On the morning of March 9, 2024, the 5th National Joint Graduation Design Kick-off Meeting for Transportation Architecture was officially launched in the Academic Exchange Center Auditorium at Chang'an University's South Campus. The meeting was hosted by the "Transportation Architecture Joint Graduation Design" teaching alliance and organized by Chang'an University. Participating schools included Xi'an Jiaotong University, Southwest Jiaotong University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, East China Jiaotong University, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Central South University, Wuhan University of Technology, Changsha University of Science and Technology, and the host institution, Chang'an University, among a total of 11 universities. The event had 85 attendees in total, including 3 experts, 21 teachers, and 61 students.
Group Photo of Teachers and Students from Various Universities
At the opening session, Professor Hou Quanhua, Dean of the School of Architecture at Chang'an University, warmly welcomed the guests and introduced the overview of the School of Architecture.
Opening Speech by Professor Hou Quanhua, Dean of the School of Architecture at Chang'an University
Following this, teacher and student representatives from the "Transportation Architecture Joint Graduation Design" program spoke, expressing their heartfelt wishes and expectations for the development of this joint graduation design project.
Speech by Teacher Representative
Speech by Student Representative
Subsequently, the session was chaired by Professor Yu Kanhua, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at Chang'an University. Three experts gave speeches: Mr. Tao Xiaoming, Board Director, Vice President, and Senior Architect of Shaanxi Provincial Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.; Mr. Zhou Wenlin, Chief Engineer of the Land and Resources Center at Xi'an Urban Planning and Design Institute, Senior Engineer, and National Registered Planner; and Mr. Kang Xuan, Director of the Architecture Section at China Railway First Survey and Design Institute, Senior Engineer, and First-Class Registered Architect. The experts shared their insights and exchanged ideas on topics such as "The Logical Structure of Courtyards and Their Topological Variations in Public Building Design," "Space Planning of the Western District and the East High-Speed Railway Station Area," "Conceptual Design of Xi'an East Station's Architecture," and "Urban and Complex Design of the Core Area of Xi'an East High-Speed Railway Station."
Professor Yu Kanhua, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture, Chairing the Session
Speech by Expert Tao Xiaoming
Speech by Expert Zhou Wenlin
Speech by Expert Kang Xuan
Next, Professor Liu Qibo, Vice Dean of the School of Architecture at Chang'an University, chaired a session where Professor Fu Dongxue explained the graduation design task in detail. Following this, teacher representatives from various schools held a teaching salon, sharing their experiences and insights, with hopes for further exchange and cooperation between the participating schools based on this collaboration.
Teaching Salon by Teacher Representatives from Various Schools
At the conclusion of the meeting, Professor Liu Qibo summarized the successful kick-off of the joint graduation design project.
On the afternoon of March 9, Chang'an University organized a site investigation activity. Teachers and students from various schools took a bus tour to conduct a thorough investigation of the Xi'an East Station project site and its surrounding environment. This investigation allowed the teachers and students to gain an initial, intuitive understanding of the site’s current status, historical context, and the construction progress of Xi'an East Station, which will be helpful for the subsequent urban design work.
Site Investigation by Teachers and Students from Various Schools
This 2024 National Joint Graduation Design activity is an important undergraduate teaching research and reform initiative for the architecture-related programs at Chang'an University. The kick-off meeting will have practical guiding significance for subsequent field research, mid-term reviews, final defenses, and project presentations. It will also play a crucial role in promoting the development of architecture programs and educational reforms in China.
Through this joint graduation design research activity, teachers and students from universities across the country gathered at the foot of the White Deer Plain, fostering exchanges among national universities and enhancing the quality of architectural talent development. It is hoped that the students will contribute excellent work to the construction of high-quality urban environments in Xi'an during their final graduation design defense.
