The 10th Landscape Sustainability Science Forum & 2025 Annual Conference of the Landscape Architecture Education Steering Committee, Ministry of Education

1. Conference Theme

Landscape Sustainability and Landscape Architecture Education in the Context of Global Change

2. Conference Background

The Landscape Sustainability Science Forum (LSSF), an internationally recognised academic platform established in 2013, has been dedicated to addressing scientific challenges in the coordinated development of human-environment systems. By integrating disciplines such as ecology, geography, environmental economics, and landscape design, the forum has contributed to theoretical breakthroughs and innovative practices in landscape resilience and natural resource governance, offering perspectives from China and innovative solutions to sustainable development.

The Annual Conference of the Landscape Architecture Education Steering Committee (LAESC), Ministry of Education, is a leading and authoritative academic platform in landscape architecture education in China. Since its establishment in 2019, the conference has focused on the frontiers of disciplinary development and educational innovation. Previous themes have included “Undergraduate curriculum systems and course clusters in landscape architecture”, “Emerging engineering and new drivers”, and “Landscape sustainability, natural resource governance, and landscape architecture”. The conference has promoted the in-depth development of the discipline, facilitated interdisciplinary integration, and provided essential theoretical and practical paradigms for talent cultivation and industry advancement in the new era.

At present, global change is reshaping human living environments at an unprecedented pace: climate change is leading to more frequent extreme weather events; biodiversity loss poses a major threat to human survival and development; artificial intelligence is reshaping traditional design paradigms; and carbon neutrality goals are driving industry transformations. Against this backdrop, China’s modernisation path, which emphasises harmony between humans and nature, along with the Dual Carbon Strategy, Beautiful China Initiative, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presents significant opportunities for landscape architecture to play a pivotal role.

The 2024 joint conference of LSSF and LAESC pioneered a new model integrating disciplinary education with scientific research. Building on this success, the 10th Landscape Sustainability Science Forum and 2025 Annual Conference of the Landscape Architecture Education Steering Committee will further enhance the synergy between theory and practice under the theme “Landscape Sustainability and Landscape Architecture Education in the Context of Global Change”, addressing four key challenges:

(1) Intensifying ecological crises and slow disciplinary responses

How can traditional education systems rapidly adapt to urgent issues such as climate change and biodiversity conservation?

(2) Technological advancement and its tension with humanistic values

While artificial intelligence enhances design efficiency, how can we prevent over-reliance on technology from diminishing designers’ ecological perception?

(3) Misalignment between global goals and local implementation

International sustainable development frameworks must be aligned with the complex realities of local urban and rural landscapes. How can education foster professionals with a “global vision and local action” mindset?

(4) Blurring disciplinary boundaries and redefining core competitiveness

With growing interdisciplinarity, how can landscape architecture education redefine its unique value and knowledge system?

This conference will bring together global scholars, educators, and industry pioneers to drive transformation through three strategic actions:

(1) Reconstructing Educational Paradigms: From Knowledge Transmission to Crisis Response

Exploring climate-adaptive landscape architecture education, integrating climate science, digital technologies, and ecological ethics into the curriculum.

(2) Fostering Technology-Ecology Synergies: Building a Collaborative Ecological Action Community

Showcasing tools such as AI-assisted landscape carbon sequestration modelling, ecological big data visualisation, and promoting industry-academia partnerships.

(3) Empowering Young Scholars: Establishing a Global Educational Collaboration Network

Launching the Global Landscape Sustainability Education Network, supporting young scholars in participating in “Belt and Road Initiative” ecological restoration projects, and encouraging innovative educational and technological solutions.

3. Organising Institutions

(1) Hosts

Academic Committee of Landscape Sustainability Science Forum Series (LSSFS)

Subcommittee on Landscape Architecture, Education Steering Committee for Architecture in Higher Education, Ministry of Education, China

Resource Sustainability and Disaster Mitigation Committee, China Society of Natural Resources

(2) Organiser

Chang’an University

(3) Co-organisers

Key Laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, Ministry of Natural Resources

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Reclamation Engineering

Shaanxi Engineering Research Centre for Land Consolidation

Xi’an Key Laboratory of Land and Spatial Information

Shaanxi Landscape Architecture Society

Shaanxi Ecological Society

Shaanxi Geographical Society

(4) Media Partners

Chinese Landscape Architecture Journal

Landscape Architecture Journal

4. Conference Details

Date: 16–18 May 2025

Venue: Crowne Plaza Xi’an, China

5. Conference Organisation

(1) Conference Co-Chairs

Jianguo Wu, Professor, Arizona State University

Rui Yang, Professor, Tsinghua University

Peijun Shi, Professor, Beijing Normal University

(2) Conference Secretaries-General

Hua Bai, Chang’an University

Xiaodi Zheng, Tsinghua University

Yonghua Zhao, Chang’an University

(3) Organising Committee Members

All Members of the Subcommittee on Landscape Architecture, Education Steering Committee for Architecture in Higher Education

Chunping Miao, Chang’an University

Lei Han, Chang’an University

Jie Guo, Nanjing Agricultural University

Chunyang He, Beijing Normal University

Zhifeng Liu, Beijing Normal University

Xuening Fang, Shanghai Normal University

(4) Secretariat

Hongzhou He, Chang’an University

Zixuan Liu, Chang’an University

6. Conference Schedule

7. Additional Information

(1) Conference Website

http://leml.asu.edu/LSSF/index.html

(2) Conference Fees

Students: RMB 800 per person (with valid student ID)

Other Participants: RMB 2,000 per person

Participants attending both the conference and the core course training: RMB 2,500 per person

An official VAT invoice for conference fees is available upon request. Registration fees cover venue, meals, and conference materials, but exclude accommodation.

Note: the invoice will be issued by Shaanxi Ninghui Cultural Media Co., Ltd. and will be sent to the email address provided during payment after the conference.

The official online registration portal will be released in the second-round notification. Please stay updated.

(3) Conference Registration

Participants are required to complete their conference registration by 10 May 2025 by scanning the QR code below.

After making the payment, please send a screenshot of the payment receipt along with the required invoice details to the designated recipient email: fengjingyuanlin25@163.com.

The email should be formatted as follows:

•Email Subject: “Payment Invoice - Order Number 20250801XXX-XX [Institution Name]”

•Email Body:

•Payer Name: [Institution Name]

•TIN (Tax Identification Number): [XXXXXXXXX]

•Invoice Type: Standard VAT Invoice

•Invoice Content: Conference Registration Fee

•Contact Phone Number: [XXXXXXX]

•Email Attachments: Screenshot of the payment receipt (clearly showing the amount, merchant name, and transaction time). If there are special requests (e.g., split invoicing), please attach a supplementary explanation document.

(4) Recommended Accommodation

Crowne Plaza Xi’an

(5) Important Notice

The conference coincides with the peak tourist season, and participants are advised to book their accommodation and travel arrangements in advance to avoid any inconvenience.