On March 1st, 2026, Shan Wenhua, Assistant to the President of XJTU, led a delegation to SFS to investigate the development of Area and Country Studies.

Attendees included staff from SFS, as well as department heads and faculty representatives from the Academy of Science and Technology Research, the Department of Social Sciences Research, the XJTU National Technology Transfer Center, the School of Law, and the Center for Asia-Europe Studies. The meeting was chaired by Mei Hong, Director of the Department of Social Sciences Research.

The discussions focused on the disciplinary foundation of Area and Country Studies, team building, interdisciplinary synergy, transformation of think tank research achievements, and international cooperation.

During the meeting, Shan Wenhua spoke highly of SFS's collaborative and diligent academic atmosphere, affirming its fruitful academic output and established track record of compiling research reports regarding China's development. He emphasized that Area and Country Studies represent a pivotal opportunity for SFS and related disciplines to achieve leapfrog development through interdisciplinary integration. He encouraged faculty members to further consolidate team strengths, sharpen disciplinary advantages, and expand partnerships both domestically and internationally. He added that the university would offer full support for the high-quality development of humanities and social sciences, and expressed his expectation that SFS would continue to take the lead nationwide in Area and Country Studies.