Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced the list of major programs funded by NSFC in 2022. Led by Prof. Liu Yansui, Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, Fellow of The Geographical Society of China, and Chair of International Geographical Union Commission on Agricultural Geography and Land Engineering (IGU-AGLE), the major  program of "Collaborative Observation, Transformation Mechanism and Scenario Simulation of Rural Areal System" (NSFC-RAS) jointly applied by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences(IGSNRR,CAS), Beijing Normal University, Shenzhen University, Peking University, Wuhan University and other institutions was funded (Grant No.42293270; Execution period: January 2023 - December 2027). As the highest-level project funded by the NSFC, the major project targets at the frontier of science and major scientific issues in the critical needs of the country's economic, social, scientific and technological development and national security, encourages interdisciplinary research and multidisciplinary comprehensive research, and further improves the original innovation capability.

The project explores the transformation mechanism, collaborative observation and scenario simulation of rural areal systems, taking Pearl River, Yangtze River and YellowRiver basin (across China from south to north) as typical case areas. It is oriented to China’s major strategic needs and based on the cross-cutting advantages and characteristics. The main works include the revelation of the rural transformation mechanism and process, the construction of the aerial-space-air-ground-network integration, the exploration of the dynamic scenarios simulation and path the rural revitalization. Then this project will build a theoretical system, the collaborative observation technology system, and the standard specification system of rural areal system, and a diagnosis-detection-simulation integrated platform with rural areal system diagnostics, detectors and simulators as the core. This project will provide systematic and scientific decision-making for China’s rural revitalization. The project includes three topics: Topic 1 " Transformation Mechanism and Process of Rural Areal System", led by Prof. Liu Yansui; Topic 2 "Collaborative Observation and Fusion Construction of Rural Areal System", led by Prof. Zhang Liqiang from Beijing Normal University; Topic 3 "Dynamic Simulation and Path Exploration of Rural Revitalization Scenarios", led by Academician Guo Renzhong from Shenzhen University.

In order to learn the management methods of NSFC major project and prepare for the start of major project and implement the annual tasks of major project, the Project Office held the first working meeting of major project on January 10, 2023. Xiong Juhua, Director of Earth Science Division 1, NSFC, Cui Jing, Deputy Director of Scientific Research Division, IGSNRR, CAS, and other leaders of the project and sub-project discussed the specific implementation of the project. More than 70 researchers, including Prof. Wang Liming, Fan Zemeng, Li Yurui and Wang Jieyong from the IGSNRR, CAS, Prof. Liu Suhong from Beijing Normal University, Prof. Liu Chengfang, Luo Renfu, Zhang Bo and Feng Jian from Peking University, and Prof. He Jianhua and Liu Dianfeng from Wuhan University, participated in the conference.

Prof. Liu Yansui presided over the meeting as the project leader. He firstly introduced in detail the long-term mechanism of the implementation and operation of the major project, the key research points and innovation points, as well as the overall schedule of the project in 2023, and put forward the resource sharing method and the draft implementation rules of the major project. Subsequently, Director Xiong Juhua put forward valuable guidance and suggestions for the organization and implementation of this project. He briefly reviewed the project approval process and standard requirements of major projects, fully affirmed the organizational operation mechanism and implementation management rules proposed by the project team, and put forward constructive suggestions from the height of promoting interdisciplinary integration and integrated innovation. He stressed the need to strengthen the exploration of interdisciplinary integration paradigm of human geography, information geography, physical geography and other disciplines, focusing on theoretical innovation of rural regional system and breakthroughs in important scientific issues, and hoped to explore innovative management methods and mechanisms of major projects. Then, on behalf of the project supporting units, Deputy Director Cui Jing introduced the specific requirements of major project management, outcomes and fund use, stressed the importance of improving the leading group of project implementation, strengthening domestic and foreign cooperation and exchanges, and implementing research resource sharing, as well as the urgency of strengthening substantive cooperation among project subjects and participating units.

 Subsequently, Academician Guo Renzhong stressed that it is a professional mission and political responsibility to focus on the theoretical research of rural regional system to serve the major strategy of national rural revitalization, and there is no reason not to do a good job in the research. Prof. Zhang Liqiang pointed out that the key to the successful implementation of this major project is to do a good job in close cooperation among the projects and resource data sharing, and promote the organic combination of theoretical research, technological innovation and service decision-making. Finally, the leaders and key members of the meeting fully expressed their opinions and suggestions on the elaboration of the project implementation plan, the innovation of the organization operation mechanism and the creation of a comprehensive integration platform. This meeting has laid a good foundation and mechanism guarantee for the launch and implementation of major projects and the implementation of major research tasks.

Project leader Liu Yansui introduced the project implementation mechanism

Conference group photo