IACP Held Online Professinal Development Webinar

On October 17, the International Association for China Planning (IACP) held an online professional development webinar titled “Navigating the Academic Job Market in North American Planning Schools.” The session was opened by Dr. Zhenhua Chen, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University and Chair-Elect of IACP, and moderated by Dr. Yefu Chen, Assistant Professor at Xiamen University.

The webinar featured three distinguished speakers who shared their valuable experiences from both sides of the academic job search and hiring process:

• Dr. Li Fang, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
• Dr. Wei Li, Professor at Texas A&M University
• Dr. Zhixi Zhuang, Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University

Drawing upon their extensive involvement in faculty search committees, the speakers discussed three key aspects of academic job applications: preparing strong application materials, strategies for both online and in-person interviews, and effective networking at academic conferences such as the ACSP Annual Meeting.

The speakers offered several core recommendations for early-career scholars:

• Tailor Your Cover Letter: Customize each application for the target institution, emphasizing how your research and teaching align with the department’s focus and curriculum.
• Structure Your Interview Responses: Prepare concise, logically organized answers while maintaining authenticity and a natural communication style.
• Research the Target Institution Thoroughly: Go beyond faculty profiles to understand the school’s broader strategic plans and research priorities.
• Build and Expand Academic Networks: Take initiative to connect with potential search committee members during international conferences such as ACSP.

All three speakers underscored the importance of “telling your academic story” during the job search. Candidates should not only demonstrate their scholarly achievements but also articulate the broader societal impacts of their work and their long-term academic vision.

Professor Wei Li highlighted that despite the current competitiveness of the academic job market, the upcoming wave of retirements among the “baby boomer” generation of faculty across North America will create new opportunities for emerging scholars. He encouraged young academics to remain confident, start early, and plan their career paths proactively.

IACP will continue to support early-career scholars throughout this year’s job market season by providing resources and mentorship opportunities. Following the ACSP Annual Conference, the association plans to host another professional development session featuring newly hired faculty members who will share their job search experiences and insights. Stay tuned for more updates.

10月17日，国际中国规划学会（IACP）举办了一场以“北美高校城市规划领域学术职位求职策略”为主题的职业发展线上研讨会。会议由IACP候任主席、俄亥俄州立大学陈振华副教授致开幕辞，厦门大学陈野夫助理教授主持。

本次研讨会邀请了三位主讲嘉宾分享他们在学术求职及招聘委员会工作中的宝贵经验：伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）方丽副教授、得克萨斯农工大学（Texas A&M University）李威教授，以及多伦多都会大学（Toronto Metropolitan University）庄志茜副教授。三位嘉宾围绕学术求职的三个关键环节展开深入探讨——申请材料准备、线上与线下面试技巧、以及学术会议中的职业社交策略。

嘉宾们为与会青年学者提供了以下核心建议：

• 精准定制求职信：针对目标院校进行个性化撰写，突出个人研究与院系方向、课程体系的契合度。
• 结构化面试应答：提前准备逻辑清晰、重点突出的回答框架，同时保持自然真诚的交流风格。
• 深度调研目标院校：不仅要了解院系师资结构，还应关注学校整体战略规划与研究重点。
• 主动拓展学术人脉：充分利用ACSP等国际学术会议机会，主动预约与潜在招聘委员的交流。

三位嘉宾一致强调，求职过程中“讲好自己的学术故事”至关重要。除了展示学术成果，还需体现研究的社会影响力，并展现对长期学术发展的清晰规划。李威教授特别指出，尽管当前学术市场竞争激烈，但随着北美高校“婴儿潮一代”教授逐步退休，新一代青年学者将迎来更多职位机会。他鼓励年轻学者保持信心，及早准备，积极规划职业路径。

IACP将继续在今年的学术求职季中为青年学者提供支持与资源，并计划在ACSP年会后举办新一轮职业发展分享会，邀请近期成功获得教职的青年学者分享他们的经验与心得，敬请期待。