Visiting Staff

Roles and Responsibilities

Coordinate and conduct research projects

Coordinator of CPD Training Programmes

Qualifications

PhD Planning and Geography, Newcastle University

PG Certificate European Spatial Planning, Newcastle University

MSc Planning Project Management, Northumbria University

BA Urban Development Administration, Chongqing (China) University of Architecture & Engineering

Academic Esteem Indicators

2016 – 2019, Special Researcher, Henan Academy of Social Science, China

2016 – 2019, Associated Editor, Regional Economic Review (Chinese)

2015 – Visiting Researcher, Shanghai Jiaotong University

2013 – Visiting Researcher, Institute of spatial Planning and Regional Economy, National   Development and Reform Commission

2012 – Member of Editorial Board, International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development

2010 – Reviewer for Regional Studies, Urban Studies, Environment and Planning C,Cities

Previous Positions 

2008 – 2010, Research Assistant (part-time), Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURDS), Newcastle University

2005 – 2008, Secretary General and Director of Organisational Development, China Association for Management of Technology (CAMOT) (UK)

2004 – 2005, Advisor to Newcastle City Council on the Project of Chinese Ceremonial Arch

1986 – 2001, successively working as Planning officer, Manager, and Chief Engineer at the planning department of a provincial level government in China

Memberships 

Regional Studies Association

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

I am also a professional of Certified Public Valuer, Registered Consultant Engineer, Registered Cost Engineer; Certified Property Economist; Civil Engineer in China

Research Interests

My research concerns the relationship between the sustainable urban and regional development and the institutional framework and policy of planning in contemporary China. This consists of two strands of work. First, I am interested in planning policies relating to urbanisation, industrialisation, land use, housing, employment and social services and security in the absence of carefully and systematically designed, institutionally consistent, and publically informed and involved frameworks. More specifically, I am interested in exploring the possibility of adopting the concept of the city-region which could arguably be developed under the guidance of strategic spatial planning as a model for China to manage its urbanisation and territorial governance. The second theme of research seeks to develop a holistic understanding of development, which encompasses the social, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions in more sustainable and progressive ways drawing on the experiences, lessons, and knowledge from elsewhere in the world. My interest focuses on knowledge-based development where knowledge is not limited to a factor of enhancing economic growth but human wisdom for balanced social, economic, cultural, and environmental development.

Specifically, my research interests are:

• Spatial planning
• City region
• Institutional frameworks for planning
• Governance of regional development
• Knowledge-based development
• Strategies and policy for industrialisation
• Land use policy
• Sustainable housing
• Employment, social services and security in the process of urbanisation

 Projects and Funding 

2019 – 2020, Cultural and Creative Industries: A UK-China innovation partnership, AHRC funded project, co-investigator, £20,000

2019 – 2020, The politics and purpose of the China-EU transcontinental railway: a preliminary investigation, Newcastle University Research Fund, co-investigator, £4,000

2018 – 2020, The New Approach to Urbanisation in County Territory and Rural Revitalisation, Henan Urban Green Development Council, principal investigator, RMB500k

2016 – 2019, Comparative Study of China-UK Cultural and Creative Industrial Development, Henan Provincial Special Researcher Fund, principal investigator, RMB300k

2015 – 2017, Adaptive Capacity, Resilience and Change: A Comparative Study of Local and Regional Development in Northern East England and Fujian Province, Xiamen-Newcastle Joint Strategic Partnership Fund, co-investigator, USD150k

2013 – 2015, Localism and Vertical Inequality: A comparative study of regional disparities in China and the UK, Newcastle University Innovative Fund, principal investigator, £6,500

2012 – 2016, Planning, Urban Management, and Heritage, EU FP7 Exchange Project, co-investigator, EUR400k

2012 – 2014, A Study of Coordinated Development of Agricultural Modernisation, Industrialisation, and Urbanisation, MoST, co-investigator, RMB300k

2012 – 2013, A New Approach to Local and Regional Development in the UK and China, ESRC, co-investigator, £19,260

2010 – 2011, Conceptualising the Central China Economic Region, commissioned by Henan Provincial Government, co-investigator, £152k

02/2009 – 06/2009, involved in the Study of the development of the ICT in EU rural development and regional policies (project leader: David Bradley)

09-10/2008, involved in the UK national Foresight Land Use Projects at Newcastle University (project leader: John Goddard)

PhD Supervision

Shuang Liang – Trade Openness, Market Size and Regional Inequality in China (completed in 2016, with Prof Andy Pike in CURDS and Prof Jianqing Zhang in Wuhan University)

Postgraduate Teaching

GEO8018 Governance of Local and Regional Development

Masters dissertation supervision

Undergraduate teaching

GEO3114 Local and Regional Development

APL3004 Chinese Cultural History and Urban Development

Continuous Professional Development Education

Planning and Local and Regional Development Professional Development (CPD) Education Programme Coordinator – designed and led more than ten short training programmes for professional groups

Mentoring

Visiting researchers and fellows

• Wang X, Tomaney J. Zhengzhou – Political economy of an emerging Chinese megacity. Cities 2019, 84, 104-111.
• Wang X, Vallance P. The engagement of higher education in regional development in China. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 2015, 33(6), 1657-1678.
• Wang X. China's Local Public Finance in Transition. International Planning Studies 2014, 19(1), 99-101.
• Wang XF. From Urbanisation to Sustainably Regional Development in China [in Chinese]. Beijing: Economic Science Press, 2013. In Press.
• Wang XF. How Can China Manage a More Sustainable Urbanisation. EU-China Observer 2012, (3), 14-20.
• Wang XF. International Conference of Urbanisation and Urban Development China Eastern Normal University, Shanghai China Higher Education Press. In: International Conference of Urbanisation and Urban Development. 2012, Eastern China Normal University, Shanghai: China Higher Education Press.
• Wang XF. Is the City-Region the Answer to China's Sustainable Urbanisation? A Research Agenda. In: Luo, S.G., Jiang,L, ed. The Development of Metropolitan Region in China. Shanghai: Shanghai People Press, 2012.
• Tomaney J, Wang XF. Place-Based Approaches to Regional Development: Global Trends and Chinese Implications. In: Luo, S.G., Jiang, L, ed. The Development of Metropolitan Region in China. Shanghai: Shanghai People's Press, 2012.
• Wang XF. City-region: The way forward to China’s urbanisation?. In: Regional Studies Association Annual International Conference. 2011, Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Wang XF. Evolvement of Urbanisation Patterns in Developed Countries and Its Application to China. Journal of Areal Research and Development 2011, 30(4), 54-60.
• Pike A, Rodriguez-Pose A, Tomaney J, Wang XF (trans.). Local and Regional Development (Chinese translation). Shanghai: Higher Education Press, 2011.
• Wang XF. Metropolitan Growth and Uneven Development in China. In: European Urban Research Association Annual Conference. 2011, Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Wang XF. The Review of Urban and Regional Development Policy in Henan, China. Newcastle upon Tyne: Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, 2011.
• Wang XF. Knowledge-Based Urban Development in Wuhan, China. In: Regional Studies Association Annual International Conference. 2009, Leuven, Belgium: Regional Studies Association.
• Wang XF. Knowledge-Based Urban Development, an Equal Opportunity for All? A Comparative Analysis between 22@Bcn, Barcelona and Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou. In: RGS-IBG Annual International Conference. 2009, Manchester.
• Wang XF. The Study of Development Strategy for Langfang (Hebei Province) Wanzhuang New Town Development. 2007.
• Wang XF, Lihua R. Examining Factors of Knowledge Management in the Creation of New City: Empirical Evidence from China. Journal of Technology Management in China 2006, 1(3), 243-261.
• Wang XF. Knowledge-Based Urban Development? The Case of Zhengdong New District (Zhengzhou, Henan) Development. In: International Association of Management of Technology (IAMOT) Annual Conference. 2006, Beijing, China.
• Wang XF. The Study of Development Strategy for Shanghai Dongtan Chenjia Town New Town Development. 2006.
• Wang XF. The Study of Development Strategy for Xinxiang (Henan) Pingyuan New Town Development. 2005.