Landscape Architecture: The Provincial Key Discipline in Henan

1. Basic information of degree authorization points

Landscape architecture is an advantageous and distinctive discipline of Henan Agricultural University, with a long history and profound accumulation. As early as the 1930s, Li Ju, a famous Chinese horticulturist, and one of the founders of horticulture, Mr. Chen Zhi, taught at our school. In the early 1960s, two trials were held, and enrollment resumed in 1987.

In 2002, our college obtained the authorization qualification for master's degree, and in 2010, we obtained the qualification for professional degree training. In 2011, we became one of the first batch of doctoral training units in first level disciplines in 19 universities nationwide. In 2015, we were designated as a pilot unit for comprehensive reform of professional degree training education by the Henan Provincial Department of Education. In 2016, we were rated as a key discipline of the National Forestry Administration. In 2023, landscape architecture was adjusted from a first level discipline to a professional degree, highlighting social needs in talent training, Emphasis should be placed on career orientation and professional technical abilities. The degree program includes provincial and ministerial level scientific research platforms such as the Henan Provincial International Laboratory of Landscape Architecture, the Henan Provincial Innovation and Introduction Base for Urban and Rural Green Space Resource Regulation and Landscape Ecological Design, and the Henan Provincial Flower and Seedling Engineering Technology Center.

This discipline adheres to the construction concept of benevolence, inclusiveness, cross-border integration, and integrated innovation, assists in the construction of national central cities, promotes the construction of ecological civilization and beautiful Central Plains in the Central Plains Economic Zone. We have established a multi-level talent training model for landscape architecture disciplines, including undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees. This has formed a development pattern that integrates industry, academia, research, and social services, striving to cultivate first-class disciplines with international academic perspectives, national ecological security responsibilities, and services for the construction of urban and rural living environments in Central China.

2. Teaching staff

This discipline has clear goals and positioning, outstanding advantages, distinctive features, and stable direction. There are currently 60 full-time teachers for master's students, 16 professors, 21 associate professors, 49 teachers with doctoral degrees, and 40 off campus supervisors. The academic structure is reasonable, and the teacher-student ratio is appropriate. In 2023, there will be 20 newly appointed master's supervisors, 11 newly appointed doctoral supervisors, and 5 newly appointed off campus supervisors, with a growing teaching staff.

The graduate education of the college is mainly divided into four disciplinary teams: landscape planning and design and green space resource regulation, landscape plant resources and applications, landscape history and heritage protection, and landscape engineering. Among them, one person serves as the Deputy Secretary General of the Education Work Committee of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture and the Deputy Chairman of the Henan Society of Landscape Architecture, and five people serve as members of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, 18 people serve as consultants and experts for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development and the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban Rural Development, while more than 20 people hold positions in national and provincial associations or societies in the fields of ecology, plants, flowers, horticulture, and engineering. Led the establishment of six academic organizations, including the Henan Provincial Park Association, and numerous graduates became industry leaders.

3. Discipline construction situation

The discipline includes five directions: landscape ecosystem regulation, development and utilization of advantageous plant resources, landscape planning and design theory, landscape history and heritage protection, and landscape plant diversity.

Relying on the Central Plains Green Space Resource Database, a win-win disciplinary development model has been formed, including talent cultivation, technological innovation, international exchange, and social services, supporting the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. A planning theory that adapts urban green space landscape to the natural landscape pattern under the guidance of three domains (watershed, road domain, and wind domain) has been proposed, forming advantages in regulating the landscape ecosystem. Digging and organizing the classics of Central Plains gardens, sorting out their historical changes and methods of gardening, and combining with regional characteristics, a design concept based on ecology, guided by form, with culture as its connotation and mentality as its purpose was proposed, forming a design theory with Central Plains characteristics.

In terms of teaching quality assurance, a teaching quality assurance model has been formed, which combines information interconnection and real-time feedback adjustment among schools, colleges, subject leaders, students, and employers. In terms of paper quality supervision, a fair, just, open and transparent evaluation mechanism has been established, forming a four evaluation model of college spot checks, professor supervision, subject pre evaluation, and off campus blind review for papers.

Research directions:

1.Green space resource management and ecological restoration

2. Protection and utilization of landscape plant resources

3.Landscape planning and design

4.Landscape history and theory

Urban and Rural Planning :Key Discipline of Henan Agricultural University

1. Basic information of degree authorization points

The discipline of urban and rural planning at Henan Agricultural University is one of the key disciplines under construction by our university. Together with the disciplines of landscape architecture and ecology, it has formed a multi integrated group of disciplines in the Central Plains human settlement environment. The discipline was established as a undergraduate program in 2005, originating from the national characteristic major of the Forestry College - Landscape Architecture. And obtained a master's degree authorization point in the same year; In 2011, the national discipline adjustment made urban and rural planning a first level discipline, and urban planning was renamed as urban and rural planning. In the same year, the master's program in urban planning was adjusted to a first level discipline master's program in architecture; In 2017, it was once again adjusted to be a master's degree authorization point for the first level discipline of urban and rural planning. In 2018, it was awarded the school level key discipline. This major currently has the Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Digital Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Urban and Rural Planning and Design Teaching Laboratory.

2. Teaching staff

At present, there are 21 faculty and staff members in this major, including 11 senior professional and technical positions such as professors and associate professors, 8 teachers with overseas experience, a total of 11 doctoral and current doctoral students, and 13 lecturers. There are 12 teachers with industry experience, accounting for 48%. A total of 17 teachers under the age of 45 have participated in practical teaching ability training, accounting for 68%.

3. Discipline construction situation

Relying on years of technological accumulation, the discipline has completed the collection of satellite remote sensing images and point cloud data images covering 80% of the urban and rural built-up areas in the province, constructed a database for regulating urban and rural green space resources, and conducted key research on the ecological systems of three major cities: watershed, road domain, and wind domain. Based on the Songshan National Nature Reserve, the discipline has conducted research on the construction of national parks and nature reserve systems, as well as the protection of historical and cultural heritage of landscape architecture, In the past five years, we have undertaken 8 national and provincial-level scientific research projects with a research funding of over 1.1 million yuan; Published 170 papers and 70 papers in core journals or above; Publish four academic monographs and textbooks; Obtained 4 patents.

The discipline emphasizes theoretical innovation combined with practical application. In recent years, the team has completed a series of major planning projects throughout the province, providing opportunities and vitality for serving the social and economic development of Central Plains. The discipline fully grasps information on the natural environment, economic situation, social needs, and other aspects of the Central Plains region. Based on the goals of ecological protection and human settlement environment improvement, it promotes the integrated development of agriculture and other industries to achieve a win-win situation of economic development and ecological protection. The discipline has taken strategic central cities such as Zhengzhou and Luohe as project bases, and completed major series of special projects such as Zhengzhou Forest Ecological System Special Plan, Wetland Ecological System Special Plan, Luohe Ecological Green City Construction Plan and Research, Forestry and Landscape Bureau Green Space Resource Survey and Database Construction. Starting from rural revitalization and industrial planning, it has carried out demonstration construction and typical case studies of rural landscape in Henan Province, It has provided inexhaustible impetus for the integrated and coordinated development of industry, academia, research and application, provided practical opportunities for theoretical innovation and practical development of disciplines, and made positive contributions to promoting the rural revitalization cause of ecological environment protection, human settlement environment improvement, and urban-rural integration development in the Central Plains region.

Discipline direction:

1. Urban and rural planning and design

2. Urban and rural development history and heritage protection planning

3. Urban and rural planning technology

Design :Key Discipline of Henan Agricultural University

1. Basic information of degree authorization points

The first level discipline of Design at Henan Agricultural University relies on the foundation and advantages of disciplines such as agriculture, forestry, engineering, and humanities, fully utilizes the geographical advantages and social resources of Henan Province, grasps the latest scientific research trends at home and abroad, continuously condenses and improves research directions, and has formed a multi-disciplinary and mutually supportive educational characteristic and advantage of environmental design and product design under long-term construction, Widely serving the social development and economic construction of Henan Province, it has provided a large number of excellent design talents for the Henan region and even the whole country, achieved fruitful research results, accumulated rich teaching, research and management experience, and enhanced the influence of Henan's design education and scientific research both within and outside the province.

2. Teaching staff

There are currently 38 teachers in the discipline, including 4 professors, 10 associate professors, 7 with doctoral degrees, 1 doctoral supervisor, and 10 master's supervisors. The structure is reasonable and the ability for sustainable development is strong.

3. Discipline construction situation

Subject teachers have received 7 awards at or above the provincial level, and have published over 60 papers (works) in national core journals and other professional journals. Hosted and participated in more than 20 national, provincial, and ministerial level vertical scientific research projects, published 15 works and textbooks, and obtained 4 patents. In recent years, we have won more than 10 awards in international, national, and provincial competitions. The works of multiple teachers have been invited to exhibitions by national art museums in Switzerland, Italy, and other countries, and have received good feedback. The teacher's works have been selected for international high standard art exhibitions such as the Basel Art Fair in Switzerland, the National Museum of Art in Rome, the Museum of Modern Art in Bonn, Germany, the Asian Art Museum in Fukuoka, Japan, the Spoleto International Art Festival in Italy, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art in Japan; Selected for national level art creation exhibitions such as the China Arts and Crafts Exhibition and the Oil Painting Exhibition hosted by the China Artists Association. In addition, subject teachers have won numerous awards in exhibition competitions organized by the Henan Artists Association and the Henan Province Display Art Design Exhibition Competition. In 2021, it was approved as a provincial-level industrial design center and a vice chairman unit of the Henan Provincial Decoration Art Association. In 2023, it was approved as a registered member unit of the China Artificial Intelligence Art Education Collaborative Innovation Platform.

Discipline direction:

1. Environmental Art and Wooden Product Design

2. Visual Communication Design

3. Decorative Art Design

Postdoctoral Research Station of Landscape Architecture

Landscape architecture is an advantageous and distinctive discipline of our university, with a long history and profound accumulation. In 2012, it was rated as a first-class key discipline in Henan Province. In 2015, it was designated as a pilot unit for comprehensive reform of professional degree training education by the Henan Provincial Department of Education. In 2016, it was rated as a key discipline by the State Forestry Administration. The discipline construction includes two provincial-level scientific research platforms: Henan Vegetable and Flower Seedling Engineering Technology Research Center and Henan Landscape International Joint Laboratory. The research areas involve the construction and management of green infrastructure in urban and rural areas, the utilization of garden plant resources, and the system of national parks and nature reserves. Since the establishment of the Landscape Architecture Postdoctoral Research Mobile Station in October 2019, there have been 44 people currently on the station, including 2 station leaders and 1 secretary. In the past four years, we have received more than 20 grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Fund, and Henan Provincial Fund. We have published more than 50 papers in well-known domestic and foreign journals, published one monograph, and authorized 8 national invention patents. The first National Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition held in August 2021, our station organized 5 teams to participate, and one team entered the provincial finals. In 2023, a team won the Excellence Award in the China Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. The establishment of a postdoctoral research mobile station in landscape architecture is of great significance for further strengthening discipline construction, cultivating high-level talents, building high-level scientific research teams, and producing high-level scientific research results. It better serves the national development strategy and regional socio-economic development.