On May 10, Renmin University of China (RUC) convened the 4th Field Classroom Exchange Conference and inaugurated the Field Classroom Teaching Alliance, marking a significant step in advancing immersive, practice-oriented social science education.  

Lin Shangli, President of RUC and Feng Shizheng, Vice President of RUC, presided over the event, joined by representatives from government agencies, field teaching bases, and over 30 educational institutions including Peking University, Tsinghua University, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, and The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University.

In his opening remarks, Lin Shangli, President of RUC, emphasized the pivotal role of the Field Classroom initiative in reshaping social science education through "rootedness in China's realities." "At this critical juncture of advancing Chinese modernization and national rejuvenation, we must ensure the Field Classroom evolves with the times," he stated. Lin outlined three priorities: strengthening educational foundations through immersive fieldwork, consolidating resources to build a robust alliance, and generating impactful, China-grounded research outcomes to empower student development, discipline innovation, and societal progress.  

Wu Jian, Director of RUC's Academic Affairs Office, presented an overview of 2024 Field Classroom initiatives. The newly formed alliance, spearheaded by RUC, aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across universities, expand talent cultivation models, and pioneer holistic education reforms in higher learning.  

Lin Shangli, Feng Shizheng, and representatives from Tsinghua University, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Agricultural University, Harbin Engineering University,andBeijing Normal University declared the alliance established. Doctoral candidate Zhuang Leyan from RUC's School of Sociology read the alliance manifesto,while Zhao Yihong, Executive Dean of the School of Sociology and Ethnology, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a representative address.  

Participants spanning undergraduates to PhD candidates shared fieldwork narratives, including Chen Hangkun (RUC), Yang Taowen (Xiamen University), Wang Yinuo (BNU High School), and Zu Lu (Sichuan University), showcasing cross-generational engagement.  

The conference unveiled seminal publications: Field Classroom Teaching Manual, the second volume of reform series Rooted Practice: Field Observations of Chinese Society in the New Era, and Field Communications. A groundbreaking "Field Report International Dissemination Program" was also announced.

The achievements were unveiled by Deng Yanhua, Dean of Xiamen University's School of Sociology and Anthropology; Di Jinhua, Dean of Huazhong University of Science and Technology's School of Sociology; Huang Xiaochun, Head of Shanghai University's Humanities and Social Sciences Department; and Chen Nabo, Director of RUC's Fieldwork Classroom Teaching Center and a professor at its School of Sociology.

Government partners from Xinjiang, Guangzhou, Zibo, and other field bases praised the program's societal impact, hailing it as an "innovation lab for grassroots governance" and a talent pipeline for social development. Awards for outstanding participants, team leaders, and research reports were presented by municipal leaders from Hebei, Shandong, Sichuan, and Shanxi.  

Concluding the opening ceremony, Sun Quan, Chair of the School of Sociology, announced the 2025 Field Classroom program launch. Academic keynotes followed, with Tsinghua's Professor Ying Xing and Southeast University's Professor Wang Ning addressing methodological rigor in field investigations.  

Parallel afternoon sessions featured roundtables on standardized curriculum design, qualitative research databases, and university-local government collaboration, underscoring the program's growing influence in redefining 21st-century education.  

Conference proceedings continued through May 11 with specialized workshops and alliance strategy meetings.

Since its 2017 inception, the Field Classroom has transformed into a university-wide initiative including postgraduate education, interdisciplinary studies, and global engagement. The 2024 establishment of RUC's Field Classroom Teaching Center has further systematized credit-bearing curricula, reinforcing its mission to cultivate problem-solvers through authentic societal engagement.