Significance, Path and Typical Cases of Integration of Grassroots Party Construction and Targeted Poverty Alleviation Team Construction in Colleges and Universities

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1. Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China; 2. Party Branch Secretary’s Studio of "Double Leader" Teachers in Colleges and Universities of China, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming 650221, China

Abstract The integration of party construction and poverty alleviation and development is an important form of achieving poverty alleviation in China. Based on the actual case of the integration of the party branch construction of the Institute of Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and the construction of a third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation, this paper elaborated the practical significance and integration path design of the grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team construction in colleges and universities. Besides, it analyzed the typical case of the party branch in the process of building the party branch of the "double leader" teachers in the national colleges and universities, and vigorously implementing the development of the party branch construction and the third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation, and promoting double integration and double promotion. Finally, it came up with recommendations for further strengthening the development of the party branch construction and the third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation (including strengthening the party construction responsibility, promoting the solid foundation, promoting deep integration, strengthening mutual promotion, gathering poverty alleviation talents, and strengthen intellectual support), so as to form a new model of poverty alleviation through party construction and practicing the lofty purpose of serving the poor household wholeheartedly, and provide a useful reference for the grassroots party construction in China to promote poverty alleviation.

Key words Colleges and universities, Grass-roots party construction, Targeted poverty alleviation, Third-party evaluation team, Integrated development

1 Introduction

The integration and development of grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation is the core of social development in the new period. It is also a new measure explored by the Party Central Committee in solving the rural reform and getting rid of poverty in the new historical period. It can effectively improve the precision of poverty alleviation and development work. Previous studies mainly focus on the poverty alleviation of party construction from the following four aspects: (i) the exploration of poverty alleviation mode through party construction. Tian Xiangcun (2018) summarized the poverty alleviation model of party construction in Linxi County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including the "party construction+industry" poverty alleviation model, the "party construction+relocation" poverty alleviation model, the "party construction+health" poverty alleviation model, the "party construction+fund" poverty alleviation model, "party construction+e-commerce" poverty alleviation model and "party construction+talents" poverty alleviation model, these poverty alleviation models provide a strong guarantee for Linxi County to get rid of poverty and achieve a phased success[1]. Shui Mu and Yu Longguang (2018) firmly set up the concept of "party construction +" in Dayu County, innovated the "party construction+targeted poverty alleviation" model, and summarized the grassroots party construction and joint poverty alleviation, joint planning, and joint promotion[2]. (ii) Study on the practice of poverty alleviation through party construction. Xu Mingqiang and Xu Hanze (2018) combined the new coupling governance theory to conduct field survey on the poverty alleviation through party construction in Hunan tea township, and further summarized and improved the mode and path of targeted poverty alleviation and grassroots party construction[3]. Liu Qian (2017) analyzed the poverty alleviation through party construction in Guizhou, and believed that the integration of grassroots party construction work in Guizhou and the targeted poverty alleviation is a vivid practice of the integration of the party’s institutional policy and anti-poverty theory, and it is a powerful measure to build a well-off society in an all-round way and a strategic measure for managing the party strictly and comprehensively in the new period[4]. (iii) Existing problems in poverty alleviation through party construction and countermeasures. Zhang Yuzhi (2018) believed that while poverty alleviation through party construction plays a great role in poverty alleviation, it is also required to face up to existing problems, such as structural imbalance of poverty alleviation due to the mode from top to bottom, low cohesiveness of rural grassroots party organizations, failure to motivate poor people to get rid of poverty and get rich,etc., and put forward recommendations for improving grassroots party construction and poverty alleviation, with a view to promoting poverty alleviation through party construction and winning the fight against poverty from the perspective of dual incentives, building a service-oriented party organization and institutionalizing capabilities[5]. Zeng Meihai (2018) put forward five recommendations for promoting the precision of poverty alleviation, namely, strengthening party construction responsibilities, promoting reinforcement of foundations, promoting deep integration, strengthening mutual promotion, gathering poverty alleviation talents, strengthening intellectual support, making innovation in poverty alleviation methods, expanding rich-getting channels, improving institutional mechanisms and improving the precision[6]. (iv) Study on the collaborative development of party construction and poverty alleviation. In the opinion of Tianjiao (2018), the coordinated development of grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation needs to give full play to the advantages of grassroots party organizations, strengthen grassroots party members’ education, and increase the efficiency and ability of poverty alleviation work and party construction through creating a poverty alleviation economic complex and implementing a package responsibility system[7]; Sun Xiuzong (2017) came up with his own recommendations for strengthening the deep integration of party construction and poverty alleviation, including strengthening party construction and leading, integrating ideas, clarifying party construction ideas, and integrating goals, which are the key to deep integration of party construction and poverty alleviation[8].

In summary, the research on party construction poverty alleviation mainly focuses on the practice of party construction poverty alleviation in specific poverty-stricken areas, as well as related issues and countermeasures. There are still potentials for deepening and broadening research in research fields and research objects, such as theoretical research on the integration of party construction and poverty alleviation, the integration of party construction and targeted poverty alleviation in colleges and universities,etc. In view of these, in order to make up for the shortcomings of the existing research, we mainly analyzed the integration and development of grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation in colleges and universities. Based on the actual case of the integration of the party branch construction of the Institute of Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and the construction of a third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation, we discussed the practical significance and integration path design of the grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team construction in colleges and universities. Besides, through analyzing typical cases, we came up with recommendations for promotion of integration of party construction and targeted poverty alleviation, so as to condense the consensus on poverty governance through mobilization of ideas, condense the poverty management through organizing mobilization, forming a new model of party construction poverty alleviation, practicing the lofty purpose of serving the poverty-stricken households wholeheartedly, and making contribution to global poverty governance with "China wisdom" and providing "China program".

2 Practical significance of integrating the grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team construction in colleges and universities

2.1 Promoting the precision of poverty alleviation developmentThe introduction of the third-party evaluation system for targeted poverty alleviation is a major measure for national governance innovation, a powerful assistant to solidly advance the great project of poverty alleviation, and also an important guarantee for comprehensively building a well-off society in all aspects by 2020. In February 2016,MeasuresforPerformanceEvaluationofProvincialPartyCommitteesandGovernmentsinPovertyAlleviationandDevelopment(Ting Zi[2016]No. 6) jointly issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council clearly set forth that the State Council Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development entrusts relevant scientific research institutions to carry out the third-party performance evaluation of targeted poverty alleviation work, and the evaluation would be performed annually from 2016 to 2020[9]. The third-party evaluation, entrusted by the State Council Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development to relevant scientific research institutions and social organizations, is to carry out special investigations, sample surveys and field verifications, to investigate and evaluate relevant evaluation indicators, so that all poverty alleviation data are more reliable and just. Since the third party has a neutral identity and professional perspective, it can effectively evade the official "telling of its own story" evaluation model, making the evaluation results more objective and practical and closer to public feeling[10]. Besides, as a mechanism for external checks and balances, "third-party evaluation" can effectively promote the optimization of government’s targeted poverty alleviation. Now, "third-party evaluation" is no longer the statement of one side. It can be used to listen to the public opinions and suggestions on targeted poverty alleviation through field surveys, symposiums, organization of questionnaires, and grassroots listening to the voices of the public, so as to objectively and fairly understand whether the targeted poverty alleviation is "mere paper talk or empty talk". Looking at the targeted poverty alleviation from the perspective of "third-party evaluation", it can not only prevent "fake goods" in targeted poverty alleviation, but also can more clearly see which aspects are still not doing enough, and learn from each other’s strengths, making the road to targeted poverty alleviation become much smoother[11]. In addition, most of the third-party evaluation teams for targeted poverty alleviation come from colleges and universities. The main task of building their teams is to train investigators to make them full of political mission and the lofty purpose of serving the poverty-stricken households wholeheartedly, through preaching, party classes, training,etc. In this way, they organize investigators to study the spirit of the 19th National Congress and General Secretary Xi Jinping on poverty alleviation and development, learn the important spirit of grasping the work of party construction and promoting poverty alleviation, and enhance the confidence and determination of the whole people to participate in the battle against poverty. The third-party evaluation organization should firmly set up and consciously practice the concept of "party construction and leading", base on party construction, focus on poverty alleviation, find the right point of integration, grasp key points, grasp the strengths, promote the organic integration of party construction work and poverty alleviation, and do a good job in poverty alleviation around the party construction, so as to get rid of poverty and promote party construction.

2.2 Promoting transformation and upgrade of party organizations in colleges and universitiesTheReportofthe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina[12]clearly stated that it is our party’s solemn commitment to make the poor and poverty-stricken areas join the whole country in entering a comprehensive well-off society. We must mobilize the entire party and the whole country, and adhere to the principle of targeted poverty alleviation. The key to building a well-off society in an all-round way by 2020 is to give play to the leading and guaranteeing role of grassroots party organizations, firmly establish the concept of "party construction+poverty alleviation", comprehensively promote the work of strengthening the party’s construction, and find a combination of grassroots party construction and poverty alleviation. In order to achieve the comprehensive poverty alleviation goal of the "13th Five-Year Plan", and to provide strong organizational support and strength support. An outstanding characteristic of the party construction poverty alleviation is to focus on poverty alleviation and party construction, and to promote poverty alleviation through improving the level of party construction work. In the relationship between party construction and poverty alleviation, party construction is the basic support, and grasping the party construction means grasping the poverty alleviation. Party construction in colleges and universities should actively integrate into the environment of poverty alleviation and actively to seek change, transformation and upgrading, and make contribution to the state strategy of targeted poverty alleviation.

3 Path design for integrating the grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team construction in colleges and universities

3.1 Mobilizing the thought: condensing the consensus on poverty governanceThe significance of poverty alleviation can be stressed through training, household surveys, symposiums and interviews. Firstly, it is necessary to make clear the political connotation of poverty alleviation, and emphasize the importance of targeted poverty alleviation from the perspective of political awareness and overall awareness. Secondly, it is required to emphasize the importance of poverty alleviation from the height of global poverty governance. Since the reform and opening up, our party and government have helped more than 700 million rural poor people successfully get rid of poverty. If the existing rural poor people can get rid of poverty by 2020, then China will become the first country in the world to complete the UN Millennium Development Goals, thereby making contribution to global poverty governance with "China wisdom" and "China strength" and providing "China program". Thirdly, it is required to actively organize special studies, seminars, and symposiums on the subject of targeted poverty alleviation, and make clear the importance, work ideas, work steps, and duties and tasks of poverty governance in China.

3.2 Elites going to the rural areas: accurately selecting and dispatching third-party evaluation investigatorsIt is necessary to select elite investigators by various means such as observing publicly and investigating privately and organizational assessment, focus on their professional quality, work responsibility, political quality, national feelings and responsibility, screen by all levels, and finally determine the targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team members. Besides, the selected investigators should receive policy learning and technical training to make clear the importance of poverty alleviation and the lofty mission of participating in the national poverty alleviation, and establish the four principle of third-party evaluation, namely, independence, objectivity, fairness, and science. Finally, it is necessary to regularly eliminate a batch of members according to the performance of the investigators in the practical evaluation work, and re-absorb new members in accordance with the standard, and keep the vitality and ability of the third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation.

4 Typical cases

4.1 IntroductionThe Institute of Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics is a special scientific research institution established with the approval of the Committee of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics. It is under direct jurisdiction of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics . In September 2018, the Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff, Research Institute (Center) of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics was authorized to build the first 100 Party Branch Secretary’s Studios of "Double Leader" Teachers in Colleges and Universities. This authorization should give the credit to the fact that the Institute has been engaged in the third-party evaluation work of both the national and local targeted poverty alleviation, has been making efforts to implement the lofty purpose of serving the poverty-stricken households wholeheartedly, and actively exploring the deep integration of the party construction of the university and the construction of the third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation, and has made its due contributions to the national and local poverty alleviation. Professor Yang Zisheng is the dean of the Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and was elected as the party branch secretary of the Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff, Research Institute (Center) of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics. In the past three years, closely following the important mission of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to give priority to the evaluation of third-party poverty alleviation, Professor Yang Zisheng led the third-party evaluation team of targeted poverty alleviation in Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, presided over 31 third-party survey and evaluation projects for targeted poverty alleviation at all levels, including 6 national level, 5 provincial level, and 20 city and county level projects. More than 4 000 students participated in the project’s household investigation and evaluation, including more than 2 300 graduate students and more than 1 900 undergraduates. The construction goal of "four first-rate" (first-rate party construction, first-rate teacher team, first-rate graduate team, first-rate academic research achievements) put forward by Party Branch Secretary’s Studios of "Double Leader" Teachers is gradually being realized. The third-party evaluation team of targeted poverty alleviation led by this branch won the advanced collective of the third-party evaluation work of national poverty alleviation and development for two consecutive years, and its research achievements have received various awards. Professor Yang Zisheng and his assistants Yang Shiqin and Zhang Bosheng have successively won the award of advanced individuals from the third-party evaluation work of national poverty alleviation and development. Professor Yang Zisheng also won various awards such as the "Outstanding Contribution Award for Construction of National Land Resources Discipline" set by the Natural Resources Society of China.

4.2 Analysis of the casesRelying on various scientific research projects presided over by Professor Yang Zisheng, the dean of the Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and also the party branch secretary of the Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics has organized more than 4 000 teachers and students to participate in 31 major tasks of the third-party evaluation of national and governments at all levels of Yunnan Province. Besides, taking the opportunities to carry out poverty alleviation and field research in poverty-stricken counties, poor townships, and poor villages, it organized more than 4 000 teachers and students to carry out patriotic education and the situation policy education. It plays an active role in the fighting of poverty alleviation of the party branch and also plays an exemplary role of party members, and promotes advance side by side of the academic research of the party construction and research institute. In particular, through the implementation of targeted household poverty survey in poverty-stricken counties, poor townships and poor villages, it earnestly practices the fundamental purpose of "serving the people wholeheartedly" and takes the advantages of third-party evaluation to make every effort to help poor household (including the real but not registered poverty-stricken households), speak for poor households, find ways to solve the actual needs of poor households, and strive to "not allow a poor person in accordance with the principle of "really helping the poor, helping the real poor", and not let any poor household fall behind, and make active contribution to the national and local poverty alleviation. The practice of this team shows that only through closely focusing on the national major strategic and technological needs, and applying its own disciplinary expertise to the national major strategies, can the discipline profession have a strong vitality and enable the institute have better development space, enable teachers and students of colleges and universities to obtain better development opportunities and better realize their own life value. In October 2018, during the holiday of National Day, the party secretary, Wang Jianying of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics drove about 200 km on October 2 to Jiaoping Town, Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County (national level poor county), where it is the memorative site of Red Army Crossing the Jinsha River Cleverly. They guided the national party "double leader" teacher party branch (the Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff, Research Institute (Center) of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics) to carry out the special education activities of "promoting the revolutionary spirit and re-taking the long march" and the household survey project for the targeted poverty alleviation in Luquan County. This activity was one of the party construction event organized by Institute of Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff in 2018. The aim was to further implement the "two studies and one action" learning and education with the aid of the Red Revolutionary Education base. Through feeling the magnificent feat of the Red Army, accepting the influence and infection of the Red Revolutionary Education, carrying out spiritual baptism, studying and implementing the spirit of the "Nineteen National Congress" in a deeper manner, and further realizing the work of "two studies and one action" learning and education, it is expected to improve the party spirit and political and ideological level of party members and strengthen the cohesiveness of grassroots party branches. In the meantime, during the holiday of National Day, the project "Investigation and Dynamic Monitoring of the Living Conditions of Agricultural Population in Luquan County" presided over by Professor Yang Zisheng, the dean of the Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Development Institute, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and also the party branch secretary of the Second Party Branch Secretary Studio of Party Committee Teaching Staff, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics was also being implemented. Professor Yang Zisheng led 370 teachers and students from the Third Party Evaluation Team of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics to march on the field of 16 villages and towns and 187 village committees in the Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County, which provided an useful attempt for practicing the third party evaluation team for party construction and targeted poverty alleviation, and the double integration, double promotion of "double leaders" teacher party branch activities. Through the hard work of Professor Yang Zisheng’s team, the Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County successfully got rid of poverty in 2018.

5 Conclusions and recommendations

5.1 Basic conclusionsThe battle against poverty needs organic combination of party construction and poverty alleviation, bringing into full play the role of the fighting bastion of grassroots party organizations and the vanguard and exemplary role of party members and cadres, so as to realize "double promotion" in poverty alleviation and development and grassroots party construction. Based on the actual cases, we elaborated the practical significance and integration path design of the grassroots party construction and targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team construction in colleges and universities. Besides, we summarized typical cases of deep integration of grass-roots party construction in colleges and universities and targeted poverty alleviation third party evaluation team construction, in the hope of providing beneficial references for poverty alleviation through party construction in colleges and universities.

5.2 Recommendations for further strengthening deep integration of the grassroots party Construction and targeted poverty alleviation team construction in colleges and universitiesOn the basis of the above conclusions, we believe that the next step needs to further strengthen the in-depth development of the construction of grassroots party branches in the colleges and universities and the construction of a third-party evaluation team for targeted poverty alleviation. To this end, we come up with following three recommendations. (i) Further strengthening the responsibility of party construction and promoting the foundation reinforcement. Strengthening the responsibility of party construction and promoting the foundation reinforcement are requirements of running the party strictly and also a magic weapon for poverty alleviation. For the party construction poverty alleviation, the party construction is the key and also the most prominent advantage. Strengthening the responsibility of party construction should implement three works: raising practical requirements, implementing responsibilities, and strengthening the assessment. Raising practical requirements means detailing the party construction goals, tasks, and responsibilities, so that the party construction responsibilities are operable, and can be quantized and assessed. Implementing responsibilities are mainly strengthening the tracking and supervision, and promoting the implementation of the various responsibilities of grassroots party construction through making records, inspection and supervision. Strengthening the assessment means strictly assessing the party construction goals and strengthening the application of assessment results, to promote the implementation of party construction responsibilities. For the assessment, it is required to strengthen the accountability, and couple the party construction responsibility implementation with the annual performance assessment, advanced and excellent selection, and promotion and appointment. (ii) Promoting deep integration and strengthening mutual promotion and advancement. An outstanding characteristic and the greatest advantage of the party construction poverty alleviation is to achieve deep integration of party construction and poverty alleviation under the leadership of party construction. The party construction is to make the poverty alleviation more precise and effective. Better implementation of poverty alleviation and third party evaluation is helpful for improving the level of grass-roots party construction in colleges and universities. The benign interaction between them will make the party construction poverty alleviation not only have strong organizational guarantee, but also effectively improve the effectiveness of poverty alleviation. Organic integration of party construction and poverty alleviation should be penetrated into every link. (iii) Gathering poverty alleviation talents and strengthening the intellectual support. To implement the targeted poverty alleviation and build targeted poverty alleviation third-party evaluation team, there should be talent support. The party construction poverty alleviation should bring into full play the organization advantage of the party, attract and unite various talents, to promote the poverty alleviation project and the third-party evaluation work. Besides, it is required to mobilize the enthusiasm of talents in colleges and universities to participate in the poverty alleviation and the third-party evaluation work, give full play their intellectual support and promote the innovation in party construction poverty alleviation.