Conference Theme
Landscape Sustainability and Landscape Architecture Education in the Context of Global Change
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 sustainability goals and local practices
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 transformative educational concepts and technological innovations.