Last weekend, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) was the proud host of the Doctoral Forum on Urban Culture Studies. More than 30 experts, scholars and researchers from mainland China and around the world came to SUSTech to discuss interdisciplinary and cross-cultural issues in urban culture research within the broader scope of globalization. SUSTech University Council Vice Chairperson Li Fengliang attended the forum.

Vice Chairperson Li Fengliang pointed out that one of the missions of SUSTech is to serve the needs of building Shenzhen into a modern, international and innovative city. Urban Studies is a relatively new field. It is hoped that the forum would continue to develop into an important platform for active academic thinking. Vice Chairperson Li Fengliang hoped that it would also broaden the horizons, promote academic exchanges, and improve the quality of academic research by young scholars.

Dean of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences at SUSTech Zhou Yongming briefed the attendees as to the original intention and achievements of the Humanities and Social Sciences Honor Society. He expressed his willingness to work with strategic partners to help young doctors in academic grow further in their field.

Executive director of the Asia-Pacific Center for Study of Leisure at Zhejiang University Pan Liyong said that the content of the forum has new ideas and deep interaction.

The young scholars at the conference had numerous in-depth discussions. Areas of discussion included the wisdom city, urban spirit and urban image in the digital age, the communication strategy of urban culture and the comparison of Chinese and foreign urban culture. There was also considerable debate about the gender influence of urban professional women, the urban employment environment and the intangible context of livable cities. Issues such as protection, leisure value in urban development, and different theoretical perspectives and topics were also considered.