The value connotation and practical approach of integrating military industry culture into ideological and political education in colleges and universities
The value connotation and practical approach of integrating military industry culture into ideological and political education in colleges and universities
Military industry culture encompasses three functions: guiding, carrying and transmitting, and connecting and solidifying. Integrating it into college ideological and political education holds historical value in inheriting the red gene, political value in strengthening ideals and beliefs, and cultural value in enhancing educational effectiveness. It provides college students with the correct political direction, value orientation, and spiritual motivation for their comprehensive development. Taking Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an example, this paper explores the practical approach of integrating military industry culture into college ideological and political education through multiple dimensions such as integrating into curriculum teaching, campus culture, and practical activities, aiming to cultivate new talents for the times.
China's military industry culture is the spiritual pursuit and symbol created by the Party leading the people's military industry during its long-term development, a combination of multiple cultural elements within the industry. In the new era, there is a new cultural mission: "to continue promoting cultural prosperity, building a cultural powerhouse, and constructing a modern Chinese civilization from a new starting point." The military industry culture emphasizes cultivating people through culture, educating people through culture, and nurturing the foundation through culture. Integrating it into university ideological and political education can guide college students in setting and understanding their own life values, fostering a spirit of serving the country through science and technology, committing to the military industry, and bravely taking on the heavy responsibilities of the times.
I. The Connotation and Functions of Military Industry Culture
(1) Connotation
In the development of China's defense science and technology industry, the military industry has inherited and promoted historical traditions, gradually accumulating and forming a distinctive cultural form—military industry culture. Military industry culture has been nurtured and developed in the great practice of China's revolution, construction, and reform, and is a valuable spiritual treasure of the Chinese nation. Military industry culture and military industry spirit are mutually reinforcing and coexisting. The military industry spirit, encapsulated in the values of "self-reliance, hard work, serving the nation through military industry, willingness to sacrifice, striving for national glory, and climbing new heights," is the core value concept interpreted by countless military industry workers with their lives and sweat, serving as an inexhaustible driving force and source of strength for the development of the military industry. Cultivating the spirit and energy of the military industry spirit is an integral part of ideological and political education in the new era. Promoting the integration of military industry culture into university ideological and political education is an important boost to invigorate the spirit and energy of university students and build a shared spiritual home.
(II) Functions
Guiding and Leading Functions. Military Industry Culture is a product of the Sinicization of Marxism, characterized by distinct revolutionary and political nature. It directly serves the revolution, construction, reform, and development of the Communist Party of China, adhering to the fine tradition of following the Party's command. With the development of the times, Military Industry Culture has adapted to historical trends, continuously advancing with the times, and has increasingly become an important component of advanced socialist culture. It possesses significant value in guiding college students to establish correct life concepts and aspire to be good young people in the new era.
Bearing and transmission functions. In the process of the formation and development of military industry culture, many material carriers that embody the spirit of the military industry have been formed, vividly recording the historical context of military industry culture. As the "inheritors" of military industry culture, these material carriers serve as the solid foundation for the spirit of the military industry to be passed down through generations, and also provide a direct manifestation of the vitality and contemporary value of this spirit. Through these carriers, military industry culture and spirit have been concretized and visualized, becoming a valuable asset that inspires college students.
Connection and Cohesion Functions. Reviewing the origin and development of military industry culture, numerous exemplary deeds in the military industry have collectively embodied the spirit of the military industry, particularly the Yan'an Spirit, the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Spirit, and the manned spaceflight spirit. These highlight the strong patriotic sentiments and noble professional dedication of military industry culture, which is conducive to stimulating the intrinsic spiritual motivation of college students, producing a significant ideological mobilization effect, consolidating the value consensus among college students, and constructing a spiritual homeland.
II. The Value Implication of Integrating Military Industry Culture into Ideological and Political Education in Universities
(1) The Historical Value of Inheriting the Red Gene
(II) The Political Value of Firmly Upholding Ideals and Convictions
Currently, both the international and domestic environments are undergoing extensive and profound changes, with the struggle in the ideological sphere becoming increasingly complex. The environment for ideological and political education is also undergoing profound and complex transformations. Universities bear the responsibility and mission of cultivating qualified socialist builders and successors. Facing various difficulties on the path of progress, it is imperative to emphasize a clear and unequivocal political direction. Military culture embodies the requirements of the mainstream ideology. Integrating it into the ideological and political education of universities can better leverage the effectiveness of ideological and political education, reflecting the need to safeguard ideological security and overcoming the difficulties brought about by environmental changes. This creates a favorable environment for the development of ideological and political education, better promoting college students to strengthen their ideals and beliefs, enhance their ideological horizons, and solidify the foundation of their faith.
(III) Cultural Value in Enhancing Educational Effectiveness
Military culture contains abundant resources for ideological and political education, playing a unique role in the cultivation of students through university courses, practical experiences, and cultural education. College students are at a critical stage of their lives, known as the "jointing and swelling period." Integrating military culture into the ideological and political education of universities, applying it to the main positions and channels of ideological and political classrooms, and implementing it within the "three-dimensional education" system of universities, helps enrich educational content, diversify educational forms, making ideological and political education more comprehensive and innovative. This approach aims to achieve the cultivation goal of moral integrity and academic excellence in universities in the new era, focusing on exploring new methods and approaches for cultural education. It also helps guide students to accept, identify with, and learn from military culture in a subtle manner, enhancing cultural confidence and awareness, and fostering a pattern of cultural cultivation and education through culture.
III. The Practical Approach to Integrating Military Culture into Ideological and Political Education in Universities
(1) Emphasizing the construction of great ideological and political courses, integrating them into curriculum teaching
Leveraging the main channel of classroom education, integrating knowledge of military industry culture, persisting in strengthening curriculum teaching through improvement, innovating the curriculum system for military industry culture education, and enhancing the effectiveness and pertinence of ideological and political education; fully utilizing various red websites, online course education platforms, and other extension carriers to promote the integration and innovation of new media technology with traditional teaching, effectively leveraging educational functions to form synergistic effects. Taking Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an example, in its educational journey, it has consistently adhered to a distinctive educational and defense-oriented identity, upholding the mission of "cultivating talents for the Party and forging important national instruments." Through the establishment of the Research Center for Military Industry Culture in the New Era, it has created high-quality courses such as the "For the Party to Cultivate Talents, For the Nation to Forge Important Instruments" series of ideological and political public lectures, and offered elective courses like "Introduction to Aeronautics and Astronautics" that are mandatory for NUAA students. It has fully leveraged the university's unique "aeronautics, astronautics, and civil aviation" characteristics, outstanding alumni achievements, and other internal and external ideological and political education resources to explore a "comprehensive ideological and political education" path with NUAA's own characteristics. This approach has embedded the defense and industry-specific characteristics deeply into the patriotic sentiments of NUAA's youth, and has successfully passed on the red genes of patriotic struggle, military industry service for the nation, and contributions to national defense.
(2) Adhere to the nurturing of a humanistic environment, integrating into campus culture.
Campus culture is the fertile soil for the inheritance of military industry culture. It should be based on its own educational characteristics to build campus cultural landscapes and military industry culture exhibition venues, using a variety of activities that students enjoy and are willing to accept for the cultivation of military industry culture. Under the influence of campus military industry culture, college students' cognition, feelings, and experiences of military industry culture are continuously elevated to conscious cultural awareness, behaviors, and spirits, thereby continuously enhancing the effectiveness of ideological and political education. Taking Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an example, the university has established the "Yufengyuan" practice education base, the Nanjing Aviation and Astronautics Museum, the Aerospace Museum, the University History Museum, the Lide Shuren Museum, and the Rule of Law Culture Museum, creating a "five museums and one base" as the main body of the "immersive" practical ideological and political classroom. Rooted in the fertile soil of red culture, students can get close to the nation's heavy weapons and feel the profound heritage of military industry culture, inspiring them to strive for progress and contribute to the country. The university has also created the original drama "Life on Rotors" and has been holding graduate music and drama performances for many years, highlighting the national defense essence, deepening the industrial and information foundation, and emphasizing the three aviation characteristics. It has become a classic brand that conveys positive campus culture, prompting students to tell the stories of NUAA and inherit the spirit of the military industry.
(III) Focus on Cultural Education Practices, Integrate into Practical Activities
Practice serves as the bridge connecting theory and reality. It is essential to integrate elements of military industry culture into the practical activities of university students, combining the goals of talent cultivation with the promotion of personal development, continuously nurturing high-quality talents for the defense and military industry sector. Establishing new platforms for practical education, strengthening university-local cooperation, creating practical education bases, and promoting the development of military industry-related practical education activities will enable university students to understand the military industry through multiple channels, enhance their sense of social responsibility, and improve their career development capabilities. Taking Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an example, the construction of the NUAA International Innovation Port promotes the integration of university and local development, expands off-campus military industry practical education bases, and provides university students with a new platform for military industry cultural innovation and practical education. The university has also initiated face-to-face activities with defense enterprises to further deepen university-enterprise cooperation, helping students understand the development of the military industry, integrating high-quality employment resources, strengthening supply-demand alignment, and assisting in the cultivation of high-quality talents. For consecutive years, the university has conducted special social practice projects titled "Military Industry Memory," where students trace the red footprints, listen to military industry stories, and gain insights into military industry culture through practice, further solidifying their ideals and beliefs to dedicate themselves to national defense and contribute to the construction of a strong nation in aviation and aerospace.
IV. Conclusion
College students are the fresh forces and fundamental driving forces for the future development of the Party and the nation's cause. Their golden period of life coincides with the great cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Military industry culture possesses strong dissemination and guiding power, profoundly influencing the ideals, beliefs, and spiritual outlook of college students. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the integration of military industry culture into the ideological and political education of universities, fully leverage its educational functions, create high-quality military industry culture activities, and ensure that college students are closely united in thought and action, more consciously practicing and inheriting military industry culture, and more vigorously promoting military industry spirit.
