The Department of Regional and Urban Science

History of Development

Department of regional and urban science was established in 1998, when department of geography was adjusted to School of Environment and Planning. Two departments were established simultaneously--department of geography & department of regional and urban science. Our department dates back to Teaching-Research Office Of Regional Planning and Laboratory Of Territorial Planning which were established in 1980.Professor HuangYizhu took up the post of its first director.

Introduction of Disciplines

The department has formed an integrated system of talent cultivation, which covers undergraduate education, master education, doctoral education and post- doctoral education.

We have established un undergraduate major of "Human Geography &Urban-rural Planning ". It dates back to 1985, when the "Land Planning and Rearrangement" major was established. Whereafter, it has changed its name to "Economic Geography &Urban-Rural Planning "(1996);and in 2012,it started to use the current name of Human Geography &Urban-rural Planning ".Meanwhile, the department sets up the major of "Urban-Rural Planning"(in direction of ekistics) and "Property Studies".

It has established 6 relevant majors in the aspect of academic master education: "Human Geography", "Regional Economics" ,"Population, Resources and Environmental Economics", "Economic Geography" ,"Tourism Management" and "Land Resources Management", and it has also established 2 majors for professional type of postgraduate student: MTA and GCT (in the domain of architectural and civil engineering).For doctoral education,3 majors are optional: "Regional Economics", "Human Geography" and "Economic Geography ".Furthermore,2 centers for post- doctoral studies have been established: "Geography" and "Regional Economics"(Practical Economics).

Teachers Level & Hardware Condition

The department has a team of teachers, teaching staff which is reasonable in knowledge，professional title and age，and capable in teamwork and innovation. There are 20 teachers totally. And 18 teachers, which takes up 80% of the team, have got a doctorate. We have one provincial distinguished professor,5 professors and 14 associate professors. Among the full-time teachers, there are 2 doctoral supervisors and 14 master supervisors.

The department sets up "urban planning laboratory" and "drawing room of urban planning" to support the course-teaching of urban-rural planning and practical teaching of undergraduates. It also establishes some field practice bases in Denfeng, Henan province; Lianyungang, Jiangsu province; Rizhao, Shandong Province; Xinxiang, Henan Province and Kaifeng, Henan Province. These field practice bases take up the task of practical-teaching of "Physical Geography", "Human-Economic Geography" and "Urban-Rural Planning". Moreover, it signs cooperative agreements with Henan Urban Planning Institute & Corporation, Henan GongYuan planning and design co. LTD, Henan Construction Planning Survey Design CO.，LTD, Henan university YouBang survey design co. LTD，Kaifeng changxin planning and design co. LTD and Henan FangDi land real estate appraisal co. LTD.

The department has many relevant disciplinary platforms: the ministry of education humanities and social science research base of the Yellow River civilization and the sustainable development research center, key research bases on humanities and social science in colleges and universities in Henan province regional development and planning research center, regional economic research center, ministry of education in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in Henan province digital geographic technology key laboratory of the ministry of education, ministry of science and technology the earth system science data sharing sub-center, environmental and planning in the Yellow River is a national experimental teaching demonstration center, and other specialty practice teaching platform of scientific research and teaching base. These platforms offer a great support for the development of the majors. In recent years, the teachers in our department have made many great achievements in scientific research and teaching. They have 11 programs of NSFC ，more than 30 provincial and local horizontal projects and one innovation team of Henan university

Summary and Scope

Over the last three decades, with the efforts of all the teachers and students, we have a more clear direction of the major, and the course are more targeted. It maintains good momentum in the aspects of teachers’ level, students training, science research and teaching.