Geographical Society of China

Geographical Society of China
Name	Geographical Society of China
Native name	中国地理学会
Formation	1934
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Beijing
Region served	China
Language	Chinese, English
Leader title	President

Geographical Society of China is a national learned society dedicated to promoting Geography, facilitating research, and coordinating scholarly exchange across Chinese institutions. Founded in the Republican era and reorganized after the People's Republic of China establishment, the Society functions as a hub linking provincial academies, municipal research institutes, and university departments. It maintains relationships with international bodies, supports fieldwork in regions such as Tibet Autonomous Region, Xinjiang, and Yunnan, and collaborates with global organizations on projects touching on United Nations programs and regional initiatives.

History

The Society traces origins to pre-1949 scholarly circles that included figures affiliated with Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emerging amid intellectual currents shaped by events like the May Fourth Movement and the Second Sino-Japanese War. Post-1949 reconstitution aligned the Society with state-sponsored scientific planning linked to institutions such as the Ministry of Education and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, while navigating periods marked by national campaigns including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. During the reform era under leaders aligned with policies of Deng Xiaoping, the Society expanded ties to overseas entities like the Royal Geographical Society, the American Association of Geographers, and the International Geographical Union. Major milestones include organizing national congresses in concert with universities including Fudan University, Wuhan University, Nanjing University, and research collaborations with agencies such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the State Oceanic Administration.

Organization and Governance

Governance structures mirror models used by scholarly bodies such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and provincial academies in Guangdong, Sichuan, and Shandong. The Society elects a council drawn from academics at institutions like Beijing Normal University, Southwest University, Sun Yat-sen University, and research centers including the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research and the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth. Executive offices coordinate with municipal bureaus in Beijing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality, and Chongqing Municipality, and with ministries such as the Ministry of Science and Technology. Advisory committees include representatives from think tanks like the Development Research Center of the State Council and heritage bodies such as the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Membership and Activities

Membership comprises scholars from institutions including China University of Geosciences, Central China Normal University, Lanzhou University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and practitioners from agencies such as the China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Natural Resources (People's Republic of China). The Society organizes national conferences, regional symposia, and workshops hosted at venues like Zhejiang University, Jilin University, and Xiamen University, and coordinates field campaigns in collaboration with provincial bureaus in Heilongjiang and Hainan. Activities include thematic working groups on topics connected to programs by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with participation from experts linked to Peking Union Medical College and urban planners from Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Research and Publications

The Society sponsors research programs partnered with organizations such as the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Academia Sinica, and international research centers like the Smithsonian Institution and the Max Planck Society. It publishes journals and monographs alongside university presses including Zhongshan University Press and collaborates on series with publishers associated with Oxford University Press and Springer Nature in bilingual editions. Research themes span physical geography studies tied to Yangtze River and Yellow River basin projects, human geography analyses engaging with cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and remote sensing initiatives using platforms like Landsat, Gaofen and data from the China National Space Administration. Contributors often come from research teams led by scholars affiliated with Columbia University, University of Cambridge, Peking University, and Princeton University.

Education and Outreach

Education programs connect to teacher-training at institutions such as East China Normal University and curriculum development influenced by standards from the Ministry of Education. Outreach includes public lectures co-hosted with museums like the National Museum of China and the Shanghai Museum, school partnerships with municipal education bureaus in Guangzhou and Hangzhou, and citizen science projects linked to NGOs such as WildChina and heritage NGOs active around sites like the Terracotta Army and Jiuzhaigou Valley. The Society runs summer schools with partners including École Normale Supérieure, University of Tokyo, and Australian National University.

Awards and Recognitions

The Society administers prizes and medals recognizing scholarship comparable to honors from the Royal Geographical Society, the Vautrin Lud Prize, and awards given by the International Geographical Union. Recipients have included researchers affiliated with institutions such as Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, University of Hong Kong, and research institutes like the National Climate Center (China). Awards ceremonies often take place alongside national forums attended by representatives of organizations including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and multilateral programs of the United Nations Development Programme.

International Cooperation

International cooperation involves partnerships with entities such as the International Geographical Union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, and bilateral links with academies like the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Collaborative projects address cross-border issues in regions including the Himalayas, the Mekong River basin, and the South China Sea, with institutional partners from Chulalongkorn University, National University of Singapore, University of British Columbia, and research consortia funded by agencies like the European Commission and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Category:Learned societies of China Category:Geography organizations