To actively promote the construction of a model university exemplifying the best practices of Xi Jinping's cultural thought and to implement organized and planned research, thereby fostering high-quality development in our academy's research work, the Research Department invited Professor Lu Zhifeng, Dean of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at East China Normal University, Professor Liu Baolin, Dean of the Institute of Science and Technology Development at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and Professor Zhang Lin, Chief Expert of our academic’s 2024 National Social Science Foundation Major Art Project "Theoretical Construction of Chinese Classical Dance Performance" to deliver presentations on the application processes for national projects under the National Natural Science Foundation, National Social Science Foundation, and National Social Science Art Foundation across seven major categories on 26 December 2024. Faculty members, particularly young and middle-aged teachers, participated enthusiastically, with nearly 90 attendees, marking a historical high.
Aligning with the National Natural Science Foundation projects, Professor Liu Baolin, Dean of the Institute of Science and Technology Development at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, conducted a detailed analysis of the current status and development trends of these projects. Considering our academy's unique position as a specialized art university with pioneering advantages in art-science integration and AI art, Professor Liu elaborated on the strategies for interdisciplinary and inter-university applications, providing valuable insights for our academy’s project application efforts.
Professor Lu Zhifeng, Dean of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at East China Normal University, offered an in-depth analysis on how art universities can successfully apply for National Social Science Foundation projects. His advice was to focus on several key aspects: thoroughly reading the application notices to accurately grasp national strategic directions; highlighting problem awareness and emphasizing interdisciplinary comprehensive research; valuing originality and the contemporary relevance of the research; and finding a proper balance between basic and applied research. Professor Lu's insights boosted our academy’s confidence in applying for the National Social Science Foundation.
Professor Zhang Lin, Chief Expert of our academy's 2024 National Social Science Foundation Major Art Project "Theoretical Construction of Chinese Classical Dance Performance", shared his own application experiences, emphasizing the need to define research objectives clearly, articulate research content and methods in detail, conduct a comprehensive literature review, and maintain rational and logical structure in the proposal. He particularly noted that faculty at art universities should overcome emotional thinking and focus on logical and normative writing in their proposals. Additionally, he stressed the importance of early preparation, team building, and the integration of research resources from different disciplines for project applications.
Teacher Tang Rui from the Research Department provided a detailed introduction to various levels and types of research projects, including the composition of research funding, as well as the specific matters to pay attention to during the application process.
During the interactive session, the faculty members consulted and inquired about their confusions and issues encountered in the project application process. The experts patiently answered these questions one by one, providing valuable opinions and suggestions. The faculty members also deeply realized the importance of integrating their personal research expertise with national major tasks, the needs of the times and the unique advantages of the academy in planning and selecting topics.
The Research Office held the mobilization meeting for the application of national research projects for the year 2024 on 5 January 2024, and another one for the year 2025 on 26 December 2024. Through active organization and proactive planning twice a year, the enthusiasm of faculty members for application was greatly stimulated, and the approval rate of research projects is expected to be significantly improved.
