The Institute of Geography and Oceanography follows the tenet of “simultaneous development in frontier science research and government decision assistance”, takes the four-faceted approach of “Geography Doctoral Program – Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education – Discipline Evaluation – First-class Discipline” as the main line, and takes “Openness, Mobility, Union and Competition” as its guiding principles. Its research philosophy is “to strengthen the foundation, build the platform, optimize the discipline, promote industries, and achieve results”. According to this, it adopts models of “annual salary system + team introduction, full-time introduction + flexible management” to form a high-level scientific research team, innovates the scientific research incentive mechanism, and strengthens the connotation of international cooperation. It is committed to building a highland of scientific research and a peak of discipline in Nanning Normal University and enhancing the core competitiveness of the discipline, so as to improve the competitiveness, attractiveness and influence of the university, support and promote the construction of the first-level geography doctoral program, Guangxi’s first-class discipline (geography) and geography-related advantageous and characteristic disciplines of the university, and support the construction of relevant majors in each department of the College of Geography. At the same time, based on Guangxi, and facing the ASEAN countries, it is committed to promoting the deep association of “industry- university-research (IUR)”, and providing advantageous and characteristic scientific and educational services for regional social and economic development.
The Institute of Geography and Oceanography is specifically responsible for the operation and management of scientific research platforms such as the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Environmental Change and Resource Utilization in Beibu Gulf, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Guangxi Research Center of Big Data Technology Engineering for Landmark Crop, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Research Center for Smart Marine Ranch Engineering, Research Center for High Quality Development of Basin Systems, Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Ecology and Remote Sensing, and Academic Workstation of Marine Mapping Information. It is responsible for the construction of field scientific observation center, testing and analysis center and geographic remote sensing, artificial intelligence and big data center and other technical platforms. Besides, it is also responsible for the planning of major projects or the transformation of scientific research results, the integration of science and education, international cooperative research and exchange, high-level innovation team and other key work, in accordance with the principle of “four in one – to improve weak links, strengthen scientific research, integrate science and education, highlight the key points and take the general into account” to take the lead in the construction of the first-class disciplines of geography in Guangxi, first-class disciplines of doctoral authorization in geography and participate in the assessment of geography disciplines and other work.
The institute has 95 permanent staff, including 92 research members and 3 administrative staff. The research staff includes 3 talents in Chinese Academy of Sciences “Hundred Talents Program”, a recipient of National Excellent Young Scientists Fund, 3 Bagui (Guangxi) Scholars, a specially-invited expert and an outstanding expert of Guangxi, 5 candidates at the 2nd level of “Guangxi 10 to 100 to 1000 Talents Project”, 3 talents being introduced through overseas “Hundred Talents Program” of Guangxi Colleges and Universities, 3 members from hundred young and middle-aged academic leaders and 5 outstanding talents of Guangxi Colleges and Universities, 6 doctoral supervisors, 42 master supervisors. The whole staff has 39 members with senior titles, 86 members with doctoral degree. In this institute, more than 70 postgraduates are enrolled every year. The laboratory takes up more than 5,000 square meters and contains a total value of nearly 50 million yuan of professional supporting equipment, which is able to realize self-development and to conquer Guangxi and even the national major scientific and technological research tasks.
In recent years, the institute has undertaken over 420 research projects. Among them, more than 100 are key research projects of provincial and ministerial level with 120 million yuan for scientific research fund, including sub-projects of 973 Project (National Basic Research Program of China), projects of 863 Plan (HI-TECH Research and Development Program of China), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Guangxi Innovation-driven Development Project, Beibu Gulf Major Project, Guangxi Science and Technology Development Project, and over 260 are local commissioned projects. In the institute, more than 800 academic papers and 45 academic monographs have been published; more than 40 national patents have been obtained or applied for; and more than 70 software copyrights have been registered. The institute has won the first prize of the 8th Science Research Famous Achievement Award in Higher Institution (Humanities and Social Sciences), which is also the first time to win the first prize for Guangxi universities and colleges and has made a historic breakthrough. It has won 32 scientific research awards on provincial level, 12 awards like the second prize of Guangxi Science and Technology Progress Award, and other 20 awards such as the first prize of the Excellent Achievements in Social Science of Guangxi and other 20 awards.
Adhering to the development strategy of combining “Integration of Science and Education” and IUR, the institute now consists of Geography, the first-class discipline in Guangxi, and key disciplines on Guangxi Autonomous Region-level (with Advantages and Characteristics) such as Physical Geography, Software Engineering and Regional Economics. The institute has two master programs of the first-class disciplines for Geography and Software Engineering, as well as master programs of secondary class disciplines such as Regional Environmental Science, Land Resource Management, Regional Economics and Tourism Management. It has been authorized as the construction site of first-class doctoral program of Geography in Guangxi. In addition, it provides assistance and support to several units, including Guangxi key laboratory of earth surface processes and intelligent simulation, the workstation for the first batch of academicians (Wang Ying, Zhang Zuxun and Fu Bojie) of “Geography and Mapping Science” in Guangxi, the workstation of academician Xu Houze, the collaborative innovation center of “ecological environment and integrated development of Xijiang River Basin” in Guangxi, “the pool of research talents on heavy metal pollution in soil and control” in Guangxi, Beibu Gulf coastal zone science and sustainable development coordination center, Guangxi research center of big data technology engineering for landmark crop, as well as the research platform on Physical Geography, Guangxi advantageous and characteristic key discipline, and so on.
Under the new operational mechanism of State Key Laboratory “Openness, Mobility, Union, and Competition”, the institute closely combines the unique natural conditions of Guangxi with rich surface types and key ecological functions, and the geographical pattern advantages of “along the border, coast and river”. The institute also adheres to the development path of independent innovation through the combination of IUR, and also strives to become a first-class base in Guangxi with great influence at home and abroad for Karst human-earth system science, Beibu Gulf Coast Marine Science, modern process, comprehensive management of Xijiang River Basin, and Guangxi geographic simulation and optimization system research. And it also tries to become a high-level talent training center, as well as a collaborative innovation center for marine science and sustainable development around Beibu Gulf Coast with great influence at home and abroad, finally achieve the construction goal of “keeping a foothold in Guangxi, serving the southwest and facing the world”.
