The discipline of Marxist theory at Nanjing University has first-level doctoral and master’sprograms as well as one postdoctoral research station and is a key discipline in Jiangsu Province. In 1978, the article "Practice is the Sole Criterion of Truth", with Hu Fuming as the main author, had a historic and significant impact on the ideological liberation movement at that time, becoming the theoretical precursor of reform and opening-up. Adhering to an open research vision and the integration of multidisciplinary talent resources, Nanjing University has developed its own research characteristics in Marxist social theory, socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the history of revolutionary bases. As early as the 1980s, the Marxist Research Center was established at Nanjing University, and its directors included such renowned scholars as Sun Bokui and Hou Huiqin. The center also published a range of academic works, including The Past and the Present of Marxist Philosophy. Meanwhile, Nanjing University has also set up the first institute of revolutionary bases in China and published several high-quality academic research achievements under the leadership of Professor Ma Hongwu and Wang Debao, such as History of Anti-Japanese Bases in Central China.

Approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Center for Studies of Marxist Social Theory (CSMST), led by Professor Zhang Yibin, was established by Nanjing University in February 2005. Being one of the key research bases for humanities and social sciences among universities directly under MOE, CSMST is dedicated to studying classical Marxist social theory, modern Chinese Marxist social theory, and modern Marxist social critique theory outside of China. The Center has established a database of classical Marxist literature and produced a series of high-quality academic results, including Back to Marx and other works, which not only have received warm reactions at home and abroad as well as high praise in academics, but also have been translated into German for publication in Marx's hometown.

Since the operation of the School of Marxism, the development of the Marxist theory discipline at Nanjing University has entered a brand-new stage. The school undertakes the teaching task of ideological and political theory courses of the whole university and is responsible for the discipline construction and postgraduate education in the field of Marxist theory. In terms of disciplinary development, the Center for Studies of Socialism Theory with Chinese Characteristics at Nanjing University, under the leadership of Professor Wang Mingsheng, has achieved remarkable progress in research on Party’s history and Party’s construction as well as traditional culture dissemination. This is an extension of the study on the history of revolutionary bases. It has been selected as a research base for the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics in Jiangsu province in April this year.

To establish a research-oriented teaching and research team with a prominent focus and distinctive features, the school takes Marxist theory as its first-level discipline foundation, supplemented by relevant disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, economics, political science, and history. The faculty actively integrates the disciplinary resources to establish an inclusive academic platform that consolidates the direction of disciplinary development, while attracting young and middle-aged academics under the guidance of goals. Three faculty members from the school have been selected as second-level talents in Jiangsu Provincial "333 High-level Talents Training Project", two have been included in the MOE "Selective Funding Program for National Excellent Young and Middle-aged Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Colleges and Universities", and four have received support from the MOE "Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University". Currently, the school is actively seeking to attract exceptional talent at all levels and eagerly awaits the participation of academic elites.