The 13th International Academic Annual Conference of the Consortium for Western China Development Studies was held in Howard Johnson Qunsheng Plaza, Guizhou on November 25th, 2018. The topic for this conference was “Western China Development in the New Era—Rural Revitalization and Green Development”.
This conference was co-organized by GZU, the Consortium for Western China Development Studies, and the Western China Development Committee of Regional Science Association of China. It was locally hosted by the China Center for Western Development Capacity Research of GZU, the Collaborative Innovation Center for Western China’s Poverty Alleviation and Development of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics (The 2011 Project of Guizhou provincial government), and the Gui’an New Area Research Institute of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics. It was collectively supported by the School of Medical Humanities, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou Health Development Research Center, and the Journal ofEcological Economy.
Attendees at the Conference were Secretary-General of Guizhou Provincial Federation of Social Sciences, Liu Fengquan, Vice Secretary of Party Committee of GZU, Luo Changjiang, Director of the Division of Social Sciences Research and Ideological Politics Education of the Department of Education of the Guizhou Provincial Government, Zhao Xiang, and Chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of China National Democratic Construction Association and Vice Secretary of the Chinese Side of the Consortium for Western China Development Studies, Yang Minghong. More than 350 scholars and experts around the globe, composed of economists, management experts, sociologists, government officials, entrepreneurs, scientific personnel, officials holding temporary posts, and graduate students working in poverty alleviation attended this conference. It was chaired by Hong Mingyong, Dean of the Research Institute of Social Sciences at GZU.
After delivering a welcoming address, Luo Changjiang introduced the progress and status quo of the development of GZU as well as the efforts made by GZU to serve local economic construction. As a member of the Alliance of Western Chinese Universities, GZU was one of the 14 higher educational institutions in Western China which were prioritized for construction by the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, deeply rooted in Guizhou Province for many years, GZU has made active contributions to the development of Western China in the new era with the support of professional personnel, necessary scientific research, and expertise.
On behalf of the Department of Education of the Guizhou Provincial Government, Zhao Xiang delivered a speech. He highlighted that this conference was a showcase for the China Center for Western Development Capacity Research (the key research center for social sciences at GZU as part of the Guizhou provincial government’s efforts), the Collaborative Innovation Center for Western China’s Poverty Alleviation and Development at Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, The 2011 Project of the Guizhou provincial government, as well as the Guizhou Health Development Research Center. Likewise, this conference laid a solid foundation for the promotion of rural revitalization and ecological construction of Western China. It presented valuable opportunities for academic exchanges between social science researchers in Guizhou province and scholars at home and abroad and also built an effective platform for scholars of higher educational and scientific institutions around the globe to develop a better understanding of Guizhou.
On behalf of the Guizhou Provincial Federation of Social Sciences, Liu Fengquan extended his warmest welcome to distinguished guests coming from all around the world. He believed this conference was a grand meeting for academic studies in Western China’s development and research, especially against the backdrop of the New Era. It was expected to pave the way for philosophy and social sciences to serve the economy and society through intensive academic exchanges.
After the opening ceremony, Guan Zhengfei, professor of the University of Florida, Hong Mingyong, professor of GZU, Deng Xiang, professor of Sichuan University, Yang Junchang, professor of GZU, Liang Shuanglu, professor of Yunnan University, and Hu Beiming, professor of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, delivered a series of keynote speeches on the following topics: “Systematic Conflict and Development— Strategic Thinking of China’s Development Against the Backdrop of US-China Trade Conflict”, “Reform of the Arable Land Property System in Guizhou Province Since the Reform and Opening-up—Theoretical Logic, Contribution, and Inspiration”, “Spatial Differences Between Population Migration and Housing Prices”, “Exploration of the Inscriptions of Mountain Farming Knowledge of the Dong Minority and Its Corresponding Value in Rural Revitalization”, and “Self-capacity Building on the Base of Capital Accumulation and Exploration on Tourism Approaches for Rural Revitalization”.
In the afternoon, the conference proceeded with four panel sessions on the following topics: “China’s Poverty Alleviation”, “Rural Land Systems of China”, “Big Health and Green Development of Western China”, “Green Plateau Industry and Self-Developing Capacities of Rural Villages”, “Rural Revitalization and Targeted Efforts for Poverty Alleviation”, and so on. Experts across different panels offered detailed comments on the speakers’ presentations, providing invaluable academic perspectives and suggestions from a variety of angles. The achievement of this conference lends itself to these sparks of academic thought.
After the panel sessions, a closing ceremony was held, with professor Yang Minghong delivering the closing remarks. According to his remarks, as an important international academic conference on development and research in Western China, this conference reviewed, concluded and disseminated the status quo of the 13th Five-Year Plan of China’s Western Development Policy, with much emphasis on the timely conclusion of innovative achievements of Western China Development and Research especially since the proposal of the Rural Revitalization Strategy. The features of this conference could be illustrated as keeping closely to the theme of the era, a more extensive and youthful attendance, organization and coordination among different institutions, and diversified disciplines. Coordinated, cooperative, shared and multi-facetted in its presentation, this conference was an academic feast for scientific research and theoretical exploration.
It is reported that GZU was one of the main initiators to kickoff the Consortium for Western China Development Studies. This conference can be regarded as another example of participating and hosting high-level academic conferences to promote research on the development of Western China, especially Guizhou, and to investigate the approaches to addressing issues in serving local economic development.
Text: Wu Guoyong (New Rural Development Institute of GZU)
Photography: Wu Guoyong (New Rural Development Institute of GZU)
Chief Editor: Li Hui
Senior Editor: Yang Bo
Translator: Zhu Xiaofeng
Proofreading: Austin DiCola, Zhou Jie
