From December 14th to 15th, the 16th Yellow River Studies Forum and the International Symposium on Basin Civilization and Sustainable Development took place in Kaifeng. The Forum was jointly hosted by various colleges and research centers of Henan University (HENU), attracting more than 200 experts and scholars from domestic and international universities, including those from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Peking University, and the Fudan University. The Forum centered on the theme “Basin Civilization and Sustainable Development”.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Miao Changhong, Director of the Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development of the HENU. Yang Mengya, the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of HENU, and Academician Fu Bojie from the Chinese Academy of Sciences delivered speeches respectively.

Yang Mengya emphasized that Yellow River culture and civilization are crucial aspects of HENU’s scientific research. The Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development is committed to the interdisciplinary development of “Yellow River Studies”, serving national strategies with a series of research and think tank services, achieving significant results. Additionally, he noted that in the face of global challenges, it is essential to enhance exchanges and mutual learning among the civilizations of major river basins to promote their sustainable development. The forum serves as a platform for discussion, aiming to advance disciplinary construction.

Academician Fu Bojie pointed out that the HENU has developed a distinctive system in Yellow River studies, demonstrating exceptional academic research capabilities. The forum has become an important platform for exploring river basin civilizations. He expressed his hope that the academic discussions would contribute wisdom to the sustainable development of the Yellow River basin and other major river civilizations worldwide. The Geographical Society of China will fully support further research into “Yellow River Studies” and basin civilization studies, assisting in national rejuvenation.

During the keynote presentations, several experts, including Academician Fu Bojie and Academician Chen Fahu, delivered speeches on topics such as ecological protection in the Yellow River basin, human adaptation studies, the development of Chinese civilization, and ecological civilization construction. In the sub-forums, scholars discussed issues like human-land relationships, the evolution of Yellow River civilization and cultural heritage under climate change.

The closing ceremony was chaired by Hou Weidong, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development of the HENU. Miao Changhong summarized that the forum’s reports were of high quality and covered a wide range of topics. They are of great significance in promoting interdisciplinary integration and research on the Yellow River basin, contributing to the construction of a disciplinary system for “Yellow River Studies”.

Since 2009, the “Yellow River Studies Forum” has been successfully held sixteen sessions, emerging as an essential academic platform for studying Yellow River civilization and sustainable development.