闳中肆外，闻见知行 。
Forming a superb writing style with inspirations drawn from a profound erudition.
Gaining fresh and vast knowledge with an eye to effective actions and noble deeds.
“闳中肆外”出自韩愈《进学解》，原义指文章内容和文笔俱佳，这里呼应校训中的“学贯中外”，从事马克思主义理论研究要扎根中国，胸怀天下。
The maxim “Forming a superb writing style with inspirations drawn from a profound erudition”is derived from Enhancing Learning and Cultivating Virtues by Han Yu, leading Tang stateman, philosopher and venerated literary figure. The maxim which refers to both wondrous contents and writing style of a particular essay, is in line with the university motto “Integrity, Vision and Academic Excellence” in ideology and spirit. Those who are engaged in academic studies of Marxist Theory should put down deep roots in the fertile fields in China and cultivate an expansive mind and a noble heart with a vision of the world.
“闻见知行”出自《荀子》：“不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之，学至于行之而止矣。行之明也，明之为圣人……故闻之而不见，虽博必谬；见之而不知，虽识必妄；知之而不行，虽敦必困。”意为知行合一，把理论与实践相结合。
The maxim “Gaining fresh and vast knowledge with an eye to effective actions and noble deeds” is derived from one passage in Hsun Tzu, a pre-Qin philosopher. The passage goes: “Learning about something is better than being kept in the dark; learning about something is not as good as seeing it with one’s own eyes; seeing something with one’s own eyes is yet inferior to gaining knowledge about it; gaining knowledge about something is not enough, and we should proceed to put what we know into practice. Practice grants us with a clear mind, and a clear mind in turn makes us a saint. …Therefore, learning about a lot of things without seeing them could grant us with a wide range of learning, but we might be led astray in our views; seeing a lot of things without gaining genuine knowledge about them could grant us with an apparent erudition, but we might be bloated with misplaced pride. Gaining much knowledge about a lot of things without putting what we know into practice could grant us with encyclopedic knowledge, but we might hardly find a way out of our straits. In a nutshell, the general meaning is the agreement between knowledge and actions or a right combination of theory and practice.
