April 16th – The inaugural session of the Yuelu Africa-China Forum was successfully held at the Institute of African Studies, Hunan University.Focusing on the theme "Topic Selection and Journal Publication in Country-Specific Research," the forum featured Professor Wang Shouyang, a distinguished academician of both the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetics, as the keynote speaker. The event was chaired by Professor Xiao Hao, Executive Vice Dean of the Institute of African Studies, with active participation from faculty and students across the Institute of African Studies and the School of Economics and Trade.
Professor Wang Shouyang, Academician of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and International Academy for Systems and Cybernetics (IASC)
Professor Wang Shouyang delivered keynote speeches on "Reflections on Country-Specific Studies" and "Case Studies of Innovative Research and Journal Publications in Economics/Management Science". He provided targeted guidance for Hunan University's Institute of African Studies regarding research focus areas, methodologies for African studies, and how to amplify policy research impact. Emphasizing strategic planning, he advised the Institute to align its research agenda—selecting short-term, medium-term, and long-term research topics—with its overarching development goals, thus charting a clear path for future growth.Through vivid academic anecdotes and personal experiences, Professor Wang shared invaluable insights on conducting world-class research and publishing in scholarly journals. He stressed the importance of:
Identifying research questions grounded in real-world challenges
Drawing interdisciplinary inspiration—theories and methodologies from other fields
Viewing peer reviews from top-tier journals as "stepping stones for rapid academic advancement"
On-site at the Lecture
Following the keynote speeches, Executive Vice Dean Professor Xiao Hao delivered concluding remarks, highlighting how Professor Wang's insights provided invaluable recommendations and fresh perspectives for the Institute to seize opportunities and accelerate its development.Faculty and student participants actively engaged in discussions, expressing that Professor Wang's lecture had charted new directions for their future innovative research. They pledged to embrace challenges fearlessly, pursue bold innovation, and deepen their scholarly investigations with greater rigor and thoroughness.
