%+ gross enrollment rates and rising QS rankings for Chinese unis. Future: Expect audits, training, yielding cleaner governance by 2030.