Dear friends who follow the PKU–Lincoln Center,

Amid the joyous atmosphere celebrating the 15th anniversary of the PKU–Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy, our commemorative essay contest has received numerous submissions from teachers, scholars and students across the country. Contributors include faculty, students and interns who have worked or studied at the Center; researchers undertaking Center-funded collaborative projects; recipients of the Center’s research grants, dissertation scholarships and Peking University Undergraduate Research Grants; institutional partners and collaborators; and participants of conferences, training workshops and lectures organized by the Center. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s enthusiastic contributions! All essays are sincere personal accounts, deeply touching to read, filled with heartfelt memories and enduring friendship forged over the years.

After rigorous organization and anonymous voting during the judging process, five Excellence Award winners have been selected as listed below. Each Excellence Award recipient will receive a cash prize of RMB 800, two autographed books by the authors, and a commemorative folder marking the Center’s 15th Anniversary. Winning essays will be published on the official WeChat account of the PKU–Lincoln Center.

All participants will receive a participation souvenir. We express our heartfelt gratitude for your tremendous support.

As winter snow melts and spring mountains come into view, the PKU–Lincoln Center looks forward to advancing hand in hand with all teachers and scholars to embrace a new season of renewal.

This announcement is hereby issued.

...The Center was small yet incredibly warm. Its founding director at the time was Professor Many Yun, a gentle yet resolute leader. All my colleagues were around my age, warm and lively, which allowed me, an introvert, to fit in quickly. Even so, my uncertainty about the future lingered on, and by conventional standards, I was already no longer young.

Professor Many gave me full freedom to explore different research directions at work, yet she could also sense my restlessness. One day in her office, she spoke to me like a kind mother, explaining that every stage of life carries its own core mission, and starting a family was what mattered most for me back then. Her sincere words struck a chord deep inside me. I let down my guard and opened myself up to the possibility of finding a life partner — a pivotal turning point in my life.

Before long, in 2012, I accomplished two major life milestones while working at the Center: marriage and the birth of my child. Three babies were born to Center staff that year in total, filling Professor Many with delight. She joked that she felt like a grandmother. She was deeply understanding of the struggles new mothers face and offered us tremendous support, helping us navigate that chaotic, overwhelming phase smoothly. ...

...I first learned about the PKU-Lincoln Center in spring 2010, when I had passed my doctoral candidacy examination and begun writing my dissertation. The Center opened applications for its 2010–2011 dissertation scholarship that year. ...

The research topics of the shortlisted candidates centered on China’s urban development, covering urban land use policy, urban public finance and property taxation, housing market governance, urban spatial structure and planning, and spanning disciplines including resource management, human geography, urban planning, and economics. Finalists came from universities across China’s eastern, central and western regions as well as overseas institutions. Though young and newly founded, the Center embodied Peking University’s inclusive academic ethos through its support for diversified research on Chinese cities. ...

While I cannot recall the full list of panel members, I still remember Professor Many Yun (then Director of the Center), Professor He Canfei of Peking University, and Associate Professor Tao Ran of Renmin University of China. I was eventually awarded the dissertation scholarship. The financial support enabled my subsequent field surveys across case cities and attendance at academic conferences. More importantly, the defense forum allowed me to connect with numerous experts, young scholars and postgraduate students researching Chinese cities, greatly broadening my academic horizons.

The forum was hosted at the Tan Siu Lin Center for International Studies, the Center’s office premises at that time. Nestled on low-lying land west of the Boya Pagoda on the southern shore of Weiming Lake, the complex consists of three traditional Chinese-style buildings linked by open verandas. Featuring grey brick facades and classic red lattice windows, the compound exudes primitive elegance and blends seamlessly into the iconic scenery of Weiming Lake and the pagoda. ...

...What I treasure and appreciate even more, however, is the warm human touch permeating the Center, which gave me a strong sense of belonging just like home.

I recall my first shift on duty: a tall, big-framed senior greeted me warmly with an easy, outgoing manner that instantly put me at ease. I later learned his surname was Xu, and I called him Brother Xu. Every time I walked through the door, Ms. Jin would greet me warmly, “Junyang, you’re here!” She cared about our studies and daily lives just like a family elder.

Knowledgeable, approachable and talkative, Dr. Liu Zhi often checked in on my research progress. After learning my topic centered on new energy vehicles, he chatted with me extensively about energy transition, industrial policy, transportation infrastructure and related research fields. I am a quiet person by nature, yet every casual conversation with him gifted me abundant valuable knowledge and insights.

Time spent with Wang Zheng, Liu Xiuying, Zhao Min, Sister Wenjing, Sister Jingyi and other faculty and fellow student colleagues was always full of joy. One unforgettable memory is the surprise birthday party everyone prepared for Dr. Liu Zhi. We teammates collaborated to record video tributes and play funny candid photos of him. Smiling, Dr. Liu cooperated fully, putting on a birthday hat for group photos… Despite our varied ages, the atmosphere was unmistakably that of a big loving family. This harmonious environment made every day’s work comfortable and motivating. ...

...After 2009, I actively took part in various events organized by the PKU-Lincoln Center and gained deeper insight into its operations. After serving as department chair and hosting the 2011 Annual Conference of the Chinese Real Estate Academic Symposium & National University Real Estate Scholars Association, I felt mentally exhausted and applied for an academic sabbatical. I spent six months as a visiting scholar at the Center, witnessing its daily operations, experiencing its humanized management, and participating in numerous high-standard academic exchange activities.

In 2015, I participated in a research project commissioned by the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Leading Group, led by Mr. Liu Kegu, Director of the Academic Department of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, and Research Fellow Liu Zhi, Director of the PKU-Lincoln Center. The research findings provided reference for central government housing policy formulation.

In 2016, I received funding from the China Scholarship Council for another research visit to the United States. Director Liu Zhi approved a research project supporting my study on inclusive housing policies and recommended me as a visiting scholar to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Originated in the United States, inclusive housing policies have long divided American academics and practitioners into opposing camps. Meanwhile, many local governments across China have rolled out similar policies, accompanied by controversial side effects such as segregating boundary walls.

During my stay at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, I received generous assistance from George McCarthy, Andrew Reschovsky, Joan Youngman and other colleagues. They took me to taste local specialties including steak and pizza near Lincoln House and shared insights on American culture, filling my overseas research life with warmth and care. I also joined multiple academic seminars hosted by the Institute, discussing urban development and real estate policies across the United States, China and Latin America. ...

...When I first embarked on independent research as a junior scholar, the Center offered me tremendous support. Following my doctoral graduation, the Center awarded me a two-year postdoctoral fellowship, which laid a solid foundation for accumulating research outputs and sharpening my academic capabilities. During my postdoctoral appointment, the Center also arranged a research exchange visit to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in the United States. There, I established close collaborative research ties with Professor Andrew Reschovsky and other academics, a partnership that endures to this day.

After I joined the Capital University of Economics and Business, I struggled with uncertainty over my research agenda, as I needed to align my studies with the school’s disciplinary development priorities. Dr. Liu Zhi, Director of the Center, repeatedly offered encouragement and guidance. Every conversation with him broadened my thinking, boosted my research confidence, and helped me define my interdisciplinary research focus.

In addition, junior scholars generally face limited access to research funding, yet the Center’s Youth Research Grant provided stable conditions that allowed me to fully concentrate on my academic work. Supported by the Center and encouraged by Dr. Liu, my research team and I published multiple high-quality SSCI journal articles. Building on these existing research outcomes, I successfully obtained a National Social Science Fund project this year, paving the way for sustained research in the years ahead. ...