The 2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning (ICNRP2026), held at the University of Hong Kong on 28-29 March 2026, featured a dedicated session for early-career professionals: Session S20 - Resource Sustainability and Global Youth Innovation. Convened by the Young Professionals Committee of the International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR), the session provided a vibrant platform for master and doctoral students to present their latest findings and exchange ideas on global sustainability challenges.
Participants and Institutions
Session S20 attracted a large number of graduate students from universities and research institutions across China and beyond. Presenters and attendees came from a wide range of institutions, including:
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
- The University of Hong Kong
- Renmin University of China
- Tsinghua University
- Peking University
- Wuhan University
- Beijing University of Technology
- Hebei University of Technology
- Southwest Jiaotong University
- China Agricultural University
- Hebei GEO University
- Henan University
- Yunnan University
- Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
- Shimane University (Japan)
- Lincoln University (New Zealand)
- University of California, Davis (USA)
- National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan)
- North China Electric Power University
- City University of Macau
- Northeastern University
- Southeast University
- Tianjin University
- Zhengzhou University
- Panzhihua University
- Xi'an City Planning and Design Institute
Summary of Presentations
Over the two-day session, more than 30 oral presentations were delivered, covering a broad spectrum of cutting-edge topics. The reports focused on resource sustainability, climate change mitigation, urban resilience, low-carbon transitions, ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and digital innovation in planning. Key themes included transboundary conservation, carbon neutrality pathways, smart urban design, renewable energy deployment, and the application of remote sensing and AI in environmental management. The presentations demonstrated strong methodological diversity, ranging from empirical case studies to advanced modelling and policy analysis.
Selection and Final Results of the Outstanding Young Paper Award
Selection Process
To recognize the outstanding presentation skills and academic rigor of the young scholars, the session organizers presented Academic Oral Presentation Awards to all student presenters who delivered their reports in person. The awards were presented by the session conveners, Dr. Shuai ZHONG, Dr. Yang LIU, Dr. Guochang XU, Dr. Jin ZHANG, Engineer Ran WANG, and Dr. Delong LI, on behalf of the Committee on Young Scientists.
Evaluation and Results
The Young Professionals Committee of the iAONR took the lead in organizing the Youth Excellent Paper Award (YEAP) competition, which was open to all young scholars under the age of 45. A total of over 100 full papers were submitted and underwent a rigorous multistage review process by an expert panel representing seven specialized committees of the association.
Final Results
Forty-six representatives were ultimately awarded the Youth Excellent Paper Award (YEAP), including 6 Outstanding Prizes, 24 First Prizes, and 16 Second Prizes. Below is the complete list of awarded papers, sorted alphabetically by the first author's last name.
Outstanding Prize (6 papers)
| First Author | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Jijie SHEN | Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS |
| Haocheng SUN | Southeast University |
| Tianzuo WEN | The University of Hong Kong |
| Chuyao WENG | China University of Geosciences (Beijing) |
| Dan XIE | Hebei University of Technology |
| Jin ZHANG | North China Electric Power University |
First Prize (24 papers)
| First Author | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Li AN | Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS |
| Ningkang CHEN | The University of Hong Kong |
| Cefang DENG | The University of Hong Kong |
| Yan DONG | China University of Petroleum (East China) |
| Lu FANG | Tongliao Vocational College |
| Boshi GAO | Hebei University of Technology |
| Jianchao GE | University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Binbin HOU | City University of Macau |
| Siqi JIA | The University of Hong Kong |
| Man LEI | Chengdu University of Technology |
| Weilong LI | The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Yiu Wing LI | The University of Hong Kong |
| Sui LIU | Wuhan University |
| Yang LIU | Renmin University of China |
| Wenhao SUN | University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Yishan TENG | North China University of Technology |
| Jiaxiang WANG | Tianjin University |
| Xinyi WU | University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Jiarui XIAO | Northeastern University |
| Guochang XU | National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan |
| Tianren YANG | The University of Hong Kong |
| Peiheng YU | Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS |
| Zuojun ZHANG | Liaoning Normal University |
| Yidong ZHU | University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
Second Prize (16 papers)
| First Author | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Majiid ALIFFI | Shimane University, Japan |
| Ruixuan CHENG | China Agricultural University |
| Wenhui CUI | Beijing University of Technology |
| Nan GUO | Jiangnan University |
| Emilia Lopez Seco | Lincoln University, New Zealand |
| Na LYU | University of California, Davis / Shanghai ROD Architectural Design |
| Na NI | Yunnan University |
| Zixuan PENG | Beijing University of Technology |
| Pingyang SHI | Southwest Jiaotong University |
| Na SU | Xi'an City Planning and Design Institute |
| Namchok SUWANNAHONG | Chulalongkorn University, Thailand |
| Shiqi TU | Wuhan University |
| Fei WANG | Zhengzhou University |
| Zinuoqi WANG | Hebei GEO University |
| Qianjun WEI | Hunan Agricultural University |
| Liyun ZENG | Panzhihua University |
Please note that all information is based on the records available to the conference organizing committee. If you find any error in the listing of your name, affiliation, or award level, please contact the secretariat at icnrp2026@126.com.
The success of Session S20 and the Youth Excellent Paper Award would not have been possible without the dedication of the session conveners, the expert review panel, and all participating young scholars. The Committee on Young Scientists of iAONR looks forward to continuing its support for the next generation of researchers in natural resources and planning.
ICNRP2026 Secretariat
International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR)
April 2026