THE UNIVERSITY PARTY COMMITTEE AND THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS IN PATRIOTIC TRADITIONS ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Abstract

Digital transformation is reshaping the university environment and the ways in which students encounter information, placing the education of students in patriotic traditions under pressure to renew its content, its methods and its mechanisms of leadership. Drawing on an analysis of Party documents, state policy and a set of empirical cases, this article identifies four dimensions of the role performed by university Party committees in the digital environment: setting value orientations; institutionalising policy directives into operating procedures; coordinating the actors involved; and monitoring educational outcomes. The evidence indicates that a number of digitalisation initiatives have achieved meaningful initial reach, yet they remain fragmented and lack consistent criteria of evaluation. The article proposes four sets of measures: institutionalising this work as a component of strategic university governance; shifting from one-way communication to a model of two-way interaction; strengthening inter-agency coordination; and upgrading the digital competencies of relevant personnel in tandem with a reform of how effectiveness is assessed. The article’s contribution is to conceptualise the university Party committee as an institution of political leadership operating in a digital environment.