2022 Admissions | ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Built Environments: Civilisations of Watersheds’ Peking University Summer School Programme

To foster interaction and exchange among outstanding postgraduate students and young academics across Chinese universities, the ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Built Environments: Civilisations of Watersheds’ summer school programme is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 5 August 2022. This programme forms part of Peking University's ‘Postgraduate Education Innovation Scheme’. It is hosted by the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Peking University, and organised by the NSFC-DFG Sino-German Centre of Excellence ‘Urbanisation and Localism’ Collaborative Group (Peking University) and the Academic Committee for Watershed Spatial Planning of the Chinese Society for Urban Planning (affiliated with Peking University).

u Course Overview

In recent years, national strategies have consistently prioritised the comprehensive conservation of watershed environments and the high-quality development of urban-rural systems, exemplified by initiatives such as the Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Economic Belt, Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Cultural Belt, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The course ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in the Built Urban-Rural Environment: Basin Civilisation’ will integrate major national strategies related to river basins. Taking the human settlement environment within these basins as its research subject, it will focus on the theme of cultural heritage in the built urban-rural environment. Aiming to promote the transmission of cultural heritage values and the coordinated sustainable development of urban and rural areas, the course will guide students to consider, through research and practice, how to advance the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese civilisation, thereby bringing cultural heritage to life.

This summer school course aims to explore the developmental evolution and patterns of the built environment in urban and rural areas, uncover cultural heritage within historical development processes, and focus on the protection of regional characteristics and cultural heritage in urban and rural areas. Starting from the relationship between humans and the environment, it will examine the locality of the built environment and human-land coordination, providing insights for the protection of built environment cultural heritage. Classroom teaching combines lecturer presentations with student seminars, supplemented by literature reading, to stimulate students' enthusiasm for independent research and enhance their research capabilities and dialectical thinking skills.

u Course History

2022 marks the second year of the ‘Theory and Methods of Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Built Environments: Watershed Civilisation’ summer school programme. First delivered in July-August 2021, the course employed a hybrid format combining in-person sessions with Tencent Meeting, while simultaneously streaming live on Bilibili to the general public. Nine scholars were invited as guest lecturers to deliver a series of cutting-edge academic presentations. Across nine live sessions, the Bilibili broadcast attracted over 33,000 concurrent viewers, complementing participants on Tencent Meeting. Viewership figures consistently ranked among the top in Bilibili's humanities and social sciences category during concurrent broadcasts, peaking at first place. Building upon the 2021 framework, this year's teaching team will explore themes including: historical evolution and cultural heritage conservation within river basins; human-land relationships and socio-environmental transformations in riverine contexts; and human settlements and traditional village renewal within watershed frameworks.

u Faculty

This summer programme will feature renowned scholars specialising in ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in Built Urban-Rural Environments: River Basin Civilisations’ as principal lecturers. They will deliver a series of cutting-edge academic presentations, introducing the latest developments and research outcomes within the field. The faculty comprises academics with extensive experience in river basin studies, drawing from backgrounds in archaeology, urban-rural planning, and cultural heritage, thereby embodying the interdisciplinary nature of the research domain.

u Programme Director

The programme is directed by Professor Wang Fang of Peking University, specialising in Urban and Rural Planning/Architecture. Professor Wang focuses on the ‘localism and adaptability of the built environment’ within the Yellow River basin, its downstream Huang-Huai-Hai Plain and canal regions, as well as prehistoric sites, traditional settlements, and historic towns within the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin. The course explores the balance between human intervention and natural succession, the coordination between the built environment and ecosystems, and the principles of heritage conservation and renewal. It examines the dynamic evolution of local landscapes within the ‘community of life’ between humans and nature and the urban-rural coordination system, promoting the transmission of cultural heritage values and the sustainable development of urban-rural coordination.

u Teaching Schedule

Dates: 20 July – 5 August (10 half-days)

Specific timings for each session are subject to confirmation with the lead lecturer. The detailed course structure is as follows:

1) Sessions 1–9: Lecture series on ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in the Built Urban-Rural Environment: River Basin Civilisations’;

2) Session 10: Thematic discussion on ‘Theories and Methods of Cultural Heritage in the Built Urban-Rural Environment: River Basin Civilisations’.

u Delivery Method

In accordance with Peking University Summer School requirements, this summer course will be delivered online.

1) Lectures: Instructors will impart knowledge on built environment cultural heritage, covering regional variations, developmental trajectories, and key case studies within the field of built environment and cultural heritage studies. By engaging with current domestic and international research trends, the lectures aim to stimulate students' enthusiasm for the discipline and foster critical thinking;

2) Literature Review: Relevant literature will be provided after each session, guiding students to engage with key issues concerning watershed cultural heritage through critical reading, thereby deepening their understanding of contemporary challenges in built environment heritage within watersheds.

3) Classroom Discussions:

Discussions will primarily utilise watersheds as case studies, with the instructor facilitating students' expression of diverse perspectives on prominent and complex issues within the field.

u Course Outcomes

3,000-word final report and a 300-word course reflection.

u Eligibility

Applications are welcome from postgraduate students and junior academics in urban and rural planning, archaeology, geography, architecture, cultural heritage, and related disciplines. Enrolment is capped at 100 participants. This online course will be simultaneously streamed on Bilibili, accessible to the general public.

Participants who attend all sessions and submit satisfactory final deliverables will receive a Peking University Graduate School Summer Course Completion Certificate.

u Fees

All associated costs will be covered by the programme organisers; no fees are payable by participants.

u Application Procedure

1) Application Period: From now until 12 July 2022;

2) Application Method: Submit the Participant Application Form and Information Statistics Form (see attachments at end of document), fill it out completely, and send it toual_lywm2022@163.com. Please format the email subject as: ‘Name-University (or Organisation)-Summer School Application’;

3) Admission Notification: Applicants will be informed of the outcome via telephone or email.

uAdministrative Requirements

1) All information provided by applicants must be truthful and valid. Should any false information be discovered, the University reserves the right to revoke study eligibility and any certificates issued;

2) Participants must comply with Peking University's relevant regulations and adhere to the Summer School's activity schedule.

We look forward to your participation!

——————————————————————————————————

Contributed by: Yang Yiming

Edited by: Yang Yiming