Lu Binghui -- a friend and great mentor to countless students

Lu Binghui, a professor at the Anhui Normal University, gives an ideological-political class at the university in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 12, 2022. [Xinhua/Cao Li]

HEFEI -- Standing on the podium, Lu Binghui begins his class with a ship model.

This is part of a curriculum designed by Lu, a professor at the Anhui Normal University and a delegate to the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), to explain a chain of events in the history of the CPC to college students.

"Teacher Lu always uses unique methods to make abstract knowledge intuitive," said Lei Jiwen, a senior student.

Instead of the stereotypical narration in ideological-political education, Lu's class wins the hearts of students with innovative presentations and fascinating story-telling.

The secret, as Lu explains, is nothing special but wholeheartedness.

"Ideological-political education in fact can be very accessible," he said.

During his 30 years of teaching, Lu has turned abstract principles into hot topics. He attaches great importance to interaction in teaching, and explains profound theories in a simple manner.

As far as Lu is concerned, a warm approach is far more effective than preaching. Since 1992, Lu has devoted much of his spare time to talking with students outside the classroom.

Touching on topics such as work, life and interpersonal relations, Lu's talks with his students set no limit on time, topic and the number of participants.

His extra-curriculum lectures have attracted more than 100,000 attendees, and his articles shared on Weibo, China's microblogging giant, have been read more than 20 million times.

As a CPC member, Lu always integrates theory with practice. For many years, he took summer vacations as an opportunity to conduct field trips with the students. Their footsteps have been in the countryside to investigate anti-poverty campaign and rural revitalization, as well as in the old revolutionary bases to study the history of the CPC.

"To me, accompanying my students on the road of life as a warm teacher is the most meaningful thing," he said. 

Lu Binghui (3rd L), a professor at the Anhui Normal University, talks with students on campus in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 12, 2022. [Xinhua/Cao Li]

Lu Binghui (2nd L), a professor at the Anhui Normal University, takes part in a symposium with colleagues on the ideological-political education at the university in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 12, 2022. [Xinhua/Cao Li]

Lu Binghui, a professor at the Anhui Normal University, gives an ideological-political class at the university in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 12, 2022. [Xinhua/Cao Li]