On the morning of May 25, 2025, the inaugural meeting for “Regional Geography of China during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911),” a research project on philosophy and social sciences supported by the Ministry of Education, was held in Room 400 of the Humanities Building.

The expert review panel for the project comprised Professor Jin Runcheng, former Director of the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission and former President of Tianjin Normal University (serving as panel chair); Professor Zhu Hu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Ancient History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Research Fellow Sun Donghu, President of the Beijing Historical Society and a senior researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences; Professor Zhang Ping of the School of History at Capital Normal University; and Professor Sun Zhe of the Institute of Qing History of Renmin University of China. Over thirty faculty members, students, and researchers from both within and outside the university attended the meeting.

The event commenced with a welcoming address by Professor Hu Heng, Dean of the School of History and Director of the Institute of Qing History at Renmin University of China. Professor Hu extended a warm welcome to all attending guests and introduced the significance of the project as the first Major Research Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences under the Ministry of Education undertaken by both the School of History and the Institute of Qing History of the university. He emphasized that the project represents a continuation and deepening of the achievements from the The Historical Atlas of China during the Qing Dynasty（《清史地图集》）, and is built upon a solid academic foundation. Following this, Professor Hu presided over the selection of the panel chair, resulting in Professor Jin Runcheng being elected to the position.

The Project Initiative Meeting was chaired by Professor Jin Runcheng. Professor Hua Linfu, the project’s principal investigator, presented an overview on behalf of the research team. Professor Hua explained that the research stems from The Historical Atlas of China during the Qing Dynasty and that the structure of the current project comprises eight sections: a general overview, thematic studies, and five sub-projects. Anchored in the historical realities of the Qing period, the five sub-projects are decided according to the major river basins, while also taking into account the administrative jurisdictions of XunFu（巡抚）, Provincial Governor during the Qing Dynasty. The project adopts an interdisciplinary approach, integrating methodologies from both history and geography, and it introduces modern regional geographical methods into the study of Qing historical geography. In this sense, the project aims to facilitate the integration of historical and geographical perspectives. Subsequently, leaders of sub-projects（Hu Heng, Zhao Yicai, Fu Linxiang, Sun Jingchao, and Nashundalai）each provided brief introductions on their respective areas of responsibility.

The expert panel commended the project for its forward-looking perspective and practical academic value, expressing confidence in the ability of the research team. At the same time, Professors Zhu Hu, Zhang Ping, and Jin Runcheng offered guidance and recommendations for the project’s further development. In closing, Professor Hua Linfu, on behalf of the research team, expressed gratitude to all attending experts for their advice and support.