Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network - SW China

Lead Research Organisation: University of Huddersfield
Department Name: School of Arts and Humanities

Abstract

The Sustainable and Creative Villages Research Network will address an emerging and important need in the village communities of China. These communities have until recently been left out of urban based development, with the consequence of depopulation as villagers move to cities. This has created age and gender based imbalances, as well as leaving many buildings in a poor state of repair. This situation has given rise to a loss of knowledge and skills in arts and crafts that would underpin local community sustainability.

The choice of locus in Southwest China arises because of: the remoteness of the region and of many villages; the relative lack of economic prosperity compared to eastern provinces on the Pacific Rim; and the underutilised wealth of cultural and ethnic diversity and scenic locations present there. These factors provide an inviting opportunity, not to say necessity, to develop and reinforce traditional skills, vernacular design, and creative arts and craft industries to support village based development.

The migration to cities in cities in China and their rapid development is already well-known and there have been numerous projects researching urban sustainability from economic, environmental and social perspectives. However even with the planned increasing urbanisation of the population, about 600 million people will continue to live in rural and village locations. It is towards the future prosperity and sustainable development of such places that this network will focus its efforts. In order to achieve this, the Network will be constructed to enable collaboration between China-based partners; with the influence of the UK Project Team being on facilitation, support and encouragement. A particular feature of the network will be the linkages between well-established academic and non-academic participants and those who are either relatively new participants or located more remotely (both organisational type and geographically) but who have key local and skills based understanding and experience to contribute.

The need to enhance rural and village development was first officially recognised in the 11th 5 Year Plan of the Peoples Republic of China published in 2005 and this was reinforced by elements of the 13th 5 Year Plan set out in 2015. It is clear from recent visits made by the UK Project Team in 2016 and 2017 that efforts are being made to speed up village redevelopment but with potential for unintended negative consequences. These arise because of lack of linkages and mutual understandings between top-down and bottom-up processes that have previously been reported. There is also an emerging risk with current methods of redevelopment which sees factory produced artefacts and unsuitable building techniques being used as substitutes for locally produced authentic products.

There are however some good examples of village redevelopment and also a wealth of knowledge existing in pockets of expertise; the urgent task is to understand how to disseminate information on exemplars and from experts, as well as how to research future optimisation. Operationally there are three key elements: firstly the establishment of the Network; secondly the holding of Network meetings and open workshop events in different locations; and thirdly the dissemination and circulation of information and outcomes through the second level of networking which each of the main collaborators will deliver as part of the project.

Direct outcomes will again come in three main ways: firstly the identification and prioritisation of research and development needs and the options for development; secondly the bidding for funds from academic and non-academic sources to help deal with the necessary research and development facilitated by the Network; and thirdly the publication of outputs.

The Network is expected to continue beyond the initial funding period so as to deal with rural/village needs over a 5-10 year period.

Planned Impact

Initial impacts will be achieved through Network events and also through the sub-networks which are aligned around participants and collaborators. The prime purpose is to influence future sustainable development in the south-western provinces of China and to develop new research fields and methods; each leading to informed policy development. These are important future impacts.

Groups who will benefits include:
- Academics active in the topic areas of traditional building and craft skills, who will learn about how to apply technologies and techniques in new ways or settings - they will also benefit from improved and enhanced research opportunities in what is a crucial area of development at the present time in China
- Professionals in the fields of design and construction in rural and village areas - these include architects, planners, and skilled trades-people who will become acquainted with techniques that enable more sustainable redevelopment of rural and village areas;
- Commercial organisations who will benefits from the development of new markets and through better understanding of local needs;
- Village communities and rural areas will also benefit by help to re-emphasise and understand the traditional skills which they embody and which might be expanded through the network outcomes and developments;
- Individuals who are located in villages will also have potential to develop skills and businesses;
- The tourism industry has potential to exploit potential for visitors to rural and village areas - and this is already being encouraged (SW China is home to many examples of intangible cultural heritage as well as many traditional villages identified for preservation);
- The wider environment should also profit from more efficient and more sustainable technologies and techniques being employed in buildings and craft skills areas with greater use of local resources and lower transport costs.
- There are expected to be positive economic and societal impacts; and enhanced potential to create comfortable and pleasant environments in and around dwellings and other rural and village buildings.

A focus on users and stakeholders within communities will help develop positive social and cultural aspects and the needs of these groups will be considered throughout the term of the network; impacts will be enhanced through capture of outcomes by the academic stakeholders and analysis leading to better understanding of knowledge pathways in this topic area - this is something which is complex and difficult to understand in this field of work meaning research has enhanced value.

Intellectual assets are not prime outputs of the network but can be expected to develop from future projects and funding bids. The initial new IP content is expected to be small with processes and collaboration initially supported and overseen by the UK team, with expectation that each group will take responsibility for development into future projects. The links provided by the Research Network should enable mutual support from those with greater experience to leverage better outcomes for those with less experience. The networking process should also foster career development as well as research knowledge and skills.

The intensive research meetings are expected to deliver immediate benefits and impacts to those taking part whilst the workshop events will provide dissemination routes to create longer terms prospects for benefits amongst a wider group.

Support from the Centre for Sustainable and Resilient Communities at the University of Huddersfield (http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/csrc/introduction/) will also help ensure the Research Network continues to develop with an emphasis on application of research outcomes and dissemination of outcomes and outputs.

Impacts will involve interactions with a number of groups as well as members of the public and processes used will follow best practice and adhere to ethical standards.
 
Description The activities of the Network are a good fit to current Chinese Government promotion of the revitalisation of the countryside. The rapid changes taking place as part of the ensuing government policies are sometimes less than optimal because of the speed of change and the lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding amongst key stakeholders. Such stakeholders include village leaders and residents, and also professionals involved in supporting villages. The research network is helping to facilitate better interactions and transfer on knowledge and understanding to these key groups. Any outcomes are very significant as a result.

The activities of the network have generated much interest amongst many groups: professionals such as architects and planners; village leaders and village residents; representatives of local government and policy institutes; and amongst the general public. This indicates an appetite for further support and development and the Network provides a route for connection and discussion.

There is clear evidence that optimising the design of dwellings taking better account of climate and of options for building/construction can create more resource efficient dwellings (in terms of materials and in running costs). The Huddersfield team supported by Network members has produced guidance in the form of tabulated data to help inform design decision making.

The research network also established that changes to design and construction in traditional villages can be carried out to develop 'hybrid' design solutions, which enable the maintenance of some traditional aesthetic and cultural features. The results from discussions with professionals, affirmed in public discourse, is that the work of the network can alter perceptions and practice to be more sustainable.

The outcomes of collaboration with groups involved in teaching design, craft and construction at Universities has been a clear opportunity to influence the thinking and attitudes of academic leaders and through them the attitudes and actions of future professionals to be more sustainable. Network members, working together, for future curriculum development, are developing the aspects of teaching for professionals.

The outcomes of the Research Network have impacts on many fields including environmental design, more efficient resource utilisation; enhance provision of comfort for building residents, improved societal outcomes, better economic performance, and support for government and official policy development.

ODA relevance: The purpose of the project was to develop a Research Network to address issues of sustainable development in China - principally in the Southwest area encompassing the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Sichuan, and linked to the adjacent Municipality of Chongqing. The Network has focused on facilitating the prosperity and sustainability of villages experiencing depopulation and loss of skills and opportunities. The research is exploiting understanding from exemplar villages and best practice and disseminating this information through professional and practitioner networks and events. In this, it shows purpose in being to promote the economic development and welfare of a developing country. Any benefits within the UK are incidental.

The research network also links to several themes under the GCRF by supporting sustainable economies and societies via focused research leading to sustainable livelihoods and communities. It also supports sustainable production and consumption through encompassing local craft and design skills; and it helps provide equitable access to sustainable development.

To be noted: the Research Network is not funded to carry out primary research but to bring together existing understandings with a variety of stakeholders in order to develop opportunities for the future. The information above explains what has been achieved thus far; the Network has not been able to complete all originally planned activities due to the impact of the corona virus. An extension to the end of March 2022 was applied for and allowed however the long-lasting nature of Covid restrictions has meant finalisation in the way expected has not been possible. As a result funding has been adjusted to provide additional support for the |Network in the final stages of the formal project to maximise benefits and support the continuance of the Network following the conclusion of the formal (extended) funding period. Despite the difficulties an event was organised in China during 2020 - a symposium at a collaborating institution in Nanning. The event was well promoted and an online event for all but a few participants - however the success in attracting almost 350,00 log-ins online to the combined event was remarkable and more than double the previous year. A further smaller event was held in December 2021 also in Nanning which the team was able to contribute to online and suggest further ways to develop the network. During this period contact has been maintained through social media. Although not all activities took place as expected the major and significant objectives were still met. As of March 2023 publications continue to be generated stimulated by this funded work.
Exploitation Route The continuance of the collaborations set up in the Research Network will enable a variety of strands to be taken forward into the future. The outcomes are indeed already being used by collaborators to inform future actions.

The Network already has a life of its own with various activities occurring directly between members or amongst sub-groups. This involves teaching development and discussion about future practice (given the professional nature of many of the issues involved). The Network connections in China were also recently used a vehicle for making contact to carry out an assessment of impact of the corona virus on villages.

Research centres are planned to be established by some participants and two have already begun operation in two different locations.

Participants in China are likely to use the outcomes and particularly the networking opportunities to develop new research themes. The Huddersfield team are happy to support and facilitate this where requested and appropriate.

Further research is undoubtedly required to optimise dwelling design in villages and some participants are already working on this but there is also an opportunity to develop more linkages in the arts/crafts side of the spectrum, especially where this can support traditional design outputs.

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Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction,Creative Economy,Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
 
Description The Research Network was initially funded from late 2017 for a period of 2 years. Its primary purpose is the enabling of discussion and promotion of research ideas and collaboration in development of research related to villages in SW China. The AHRC funding itself does not support research activities in that there is no funding of time for research staff, however several published outputs have been created and a number of events held. The Research Network has been designed to impact on the redevelopment and revitalisation of rural areas of China and along with this there are important beneficial physical environmental impacts together with influences over cultural and societal development with economic benefits too. The Network addresses issues supporting enhanced sustainability outcomes (environmental, socio-cultural, and economic) for village and rural areas of China, and this is the geographical area to which the DAC designation applies. The prime location focus is in the southwest of the country through there is also great interest from other regions of the country. Rural China and its villages, particularly those located away from the more prosperous East Coast are in need of revitalisation and this is something already recognised by the Chinese national government. The Research Network is design to support activities centred on design, construction and redevelopment in those villages and also other activities such as crafts and traditional skills development. All of these aspects contribute to enhancing economic development that is necessary in those regions and helps to maintain both the physical environment and employment opportunities in support of the local cultural and societal needs. Since rural and village tourism is also an activity being supported by the Chinese national and regional governments, the focus of the network also embraces how such villages that can be supported to achieve benefit. The network addresses gender issues prevalent in local village communities since one of the pervasive influences of urbanisation in China is the loss of young people, mainly male, to cities searching for work. Revitalisation of rural area villages can help provide opportunities for all in those areas for employment and prosperity. The network operates through a series of linked elements. The initial and driving membership arose from academic institutions and the staff working within them; in China, almost all academic staff in the area of design (embracing architecture, arts, crafts and construction) maintain professional practice through independent or linked organisations. Therefore, if one wishes to influence the development of practice it is important to embrace stakeholders from academic institutions who often take leading and example-setting roles. These stakeholders also provide an opportunity to penetrate into exemplar villages and rural groupings which are also involved in being researched or who are recipients of advice and support through formal consultancy procedures. Participants in Network event who are not directly linked to academic institutions include: Chongqing Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Commission, Town and Village Construction Department of Chongqing City (Rural Project Manager); The Director of the Urbanization Division of the Department of Housing and Urbanization of Guizhou Province; The Director of the Urban and Rural Construction Planning Bureau of the Bailidufu Management District; The Chief Planner of the Provincial Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute in Guiyang; The Chief Architect of the Guiyang Architectural Design Institute; Architects from West Line Studio; Practitioners from the Provincial Institute of Architectural Design, Guizhou; Handan Wooden House Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., Southeast Guizhou Ethnic Architecture Research Center; Guizhou Zhengye Engineering Technology Investment Company; Guizhou Construction Engineering Group; Eleventh Construction Engineering Company; Guizhou Province Creative Landscape Design Company; China Electric Power Construction Group; Guiyang Surveying Institute; and multiple small practices or individuals practicing in the fields of architecture and planning. During the course of the network operation, the Huddersfield-led team have also had many opportunities to meet with village leaders and residents. This has occurred in and around the sites of the workshop events: Chongqing; Kunming; and Guiyang. In Hong Kong, the key collaborator is the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and they already link to numerous villages through their 'One University One Village' programme (http://www.1u1v.org/). The network has also evolved quite rapidly in terms of scope and number of members thus improving breadth of impact. Initially it was planned to hold 6 workshops and 6 linked academic discussion events in pairs across a number of locations during the two-year period of the Network funding, with approximately 15-30 participants at each event. The network leaders have already exceeded the original target and been able to hold more events with greater breadth of participation and much increased numbers; this has occurred because the Network membership has grown and because more support for the Network has been received from within China than initially predicted. At each of these events the impact of the messages about enhancing rural revitalisation is being enabled to be transmitted to main stakeholders and through them to a much wider audience. The network was successful in gathering momentum during 2018 and 2019 and in addition to the initial network grouping additional institutions located in four different provinces in China have become involved in hosting activities. Initially collaboration was planned linked to groups from Yunnan Province and from the city of Chongqing in SW China, together with extra support from active research centres further east in Hong Kong, Beijing and Suzhou (Shanghai area). Since the initiative commenced additional institutions in Chengdu (Sichuan province), Guiyang (Guizhou province), and Nanning (Guangxi autonomous region) have joined as significant partners, and there are currently in excess of 60 linked groups across many more provinces. The Network was initiated following the funding announcement in November 2017 and this coincided with a visit by the Huddersfield Team to Beijing where they were invited to participate at an event with a number of key speakers from the capital with an interest in rural revitalisation. Though researchfish lists the start date for the project as January 2018 this event associated with the Network was already underway. This helped get a good start for the Network and although outside the main location focus of the project, the Network Leaders were also invited to a 'model village' near to Beijing to discuss with the village leaders and local developers their thoughts on how best to advance that village. This was recorded and incorporated into online information in China, and due to the national importance of that model village helped to raise the team's profile and that of their activities. The first formal Network meeting was held in Chongqing in January 2018 at Chongqing Jiaotong University (one of the founding Network Members) and this attracted a wider number of participants than had originally been expected with a number of representatives from other provinces; total participants were approximately 70 in number. Many of the participants wished to also have a network meeting closer to their location and this caused the Network leaders to change plans for meetings to increase and diversify locations. The main team of practitioners (approximately 20 in number) also visited an example of successful village redevelopment on the outskirts of the city to observe how opportunities for redevelopment could be enacted and therefore reproduced. Further information on the Chongqing event is given in the section on Engagement Activities (as are details for each of the events). Through the participants' active involvement, impact is expanded to their contacts and also impacts on the students of academics who will be the next generation of practitioners. The second event was held at Guizhou Minzu University in the city of Guiyang. This was well supported by local institutions particularly staff at the University and there were 270 registrations for the event attendance in person and approximately 400 participants viewing online. The meeting was also reported in the local television news. Following the formal event held on campus the key Network members also then visited an example of a village undergoing redevelopment as result of planned relocation of village residents from outside the area to help tourism. The team met with almost the whole village (approximately 100 people) to discuss opportunities). Also at this event, a practice based student competition was launched with the support of the Network to address village redevelopment. The impact of the Guizhou event again focused on practice and on future generations of practitioners and through them on both economic and societal developments in ways that recognise the importance of environmentally sensitive rural revitalisation. The third combined event was facilitated by the Yunnan Arts University (YAU), a Founding Member of the Network, in the city of Kunming and was timed to coincide with their annual exhibition, which attracts many hundreds of visitors. YAU is one of the most practice-orientated universities in the country with students going on to work in: fine art; graphics; animation; textiles; clothing and costume design; product design; jewellery; metalwork; sculpture; architecture, landscape and environmental design. The hosting by YAU of the event allowed direct participation in the main symposium of approximately 50 attendees from academia and practice and also gave visibility to the activities of the network of hundreds more visiting the exhibition. There was also an opportunity to visit and discuss village redevelopment with leaders of a local village in Chenggong which had recently been incorporated into the city. A questionnaire survey concerning village revitalisation was distributed to village residents and to exhibition attendees and over 100 responses were received. The fourth event was held outside the region of SW China in Hong Kong. The reason for this was several-fold. Firstly, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) had been a long-time supporter of the Network and was one of its Founding Members. Secondly, CUHK also has numerous connections in SW China (and won the World Building of the Year award in 2017 for its earthquake resistant village house constructed in SW China http://www.arch.cuhk.edu.hk/event/1u1v-wins-world-building-year-waf-2017/, one of their collaborators in that project was another Founding Member of the Network: Kunming University of Science and Technology). Thirdly, CUHK was hosting one of the most important international conferences in the subject area (Passive and Low Energy Architecture, PLEA2018 http://www.plea2018.org/) in December 2018. Through this means it was possible to link the Research Network to the conference to achieve wider publicity among the numerous on-site and online attendees, and to inform them of the Network's activity through presentation of papers. Attendees at the Network events were also able to interact with delegates to PLEA2018. The impacts from the event are therefore felt in several ways: delegates were made aware of the importance of the Sustainable and Creative Villages Research Network; the wider group of attendees were able to understand the economic, societal and environmental importance of rural and village revitalisation; development of future partnerships was enabled. The fifth event was held at Chongqing Jiaotong University in March 2019 and again consisted of a workshop and a symposium. There were in excess of 200 attendees with presentations from architects, planners and academics at the symposium on the first day and included presentations from the regional architectural practice of several famous architects. In these, several elements were linked taking note of urban and rural construction teaching and local practice; the combination of rural construction teaching and practical activities; and architectural drawing education combined with local cultural identity. There was also a presentation on developments in building practices to increase resistance to earthquake damage. In July 2019, another type of event was held and the Huddersfield team were invited to take part in a student-focused event in Guiyang by collaborators from Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University based in Suzhou who have been involved in student led developments of themes from the network. This coincided with an exhibition of student work for a collaborative competition developed between five universities in China. The sixth formal network event was held over 3 days in November 2019 and was linked to the 4th ASEAN (Association of SE Asian Nations) event hosted by Guangxi Arts University in the City of Nanning. The linking to the ASEAN event boosted visibility considerably with several hundred people attending the main event and with over 150,000 views of the on-line streaming of the main event. This particular event allowed wider regional dissemination and potential future impacts because of the breadth of attendance from a number of countries at the event and because of the publicity it achieved with members of the Huddersfield team interviewed for local TV broadcast. The seventh combined event was hosted by Yunnan Arts University in Kunming and was associated with another international event the 4th CSCEC Cup Western 5+2 Biennale Exhibition of Environmental Art Design on the theme of Diversity and Mutualism. The main event was sponsored by China's largest construction company and speakers from the network shared the stage in the symposium with speakers from prominent design and construction companies as well as practitioners. The event was attended by several hundred people in November 2019. The eighth symposium event was held remotely and was linked to the 5th ASEAN (Association of SE Asian Nations) event hosted by Guangxi Arts University in the City of Nanning in October 2020. The linking to the ASEAN event once again boosted visibility and particularly because of the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and inability to travel. A small number of participants attended in person onsite but there was a much enlarged audience online with almost 350,000 participants by the end of the joint event. This event therefore once again allowed wider regional dissemination and potential future impacts because of the breadth of attendance from a number of countries at the event. The live broadcast of presentations meant that information was available more directly and the saved recordings can still be accessed some months later. A ninth event was hosted (mainly online) by Guangxi Arts University in December 2021 with a smaller number of participants. Two forward looking presentations were made/recorded by Huddersfield academics. Events were also held/hosted in the UK: A Symposium Event Chinese 'Perspective on Architecture and Heritage' was held at the University of Huddersfield in June 2018 with the aim of raising the profile of interact and value of research in China - several papers were linked to the Research Network activities. A public presentation was also made the Huddersfield Civic Society to provide information on research and other activities being undertaken in October 2018. In January 2020, network collaborators from Chongqing attended an exhibition of work relating to the network and its outputs in Huddersfield and engaged with local staff to explain the network activities. In February 2021 an online symposium event - Rethinking Architectural Heritage in Contemporary Urbanism in Asian Contexts - was hosted jointly with the University of Sheffield and attracted 10 presentations from a number of different countries including: Vietnam; India; Bangladesh; China; Malaysia; the Netherlands; and the UK. Each of the above events has been designed to aid the underlying purpose of the research Network - that is to help develop best practice that supports sustainable economic, cultural, societal and environmental development and well-being. Sustainable Development Goals. The Network has also addressed aspects of several Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals is clearly and aspect of the operation of the network. The Research Network is encouraging joint activity and thinking that crosses a number of traditional boundaries between regions and professions in SW China; SDG 3: Good health and well-being: by informing and encouraging better design of dwellings the Research Network is proving better environments in traditionally poor areas of the country. In some cases the problems around potential earthquake damage is being addressed and comfort is also a key issue; SDG 5: Gender equality: many villages have populations out of balance because male residents are more likely to leave rural areas for cities to seek work. Rural villages have populations consisting of biases towards women, children and the old. By providing more sustainable villages with opportunities for creative enterprise this Research Network helps to address this issue; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: the west of China has experienced less rapid growth and is generally less prosperous than the East of the country. The project here is in-line with national policies which are being developed to support the countryside; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: new enterprises are required in rural areas which can help sustain employment and new industries, particularly associated with tourism and tourist products. The Research Network through several of its collaborators is attempting to engage with stakeholders in support of this; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: much development in China has been focused on cities and urbanisation creating problems for communities in the hinterlands of conurbations. The Research Network therefore has a strong underlying focus on activity that helps create sustainable communities in rural and village areas; SDG 12: Responsible Production and Consumption: in rural areas where the effects of over-use of raw materials or discard of wastes in immediately felt in the local environment. Better communication with stakeholders through the Network aims to incorporate better understanding of this topic. Summary of Impacts: There have been impacts in the following ways: 1. Raising awareness of the importance of effective rural revitalisation to maintain and enhance the economic, societal and environmental sustainability of rural and village communities in SW China; 2. Interactions with academic practitioners and representatives of local government, private sector and other organisations to make them aware of the opportunities to improve the effectiveness of supporting rural/village groups; 3. Meetings with representatives of villages directly to discuss their concerns and inform them of ways in which they can improve future sustainability; 4. Information and ideas transferred to future generations of practitioners through direct and indirect interaction with students; 5. A focus on villages with tourism development potential can leverage further benefits; 6. Better and more effective encouragement and facilitation for academics from different backgrounds and located in different provinces to work together. The Huddersfield team are already aware of at least three bi-lateral partnerships that have evolved directly between Network members - this was something hoped for in the original planning of the Network; 7. Published outputs in academic journals; 8. The development of a Design Practice Guide (published in China in 2020). 9. Presentations of information and outputs to a wider regionally based audience through online symposiums.
First Year Of Impact 2018
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction,Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other
Impact Types Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Beijing University of Technology 
Organisation Beijing University of Technology
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Beijing University of Technology was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team visited Beijing at the point the Network was announced and contributed to a two-day event being hosted at Beijing University of Technology and which involved particiaption of a range of professional stakeholeders as well as students.
Collaborator Contribution The support from Beijing University of Technology dates from when the award for the Research Network was announced, thus it predates the date given in researchfish for the start of the Award however the activities have formed a full and developing part of the Network The location of the University although away from SW China does provide a great deal of information for Network members about current thinking and policies from a wider perspective. The University is also active in research into rural village redevelopment for a number of years and is therefore able to give advice to the Network from a longer term perspective. The main contributor to the Network is Professor Liao Hanwen in the School of Architecture.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Beijing University of Technology has actively supported all symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section and provided a speaker for several events.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Chinese University of Hong Kong 
Organisation Chinese University of Hong Kong
Country Hong Kong 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team have operated alongside staff from CUHK in two areas - aspects of the university-village links programme and also with the group working on earthquake-resistant dwellings
Collaborator Contribution The partner Institution has supported activities by hosting an event and participating in other events which form constituent elements of the Network modus operandi. They have devoted staff time in organising events and in attending others. They have also made contributions in terms of facilities and (rooms and equipment), in provision of refreshments for events, and in links to other networks of which they are a part. Contributions have been received from the following members of Chinese University of Hong Kong: Edward Ng, Professor; Wan Li, Research Associate; and Chi Xinan, Researcher.
Impact The Chinese University of Hong Kong has actively supported all symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section and provided speakers for events. The University also helped organise the Symposium and Event held in December 2018.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Chongqing Jiaotong University 
Organisation Chongqing Jiaotong University
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Chongqing Jiaotong University was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team were also instrumental in helping set up a research laboratory at the University and have provided advice on use of equipment for monitoring building environments.
Collaborator Contribution The partner Institution has supported activities by hosting an event and participating in other events which form constituent elements of the Network modus operandi. They have devoted considerable staff time in organising events and in attending others. They have also made contributions in terms of facilities and (rooms and equipment), in provision of refreshments for events, and in the organisation of visits to rural/village locations for the purposes of the Network. Two combined symposia/workshop events have been hosted by Chongqing Jiaotong University: one in January 2018 and one in March 2019. Several members of the Chongqing team also visited the University of Huddersfield in January 2020 in support of Network activities and also attended an exhibition showcasing design work. Contributions have been received from the following members of Chongqing Jiaotong University: Dong Lili, Associate Professor, Associate Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning; Wen Quan, Associate Professor, Associate Head of Research Center of Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development in Urban and Rural Areas; Tang Boming, Professor and President of the University; Mao Mingyong, Head of the International Office of the University; Ling Tianqing, Professor, Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning; Li Shaoqi, Associate Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning; Lin Xiaosong, Professor, Assistant Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning; Wan Feng,Professor, Head of the Department of Architecture; He Jinfeng, Professor, Head of Landscape Design and Planning; Liu Chang, Associate Head of Research Center of Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development in Urban and Rural Areas; Chen Chun, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Urban Planning; Cui Qian, Lecturer, School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Chongqing Jiaotong University has actively supported all symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section and provided numerous speakers for events. The University also organised the Symposium and Event held in January 2018
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Guizhou Minzu University 
Organisation Guizhou Minzu University
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Guizhou Minzu University joined the Research Network at the first formal meeting. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities.
Collaborator Contribution The partner Institution has supported activities by hosting an event and participating in other events which form constituent elements of the Network modus operandi. They have devoted considerable staff time in organising events and in attending others. They have also made contributions in terms of facilities and (rooms and equipment), in provision of refreshments for events, and in the organisation of visits to rural/village locations for the purposes of the Network. Contributions have been received from the following members of Guizhou Minzu University: He Lin, Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning; and Xiong Yuan, Lecturer.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Guizhou Minzu University has actively supported all symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section and provided numerous speakers for events. The University also organised the Symposium and Event in March 2018
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Kunming University of Science and Technology 
Organisation Kunming University of Science and Technology
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Kunming University of Science and Technology (KUST) was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team have also been linked to research into seismic resistant dwellings and contributed to a joint publication in 2019.
Collaborator Contribution KUST has supported the Network through attending events and providing speakers. It has also acted with Huddersfield in developing ideas some of which have been published in a peer reviewed journal. They have been particularly valuable because of their links to other professionals within architecture and Planning and because of their track record in research on earthquake resistance. The main contributors to the Network have been: Bai Yu, Professor, School of Architecture and Engineering; and Gao Jing, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Engineering.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Kunming University of Science and Technology has actively supported all symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section and provided speakers for events. A joint paper has also been authored which is listed in the outputs section.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University 
Organisation Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University 
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University (XJTLU) was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team contributed to a student focused activity organised by XJTLU in Guiyang in July 2019.
Collaborator Contribution XJTLU have made contributions to all events held so far as part of the Network and in particular they supported the event held in Guizhou Minzu University. Although based near Suzhou in the East of China they have a number of research and development projects associated with the rural areas of the west of China. They have brought expertise and knowledge from those projects to the meetings that have taken place. In addition they provided opportunities to link to a student 'live-project' event which as held in Guiyang in July 2019. Contributions have been received from the following member of Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University: Chen Bing, Associate Professor.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University has actively supported all four symposium/workshop events listed in the Engagement Section that were carried out in 2018 and provided speakers for these events.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network Membership - Yunnan Arts University 
Organisation Yunnan Arts University
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Yunnan Arts University was a founding member of this Research Network. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team supported YAU in the 4th CSCEC Cup Western 5+2 Biennale Exhibition of Environmental Art Design, held on November 2019.
Collaborator Contribution The partner Institution has supported activities by hosting an event and participating in other events which form constituent elements of the Network modus operandi. They have devoted considerable staff time in organising events and in attending others. They have also made contributions in terms of facilities and (rooms and equipment), in provision of refreshments for events, and in the organisation of visits to rural/village locations for the purposes of the Network. Two paired network events have been hosted on May-June 2018 and in November 2019 Contributions have been received from the following of members of Yunnan Arts University: Prof Chen Jinsong Vice-President of Yunnan Arts University; Chen Xin Head of Department of Architecture, School of Design; Zou Zhou Professor, Head of Department of Landscape Design, School of Design; Gu Yongli Lecturer, School of Design; Sen Wen Professor, School of Design; Tan Renshu, Lecturer, Department of Architecture; Guan Lihua Associate Professor, School of Design; and Tan Renshu, Lecturer, Department of Architecture.
Impact The outcomes are the engagement activities listed in the relevant section of the report. Yunnan Arts University has supported all events listed that have taken place in China since the start of the project funding i.e the 4 symposium/workshop events held by the time of this report (March 2019).
Start Year 2018
 
Description Sustainable and Creative Villages Research Network Membership: Guangxi Arts University 
Organisation Guangxi Arts Institute
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Guangxi Arts University joined the network during 2018 and subsequently became more involved in its development. The Huddersfield team have established long term links to benefit the advancement and development of research and dissemination activities to complement activities at the institution. This is related to supporting research and practical practitioner led activities within rural and village communities. The Huddersfield team also worked alongside the University to collaborate in a combined research symposium and workshop in November 2019
Collaborator Contribution The partner Institution has supported activities by hosting an event and participating in other events which form constituent elements of the Network modus operandi. They have devoted considerable staff time in organising events and in attending others. They have also made contributions in terms of facilities and (rooms and equipment), in provision of refreshments for events, and in the organisation of visits to rural/village locations for the purposes of the Network. Guangxi Arts Univeristy hosted the 6th joint symposium workshop event in November 2019 alongside the 4th meeting of the ASEAN Architecture Art Forum. Staff involved include: Lin Hai - Dean of School of Architectural Art, Guangxi Arts University Mo Fujian - Associate Dean of School of Architectural Art, Guangxi Arts University Yu Panliang - Head of Department of Architecture Pan Zhenhao - Director of International, Department of Architecture Tu Zhaoquan - Lecturer in Architecture
Impact The Exhibition held as part of the joint symposium event displayed work from Network members showing practical application of sustainable design advice.
Start Year 2018
 
Description 1st Symposium and Workshop Event: Chongqing, January 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This engagement activity held at Chongqing Jiaotong University was the first networking event held as a formal part of the Research Network. It attracted approximately 70 delegates including: practitioners; government organisation representatives; academic staff (who almost all also have a practitioner role as is the norm in China); students; and external visitors.

There were a number of presentations and discussion and debate was lively and well-received. The outcome was that many attendees wished to participate in, and indeed host, future events associated with the network.

The Chinese URL provides more information including photographs and details of presentations made.

In addition to the public facing workshop/symposium an additional meeting was held between collaborators in the Research Network to discuss opportunities for future development.

Following the group event a visit was organised to a local village in order to observe rural/village development at first hand.

The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/05zWK6EcBVTxzuwPGWzvSQ
 
Description 2nd Symposium and Workshop Event: Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang, March 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Second Village Research Network Meeting was hosted by Guizhou Minzu University in the provincial capital Guiyang, a city of about 4 million residents in China. The purpose of the activity was to engage a wide range of stakeholders in discussions about how best to enact rural revitalisation in rural villages and to examine and influence the roles of the different stakeholders towards more sustainable outcomes. Almost 300 people attended the event including Senior Staff from the University and a mixture of practitioners, academics and students. A peak audience of 470 also watched a live stream of the first day symposium online. The audience included practitioners and academics, students and also many representatives of government and private companies. Also launched at the symposium was a student design competition for Rural Planning in SW China. The event was widely publicised and also later featured on the Guiyang TV News Channel. On the second day a visit and discussion workshop were organised including a visit to a rural village in the Baili Dujuan area undergoing transformation where the team met with representatives to discuss how the village was dealing with expansion and development. Almost the whole village joined in the discussions and even the children were enthused to try sketching some ideas. Outcomes include greater engagement as hoped for and enthusiasm for participation in the work of the Network from many local participants. The impacts were reinforced by the student design competition linked to this activity.

The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/i-sebswleh4ec2pg-ADD2Q
 
Description 3rd Symposium and Workshop Event: Kunming, Yunnan, May/June 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 3rd meeting of the Village Research Network was held within the Design School of Yunnan Arts University (YAU) in the city of Kunming, China in May/June 2018. The expertise of the Design School at YAU is focused on arts and crafts and the symposium coincided with the opening of the YAU Graduate Summer Show. The remit of their courses includes art, design, textiles and clothing design, landscape and environmental design as well as specialist products such as jewellery and packaging. The collective banner of the show 'Creative Chenggong' was themed around collaboration with the local community in the Chenggong area of Kunming populated by a number of universities. There is much development taking place in the area and meetings were held with local residents and leaders of the local village now being incorporated into the city. Presentations covered a variety of themes including 14 years collaborations between academic and design industry in Yunnan, impacts of art and design on rural development and development of the rural construction. Representatives of 9 academic institutions attended the symposium. The outcomes of the event included changes in attitudes amongst local village residents toward sustainable development and also enhanced awareness from future practitioners.

The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vIP9ogOhJouKHp3dOj4pzQ
 
Description 4th Symposium and Workshop Event: Hong Kong, December 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 4th Symposium Meeting of the Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network - SW China took place from 7-10 December 2018 hosted by one of the key collaborators in the network, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). CUHK are one of the world's leading research group in the field of rural development in China and have won many awards. The focus of the event was on 'Resilient Design and Opportunities for Cultural Heritage Enhancement'. One full day consisted of presentations by a range of delegates with the second day was devoted to visiting a range of locations in Hong Kong linked to the interests of the network. Presentations from nine participating groups were made. The further outcomes and impacts from this event are still ongoing but include development of better linkages for dissemination and in particular links to the various networks based at CUHK including their 'One University, One Village' group.

The participants in the specific symposium/workshop (except those from the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description 5th Symposium and Workshop Event: Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, March 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 5th symposium/workshop event of the AHRC funded Research Network was held from 22-24 March 2019 in Chongqing, China. The event was hosted and co-organised by Chongqing Jiaotong University.

The event attracted over 200 attendees and was opened by the University Vice President Professor Zhao Mingjie PhD and had a further 16 presentations from architects, planners and academics over the first day. The focus of the event was on rural sustainability in China, recognising that with the implementation of the Chinese rural revitalisation strategy, architectural schools have begun to deepen understanding of rural construction through several means. These include: teacher-centred design practice, rural construction curriculum teaching, a rural revitalization themed design competition, and experience of local rural construction practice.

The content of this symposium included presentations from the regional architectural practice of several famous architects. In these several elements were linked taking note of urban and rural construction teaching and local practice; the combination of rural construction teaching and practical activities; and architectural drawing education combined with local cultural identity. There was also a presentation on developments in building practices to increase resistance to earthquake damage.

The participants (except those from the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL http://education.cqnews.net/html/2019-03/24/content_50360355.html
 
Description 6th Symposium and Workshop Event: Guangxi Arts University, Nanning, November 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 6th combined symposium and workshop event was held in Nanning (capital of Guangxi) was held in November 2019 and was integrated with the ASEAN (Association of South-Eastern Asian Nations) Architectural Art Forum at Guangxi Arts University. The event attracted several hundred delegates and was also streamed on the internet where it had over 150,000 hits on the first day. The associated exhibition also featured many examples of best practice that are to be incorporated into a Design Guide for rural dwelling redevelopment which was developed by the Huddersfield team. This will be published in China with the help of Chongqing Jiaotong University in 2020.

Participants were from many groups including: practitioners, academics, students, government organisations, commercial companies, the general public, and others. The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vJ2XV_SrmE6A4pnmiMgjEQ
 
Description 7th Symposium and Workshop Event: Yunnan Arts University, Kunming, November 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 7th combined symposium/workshop meeting of the Research Network was held in Kunming (provincial capital of Yunnan) in November 2019. This was linked to the 4th Biennale '5+2' Exhibition of Environmental Art Design hosted this year by long-term Huddersfield collaborators, Yunnan Arts University. The event is supported by 5 major Chinese Universities and 2 from overseas (hence the 5+2) but also attracts participation from many more. The theme of the exhibition and associated conference was 'Diversity and Mutualism'. Staff and students from the University of Huddersfield also made a number of submissions to the exhibition.

Participants were from many groups including: practitioners, academics, students, government organisations, commercial companies, the general public, and others. The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lQrE7qKoBUxvkmt6HdKDMQ
 
Description 8th Symposium and Workshop Event: Guangxi Arts University, Nanning, October 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The 8th symposium event was held in Nanning (capital of Guangxi) in October 202. A small number of participants attened in person but the vast majority attended online. The symposium consisted or remote presntations available on screen to in-person participants and online to others. The symposium was integrated with the ASEAN (Association of South-Eastern Asian Nations) Architectural Art Forum at Guangxi Arts University. The event attracted a small number of on-site delegates but was also streamed on the internet where it had over 300,000 log-ins to the event. . Participants were from many groups including: practitioners, academics, students, government organisations, commercial companies, the general public, and others. The participants (except those form the Huddersfield University group) were almost exclusively from DAC countries (mainly China).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://wx.vzan.com/live/tvchat-120103192?ver=1603523029725&shareuid=94919320&vprid=0&sharetstamp=16...
 
Description Chinese Perspective on Architecture and Heritage 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This was a Symposium event held in June 2018 organised to bring together research outputs from a range of activity areas related to development in China.
The event attracted speakers from the University of Huddersfield; the Architecture Department TU Delft; Louvain University, Belgium; and Tongji University, China.
The papers presented helped to explain various aspects of cultural heritage with several presentation making particular reference to the rural villages of China.
Papers are currently being considered for a special issue of the Journal of Architecture.

The participants were mixed DAC and non-DAC; the majority being non-DAC, and those from a DAC country being mainly Chinese.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Participation in: 'Wisdom · Human Settlement', China-ASEAN Architectural Art Summit Forum, December 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Forum was attended onsite in China and also online. The forum aimed to explore the basis of cultural heritage protection from the aspects of human settlement environment community and social design, rural revitalization and rural landscape, intangible cultural heritage and local traditional skills, new engineering and human settlement environment design education, and smart life. The inheritance of local ethnic architecture and the construction of human settlements are integrated and developed in a new way. The main topics of the forum were:

(1) Human settlement environment community and social design
Human beings have only one earth, and the people of the world live in one world. The epidemic once again shows that the destiny of mankind is in common, the interests of all countries are closely linked, and the world is an indivisible community with a shared future. The human settlement environment is the materialized manifestation and objective carrier of the community. Exploring new paths for green ecology, high-efficiency and sustainable development, new technologies for disaster prevention and mitigation, and new methods for responding to public health emergencies are the technical requirements for building a "community with a shared future for human settlements."

(2) Rural revitalization and rural landscape
Implementing the strategy of rural revitalization is the only way to consolidate the victory of poverty alleviation and help build a modern socialist China. It is therefore necessary to give priority to the development of rural areas, adhere to the dominant status of farmers, and achieve the goal of comprehensive rural revitalization under the model of urban-rural integrated development and harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

(3) Intangible cultural heritage and local traditional skills
China is an ancient civilization with a long history and strong culture. The aim is to inherit the unique multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage, and incorporate all aspects in cross-regional and cross-border cultural exchanges, forming a rich and strong cultural context in the region. In order to meet the people's growing needs for a better life and build a socialist cultural power, the protection and utilization of intangible cultural heritage is of paramount importance.
In the context of industrialization and urbanization, the protection of intangible cultural heritage still faces many challenges. Some projects are difficult to inherit, and there is still a lack of successors. The foundation of protection is relatively weak.

(4) New disciplines and human settlement design education
The dual perspectives of research and practice, one is the perspective of "Culturology", which puts the heritage of national architecture and the construction of human settlements into the dimensions of history and humanity, and through the tracing of its national cultural composition, it seeks to protect and inherit the roots and souls; The second is based on the perspectives of new engineering, new liberal arts, new arts, and new agricultural sciences, combining new methods such as cutting-edge science and technology, big data, and information technology with cultural heritage protection, ethnic architectural inheritance, and construction of human settlements to create philosophical theories.

(5) Smart Habitat and Connected Life
It is necessary to pay attention to the impact of the intelligent trend in the new era on the human settlement environment. New technologies including 5G, smart home, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality make people's lives more convenient. Technologies such as drones, robots, and autonomous driving have enabled people's senses to reach places that were difficult to reach in the past. New models such as remote office, smart medical care, and smart transportation are profoundly changing people's lifestyles and greatly improving work efficiency. Correspondingly, what changes will take place in architecture, landscape, home, and human-computer interaction interfaces, and where the design of human settlements will go, have become a new topic in a new era and new changes.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0N3-cFi1ugQvsRMY-s2qmA
 
Description Presentation to Huddersfield Civic Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a presentation made to the Huddersfield Civic Society on 2 October 2018 entitled: Perspectives on China: Urbanisation and Rural Regeneration in a Developing Society. The purpose of the presentation was to make audiences in the UK aware of activity carried out elsewhere but supported by funding from within the UK. The main impact was that members of the society and visitors were more informed about the situation in rural China and comparisons to urbanisation programmes which normally receive much greater attention. A lively debate followed the presentation and in addition links between a Society member and practitioner in China were revealed which has been incorporated into the funded project development.

This activity did not address DAC counties directly but acted as a showcase for activities taking place in a DAC country (China)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Publicity for project in University of Huddersfield 'Discover' Magazine - in print and online 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The University of Huddersfield publishes 'Discover' magazine as a means to disseminate information about projects that have global impact. A feature article on the Huddersfield team and their project in China was published online and in printed form. The online version can be found at http://discover.hud.ac.uk/ in the edition 2019 on pages 10-11.

Though it is impossible to state how many people from DAC countries viewed the magazine it is widely distributed to counties world-wide through the university's publicity channels.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL http://discover.hud.ac.uk/
 
Description Rethinking Architectural Heritage in Contemporary Urbanism in Asian Contexts 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The purpose of the online symposium event was to bring together participants from a range of backgrounds and countries to discuss a range of topics related to redevelopment and revitalisation of architectural heritage in Asian counties - not only China where the main focus of the research network is to be found. Partcipants were researchers but also practitioners with good knowledge and understanding of local Asian contexts. Countries represented included: Vietnam; Malaysia; India; Bangladesh; China; The Netherlands; and the UK. The event had 10 presentations and was attended by over 70 participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://research.hud.ac.uk/architecture/events/rethinkingarchitecturalheritage/
 
Description Student Project Activity: Guiyang, Guizhou, July 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact In July 2019, the Huddersfield team were invited to take part in a student-focused event in Guiyang by collaborators from Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University based in Suzhou who have been involved in student led developments of themes from the network. This coincided with an exhibition of student work for a collaborative competition developed between five universities in China.
Participants included academics, students and members of the local community. All apart from the Huddersfield team were from DAC listed countries (China)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Sustaining China's Villages (making a difference to rural village regeneration) - Exhibition, Huddersfield, UK, January 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The exhibition Sustaining China's Villages - Making a difference to rural village regeneration was held between 13th to 25th January , coinciding with the run up to the Chinese New Year, This took place making use of the 'Market Gallery' . The exhibition was curated by Professor Adrian Pitts, Dr. Yun Gao and researcher Dr. Ching-Lan Chang.

The exhibition drew on contributions from a range of collaborators from institutions spread across China but with a focus on the south-west provinces. It was also linked to a Design Guide to be published in China. Exhibition works were collected from the architectural and design projects associated with the Sustainable and Creative Village Research Network- Southwest China.

The exhibition displayed exemplars of architectural, art and craft work tackling the need for a more sustainable approach to construction and the built environment generally in Chinese villages and towns. It aimed to show what is possible to support local heritage craft and design skills, both in terms of buildings that are efficient and have a low ecological impact and in terms of development that aims to make the most of each community's unique geography, heritage and culture.

In an event held on 23rd January, Pro-Vice Chancellor for International affairs at the University of Huddersfield, and two Professors from Chongqing Jiaotong University, presented awards to students and staff. These awards came from design work submitted to the 4th Biennale '5+2' Exhibition of Environmental Art Design.

Participants came from all elements of society and included the general public as well as practitioners, academics and students. The majority were from non-DAC counties in this case because of the location.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.creativekirklees.com/temporary-contemporary/market-gallery-sustaining-china-s-villages