This is a compulsory political education course for Schwarzman Scholars with Chinese nationality. International Scholars are welcome to take it as an elective, in order to gain a more direct and profound understanding of Chinese Communist Party and its political discourse. In this course, Scholars will learn about the theory and practice of Chinese modernization, as well as the theoretical and ideological framework of the Chinese Communist Party since 1949, especially after 1978. The lectures will focus on analyzing the interaction between the development of CCP theory and the practice of Chinese modernization, with particular attention to major historical events.

The course aims to help Scholars gain a deeper understanding of the historical context, theoretical framework, practical achievements, and global significance of Chinese modernization. It guides Scholars to deeply understand the distinctive features, essential requirements, and major tasks of Chinese modernization through historical and international comparisons, and to gain a profound comprehension of the central tasks of the CCP on the new journey of the new era.

Course activities include group discussions based on the course literature, a mid-term paper that offers an opportunity to engage with either a policymaker involved in decision-making or an ordinary Chinese person experiencing China’s transformation, and a final paper designed to teach students how to read and analyze official CCP documents and files.