THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Urban Systems Institute
香港大學城市系統研究院
Symposium on ‘Rethinking Rural-Urban Integration in the Context of Planetary Sustainability’
31 March to 4 April 2024, Hong Kong and Guangxi, By Invitation Only
Symposium Theme
In recent years, rural revitalisation has emerged as a critical priority to address the challenges faced by rural communities worldwide. Recognising the interdependence between rural and urban areas, there is a growing need for shared resources, knowledge exchange, and coordinated planning to create synergies that support rural revitalisation and contribute to the growth and resilience of urban areas. This symposium will explore the potential of rural-urban integration and symbiosis by highlighting successful case studies, advancing theoretical understanding and identifying best practices for fostering sustainable development. Through engaging discussions and expert insights, we aim to uncover practical solutions that can enhance collaboration, promote innovation, and unlock the transformative power of a symbiotic relationship between rural and urban environments.
Organisers
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Urban Systems Institute, The University of Hong Kong
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School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University
Symposium Chairs
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Prof Shenjing He, The University of Hong Kong
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Prof Hualou Long, Guangxi University
Symposium Schedule
Day 1 - Sunday, 31 March
Daytime, Site visit to Kuk Po, Hong Kong
Evening, Symposium dinner, Hong Kong
Day 2 - Monday, 1 April
Morning, Symposium (Half-day) at The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Afternoon, Travel to Nanning, Guangxi by high-speed rail
Day 3 - Tuesday, 2 April
Morning, Symposium (Half-day) at Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi
Afternoon, Travel to Guilin, Guangxi
Day 4 - Wednesday, 3 April
All-day, Site visit to rice terraces in Longsheng County, Guilin, Guangxi
Day 5 - Thursday, 4 April
Free Time
Detailed Schedule
Day 1 - Sunday, 31 March
Site Visit Schedule
Time (HKT) | Activity |
|---|---|
9:00 | Gather at HKU Main Campus (Knowles Building-LG2 Platform) and depart for Luk Keng |
10:00 | Arrive at Luk Keng, and proceed to Kuk Po by hiking |
10:45 | Arrive at Kuk Po |
10:45-12:45 | Prof. Wang Wei Jen's talk: Kuk Po Architecture, Landscape, and Community
(Visit the 'Kuk Po Common' Exhibition: https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/kuk-po-common/) |
12:45-14:00 | Lunch |
14:00-14:30 | SIEW Lab's Yan Chau Tong Villages Project: An Introduction by Weihang Gong (https://www.modernyeuk.hku.hk) |
14:30-15:30 | Hike back to Luk Keng |
16:00 | Bus back to HKU (with stops at Jade Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ojdhUEnvxC8HsXQL6) |
17:00 | Arrive at KB-LG2 |
18:00 | Conference Dinner |
Day 2 - Monday, 1 April
Hong Kong Symposium Schedule (with Luggage)
Venue: KB829, 8/F Knowles Building, HKU
Chair: Prof Jin Zhu
Time (HKT) | Activity | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
9:00-9:10 | Welcoming Speech | Prof Shenjing He & Prof Junxi Qian |
9:10-9:40 | Talk 1: Countryside Conservation - Creating Sustainable Rural-Urban Synergy | Mr Desmond Wu |
9:40-10:10 | Talk 2: Rural industrial restructuring: Case studies in Guangxi, China | Prof Hualou Long |
10:10-10:40 | Talk 3: Integrated Rural-Urban Development in China: From Dichotomy to Harmony | Prof Bo-sin Tang & Prof Siu Wai Ivy Wong |
10:40-11:10 | Break | |
11:10-11:30 | Talk 4: Reflections on the Transformation of Urban-Rural Relations and approaches towards 2035 goals of Rural Modernization in China | Prof Jinlong Liu |
11:30-12:00 | Talk 5: How does the rural revitalization strategy enhance the rural resilience in China: a case study of Wushi village | Prof Hao Gu |
Travel to Nanning
Time (HKT) | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
12:00-13:30 | Lunch | 14F, KKL, Building |
14:00-14:30 | Travel to West Kowloon Station by Shuttle Bus | LG2, KB |
15:34 | Travel to Nanning by High-speed Railway | West Kowloon Station |
Day 3 - Tuesday, 2 April
Guangxi Symposium Schedule
Venue: School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University
Chair: Prof Hualou Long
Time (HKT) | Activity | Speaker(s) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
8:30-9:00 | Opening Ceremony | Host: Prof Yungui Shi | Room 203 |
8:30-8:40 | Welcoming Speech | School leaders | Room 203 |
8:40-8:50 | Representative Speech | Prof Hualou Long | Room 203 |
8:50-9:00 | All members - Group Photo | Room 203 | |
9:00-11:15 | Keynote Speech | Host: Prof Hualou Long | Room 203 |
9:00-9:30 | Talk 1: Global Vilages with Chinese Characteristics:
Globalisation and Local Development in Rural China | Prof Michael Woods | Room 203 |
9:30-10:00 | Talk 2: Unpacking the multifaceted rurality of Hong Kong’s countryside:
A social representation approach | Prof Shenjing He | Room 203 |
10:00-10:15 | Break | Room 203 | |
10:15-10:45 | Talk 3: Rural development or the development of Rural Studies? Cultivating and harvesting geographies of opportunity | Prof Darren Smith | Room 203 |
10:45-11:15 | Talk 4: Linking local to global: Rural regime shift in the knowledge economy | Prof Yuheng Li | Room 203 |
11:25-11:45 | Roundtable Discussion | Room 415 | |
Afternoon
(Around 6 hrs) | Travel to the Guesthouse in Longsheng, Guangxi | ||
Evening
(After 20:00)
| Dinner in the Guesthouse (山中已千年民宿) |
Day 4 - Wednesday, 3 April
Guangxi Fieldtrip Schedule
Sites: (1) Longsheng County; (2) Downtown Guilin, Guangxi
Time (HKT) | Activity |
|---|---|
Morning | Site visit at Longji Terraced Fields |
Afternoon - Plan 1
| Travel to Downtown Guilin from Longji (2 hours), and Check-in |
(if heavy rain in Longji) | Symposium dinner in Guilin (around 18:00) |
Afternoon - Plan 2
| Symposium dinner in a local restaurant of Longji (about 17:30) |
(if light/no rain in Longji) | Travel to Downtown Guilin, and Check-in (after 20:00) |
Evening | End of symposium |
Participants
(in alphabetical order)
Prof Hao Gu
Associate Professor, School of Public Administration, Hunan University
Prof Shenjing He
Professor and Head, Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU; Executive Deputy Director, Urban Systems Institute, HKU
Prof Yanfeng Jiang
Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University
Prof Yuheng Li
Associate Professor, the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Prof Yurui Li
Deputy Director and Professor, Department of Agricultural Geography and Rural Development, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Prof Jinlong Liu
Professor, Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China
Prof Yongqiang Liu
Associate Professor of Human Geography, Ningbo University
Prof Hualou Long
Professor, School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University
Prof Junxi Qian
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, HKU; Cluster Leader (Urban-Rural Systems), Urban Systems Institute, HKU
Prof Yungui Shi
Professor and Head, School of Public Policy and Managment, Guangxi University
Prof Darren Smith
Professor of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Loughborough University
Prof Bo-sin Tang
Honorary Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU
Prof Siu Wai Ivy Wong
Associate Professor, Department of Building and Real Estate, PolyU
Prof Michael Woods
Professor of Human Geography, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, UK
Mr Desmond Wu
Principal Assistant Secretary (Nature Conservation), Environment and Ecology Bureau
Prof Yingnan Zhang
Assistant Professor, School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University
Prof Jin Zhu
Assistant Professor, Department of Real Estate and Construction and Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU
Press Release
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