Integration Pathways for College Students' Ideological and Political Education and Rural Service Practice in the Rural Revitalization Strategy

Against the national strategy for comprehensively advancing rural revitalization, guiding university students to understand and serve rural communities addresses fundamental questions concerning higher education: "What kind of individuals should be cultivated? How should they be cultivated? For whom should they be cultivated?" This paper delves into the challenges encountered at three levels—university mechanisms, practical settings, and student agency—during integrating ideological and political education with rural service practices. This analysis proposes integration pathways to enable university students to strengthen their ideals and convictions while honing their skills through immersive rural experiences and community service, thereby achieving a harmonious unity of personal growth and societal development.