{"id":4306,"date":"2026-07-11T04:16:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/?p=4306"},"modified":"2026-07-11T04:16:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:16:53","slug":"day-one-deans-forum-of-the-20th-annual-conference-of-the-international-association-for-china-planning-iacp-successfully-held","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/2026\/07\/11\/day-one-deans-forum-of-the-20th-annual-conference-of-the-international-association-for-china-planning-iacp-successfully-held\/","title":{"rendered":"Day One: Dean’s Forum of the 20th Annual Conference of the International Association for China Planning (IACP) Successfully Held"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

On July 10, the Dean’s Forum of the 20th Annual Conference of the International Association for China Planning (IACP) was held at Chang’an University. Co-hosted by the IACP and Chang’an University, the forum brought together deans, department chairs, and scholars from universities in China and abroad. Participants engaged in in-\u00a0depth exchanges on themes such as “Transformation Challenges and Disciplinary Positioning of Planning Education” and “Future-Oriented Cultivation of Planning Talent and International Cooperation,” jointly exploring the development direction, disciplinary construction, and international cooperation pathways of urban and rural planning education in the new era.<\/p>\n

I. Opening Address (13:30\u201313:50)<\/h2>\n

Associate Professor\u00a0Tan Jingbin<\/strong>, Head of the Department of Urban and Rural Planning at Chang’an University, opened the forum by extending a warm welcome to the attending guests on behalf of the organizers. He thanked the experts and scholars for gathering in Xi’an to attend the Dean’s Forum and expressed his hope that participants would exchange views in depth and build consensus on issues such as the reform of urban and rural planning education, disciplinary construction, and international cooperation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In his address, Professor\u00a0Hou Quanhua<\/strong>, Dean of the School of Architecture at Chang’an University, introduced the recent development of the university and the school. He highlighted the major achievements in building the urban and rural planning discipline and recounted the school’s path to being authorized to grant doctoral degrees in Urban and Rural Planning in 2024. He expressed his hope that the forum would further advance exchange and cooperation in planning education at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Associate Professor\u00a0Chen Zhenhua<\/strong>, President of the IACP and a faculty member in the Department of City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University, welcomed the participants on behalf of the IACP. He reviewed the association’s development and its important mission of promoting exchange in planning education between China and other countries, expressing his hope that the forum would further unite the global planning-education community in responding to the opportunities and challenges of the new era.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sue Schwartz<\/strong>, President of the American Planning Association (APA), noted in her remarks that although planning practice in different countries takes place at varying stages of development and within different institutional environments, planning has always been a profession with shared values and a shared language. She expressed her hope that, through the continued deepening of international exchange, participants would jointly advance the development of planning education and practice.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

II. Session One: Transformation Challenges and Disciplinary Positioning of Planning Education (13:50\u201314:55)<\/h2>\n

This session was chaired by Professor\u00a0Zeng Peng<\/strong>, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at Tianjin University. Professor Zeng introduced the arrangement of the topics around the forum’s theme and expressed his hope that the experts would draw on the new circumstances facing the planning profession to jointly explore the future direction of planning education.<\/p>\n

Keynote 1<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Zhuo Jian<\/strong>, Head of the Urban Planning Department at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, offered an in-depth analysis of the new circumstances confronting the planning discipline. He argued that the current difficulties facing the profession stem more from industry cycles and shifts in talent supply than from problems within the discipline itself. As China’s urbanization enters a new stage, as the territorial spatial planning system continues to improve, and as digital and intelligent technologies advance rapidly, planning education should maintain strong professional confidence and remain committed to cultivating planners with a forward-looking vision. He emphasized that planning is a discipline oriented toward the future and toward creating shared visions; it should actively participate in international discussions, share the experience of China’s planning practice, and drive continual innovation in the discipline.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 2<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Liu Zhilin<\/strong>\u00a0of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University addressed the core competitiveness of planning education. She proposed maintaining spatial thinking as an essential foundation of the discipline while strengthening forward-looking thinking, and actively exploring the core competencies that planners of the new era should possess. In talent cultivation, she called for a deeper understanding of how government operates, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and the use of diverse formats such as summer camps and joint training programs to broaden students’ horizons and enhance their overall capabilities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 3<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Huang Yaping<\/strong>, Chair of the Academic Committee at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, shared his views on the development of regional spatial planning. He noted that as the strategy of coordinated regional development continues to advance, the importance of regional spatial planning is becoming increasingly evident, yet the relevant theoretical system still requires further refinement. In the new era, the objectives, content, and methods of urban and regional spatial planning are all undergoing transformation, calling for a more robust theory of regional spatial planning to support the implementation of major national strategies.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 4<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Jiao Sheng<\/strong>, former Vice Dean at Hunan University, spoke on the concept of full-life-cycle planning. He argued that plan-making should be viewed as a process of continuous, dynamic adjustment, with greater emphasis placed on plan evaluation, implementation feedback, and dynamic optimization. In talent cultivation, he called for a phased, multi-tiered training system tailored to students’ different development directions, so as to better meet the emerging demands of planning practice.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Open Discussion<\/h3>\n

During the open discussion, participants engaged in a lively exchange on planning-education transformation, disciplinary positioning, and talent cultivation. They agreed that planning-education systems should be built on local characteristics to create regional advantages; that the core positioning of the discipline should be upheld; and that theoretical exploration with Chinese characteristics\u2014such as land-sea coordination and full-life-cycle planning\u2014should be strengthened, alongside deeper collaboration among government, universities, industry, and research institutions. Participants also called for greater attention to teaching in real-world settings, the establishment of a more scientific system for evaluating practice, and the cultivation of planners who can understand localities, respond to society, coordinate systems, and create public value. The experts agreed that new technologies such as artificial intelligence should be deeply integrated into planning education with an open attitude, continually enhancing the discipline’s capacity for innovation and its international influence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

III. Session Two: Future-Oriented Cultivation of Planning Talent and International Cooperation (14:55\u201316:00)<\/h2>\n

This session was chaired by Professor\u00a0Peng Zhongren<\/strong>, former President of the IACP and former Chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 1<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Liang Sisi<\/strong>, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, shared her thoughts on the future development of planning education. She argued that planning education must remain future-oriented, strengthen forward-looking thinking, and place greater emphasis on interdisciplinary integration and problem-oriented talent cultivation. She also called for improving the talent-cultivation system and optimizing undergraduate training models to better align with future talent needs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 2<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0John Landis<\/strong>\u00a0of the University of Pennsylvania provided a systematic account of future trends in planning education. He stressed that planning education should place greater emphasis on community engagement and public responsibility, and he summarized several important transitions facing planning research and education: from a focus on scarcity to a focus on lessons of success; from master planning to strategic planning; from static plan implementation to continuous adaptive governance; from a purely technical orientation to greater attention to the public interest; and toward stronger emphasis on teamwork and case-based teaching\u2014offering fresh ideas for the future reform of planning education.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 3<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Wang Shifu<\/strong>, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at South China University of Technology, argued that, in the face of shared and unprecedented global challenges, planning education must further strengthen international exchange and cooperation\u2014particularly by continuing to deepen China\u2013US collaboration in planning education while actively drawing on the development experience of Europe and other regions. He called for deeper reflection on the contribution of China’s planning practice to global planning theory, for advancing comparative urbanism and comparative planning studies, and for building a more open and diverse platform for international exchange.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keynote 4<\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Cigdem Canbay Turkyilmaz<\/strong>, President of Samarkand State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, shared her views on reconstructing the body of planning knowledge. She noted that, against a backdrop of multiple global crises and uncertainties, planning should serve not only as an important tool for analyzing problems but also assume the vital responsibility of regulating public intervention. Future planning education, she argued, should place greater emphasis on scientific and technological knowledge, planning ethics, and public participation, cultivating planners capable of responding to complex social problems and promoting community development.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Open Discussion<\/h3>\n

In the open discussion, participants exchanged views on international cooperation, artificial intelligence, and the future of planning education. They agreed that cooperation among countries of the Global South should be further strengthened; that interdisciplinary integration and international joint-training programs should be promoted; and that China\u2013US and broader international exchange in planning education should be deepened to jointly address the challenges facing planning education worldwide. Participants also called for actively integrating new technologies such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and smart cities into planning education, developing a correct understanding of the role of AI in planning practice, clarifying the boundaries of responsibility between AI and planners, and continually enhancing planning education’s capacity to respond to future social development.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

IV. Structured Group Discussions and Reports (16:15\u201317:25)<\/h2>\n

This session was chaired by Associate Professor\u00a0Tian Guang<\/strong>, IACP board member and faculty member at the University of Utah. Participants held group discussions around three themes and delivered their respective reports.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Group A<\/strong>\u00a0focused on “The Transformation of Planning Education and Talent Cultivation.” The experts agreed that the core essence of the urban and rural planning discipline should be upheld, that the concept of full-life-cycle planning should be integrated into the talent-cultivation system, that new technologies such as artificial intelligence should be actively embraced, and that planning education should be more closely aligned with local development needs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Group B<\/strong>\u00a0focused on “Planning Research, Public Value, and the Challenges of the Times.” The experts agreed that the paradigm of planning research should continually be innovated; that local theory should be strengthened on the basis of “China’s problems”; and that important issues such as public value, the coordination of diverse interests, and questions of fairness raised by artificial intelligence should be addressed, so as to continually enhance the capacity of planning research to respond to the challenges of the times.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Group C<\/strong>\u00a0focused on “International Cooperation and Building the IACP Platform.” Participants agreed that mechanisms for international cooperation should be further strengthened, that the IACP institutional membership system should be improved, and that cooperation mechanisms such as international accreditation of China’s planning education should be actively explored, jointly promoting international exchange in planning theory, planning practice, and best practices in artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

V. Closing Summary (17:25\u201317:30)<\/h2>\n

To conclude the forum, Academician\u00a0Wu Zhiqiang<\/strong>\u00a0delivered a summary address on the future development of planning education. He argued that, against the backdrop of global climate change and shifting social structures, educators should reflect deeply on the relationship among education, practice, and personal growth; pay closer attention to students’ developmental needs; uphold case-based teaching; strengthen the shared growth of teachers and students; and continually enhance the human care and social value embodied in planning education.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Associate Professor\u00a0Tan Jingbin<\/strong>, Head of the Department of Urban and Rural Planning at Chang’an University, then once again extended heartfelt thanks to all attending guests on behalf of the organizers, expressed sincere gratitude for the IACP’s long-standing support of Chang’an University, and declared the IACP Dean’s Forum successfully concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On July 10, the Dean’s Forum of the 20th Annual Conference of the International Association for China Planning (IACP) was held at Chang’an University. Co-hosted by the IACP and Chang’an University, the forum brought together deans, department chairs, and scholars from universities in China and abroad. Participants engaged in in-\u00a0depth exchanges on themes such as … <\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":4328,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4329,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4306\/revisions\/4329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.china-planning.org\/alpha\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}