From June 14 to 16, the 15th Forum on Spatially Integrated Humanities and Social Science was held at Henan University (HENU). Nearly 300 scholars from across the country attended this academic annual meeting, including Guo Huadong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Stewart Fotheringham, member of the National Academy of Sciences, Lin Hui, academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, and academicians of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. The opening ceremony was presided over by Miao Changhong, President of the Geographical Society of Henan Province.

Liu Yansui, Wang Dai, Shen Tiyan, and Lin Hui delivered welcome speeches, affirming the forum’s important role in promoting interdisciplinary research. They noted that the forum has advanced the spatial turn and computational revolution in humanities and social sciences, as well as the progress of spatially integrated humanities and social sciences. Moreover, they expressed hope that the forum would further drive interdisciplinary integration research in geography, anthropology, sociology, and other fields, opening up new research ideas for young scholars.

In the keynote report session, 10 renowned experts and scholars shared insightful presentations. Academician Guo Huadong delivered a keynote speech entitled Development and Reflections on Spatial Archaeology, systematically elucidating the evolution of spatial archaeology from technical methods to disciplinary construction. Academician Stewart Fotheringham presented a report entitled Do Academics Still Need to Think? A Spatial Analytical Perspective, sharing his reflections on several issues regarding the application of artificial intelligence in spatial data analysis. Academicians Lin Hui, Liu Yansui, and other experts delivered reports in their respective research fields, such as Evolution of Map Language and Cultural Computing and Integration of Modern Human-Earth System Science and Engineering.

The roundtable forum, themed “New Paradigms of Spatially Integrated Humanities and Social Sciences Research in the Era of AI and Large Models”, saw experts conduct in-depth discussions on the development trends, future prospects and contentious issues of AI and deep learning technologies. Through specific cases, they demonstrated the broad application prospects of spatial intelligence and spatiotemporal intelligence in the field of humanities and social sciences, revealed the potential challenges of collaborative research between spatial intelligence and multiple disciplines, and further emphasized interdisciplinary cooperation and open science principles as essential drivers for sustainable advancement in this field.

Sixteen specialized parallel sessions provided academic presentation platforms, including topics like “Historical Memory, Spatial Intelligence, and Digital Humanities”. A total of 164 experts and scholars presented research reports in these sub-forums.

With the theme “Spatial Intelligence-Driven Multidisciplinary Synergy”, this forum saw participating experts and scholars discuss the revolutionary applications and broad prospects of spatial intelligence technology in humanities and social sciences research. From revealing the context of historical civilizations to exploring the laws of urban development, the forum highlighted the role of spatial intelligence as a core link, which has demonstrated vitality in breaking down disciplinary boundaries and promoting collaborative innovation.