【Academic Forum】Wuhan University Hosts the Seventh Luojia Think Tank Forum

(Correspondents: Gao Yuan, Lü Pusheng) On October 31, Wuhan University held the Seventh Luojia Think Tank Forum, focusing on “Exploring Pathways to Chinese-style Urban Modernization.” The event gathered renowned scholars from multiple universities. WHU Party Secretary Zhu Kongjun and Xu Yanguo, Party Secretary of the Hubei Academy of Social Sciences, delivered opening remarks. Vice President Lu Wei presided over the opening ceremony.

Party Secretary Zhu emphasized the strategic significance of cities and reaffirmed WHU’s commitment to talent cultivation, organized research, and high-level think tank development to support urban modernization. Secretary Xu highlighted the need for coordinated industrialization, informatization, and agricultural modernization, stressing governance capacity and security awareness.

Xu Yanguo emphasized in the keynote speech that advancing the path of urban modernization with Chinese characteristics must be aligned with industrialization, informatization, and agricultural modernization. It requires a balanced approach to development and security, giving equal importance to both construction and governance. Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership serves as the fundamental guarantee for following this path.

During the keynote session of the forum, Zhang Yi, Member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Zhao Yaohui, Senior Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wuhan University; Zhu Hong, Professor at the School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University; He Yanling, Wu Yuzhang Distinguished Professor at Renmin University of China; and Wu Xiaolin, Dean of the Zhou Enlai School of Governance at Nankai University, shared their research findings. Zhang Yi proposed addressing gaps in urban services by guiding migrant populations to participate in grassroots governance and optimizing the allocation of public services. Zhao Yaohui suggested focusing on urban-rural integration against the backdrop of population aging and improving pension and medical security for rural residents. Zhu Hong emphasized the need to strengthen South-South cooperation, build a localized theoretical framework, and enhance the academic discourse power of the Global South. He Yanling advocated for a holistic governance perspective centered on "prosperity through governance and governance for prosperity," aiming to build people-centered cities. Wu Xiaolin proposed promoting data integration and emergency coordination through high-level planning, clear responsibilities, and cross-departmental collaboration.

The forum also featured three parallel high-level dialogues on the topics of "Urban Public Governance," "Spatial Governance," and "Modernization of Social Governance." More than ten scholars from Peking University, Fudan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Central China Normal University, Beijing University of Technology, Shenzhen University, and Wuhan University delivered presentations.

It is reported that the Luojia Think Tank Forum is a high-level dialogue platform established by Wuhan University, leveraging its disciplinary and think tank strengths. Guided by the principles of "high-level expertise, integration, and dialogue," the forum is committed to contributing intellectual insights to national development and social progress. This year’s forum was jointly organized by Wuhan University and the Hubei Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, with supports from the School of Political Science and Public Administration, the School of Sociology, the School of Urban Design, and the Hubei Institute of Political Development. The event was attended by over 200 representatives, including heads of relevant university departments, faculty, and students.

(Photo: Jin Xin | Editors: Xiao Shan, Xiang Ru)