Abstract: Answering to missions of the time, modern universities emerged. Universities of different eras, therefore, have five missions: answering to themes of the era, serving needs of the era, bringing up talents for the era, coloring the era, and advancing the era. In the past century, universities of China underwent evolutions of different eras, from opening the door to introduce the western culture, learning from the Soviet mode, optimizing and making adjustment in the opening era, to the current high-quality development of the new era. “Characteristics” of universities of China in the new era are typically and best demonstrated in five aspects: their adherence to the guiding position of Marxism, their adherence to the leadership of the Party in all respects over the education cause, their running universities deep in Chinese soil, their advocacy of ethics as the pillar of education, and their maintenance of a dedicated faculty well versed in clarifying doubts, passing on knowledge and personifying ethical examples. Bringing up a new generation of firm Marxists, forging a solid stronghold of leadership of the Party, doing a good job in upholding right ethical standards and styles of the teaching faculty, making core technological breakthroughs, constructing a philosophy and social science system with Chinese proprietorship-these are the missions and responsibilities of universities of China in the new era.

Key words: new era, university of China, core mission, political responsibility