On the evening of October 21st, Paris time, a ceremony for the induction of new members was held at the Académie d'Architecture in Paris. Professor Shao Yong from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University, Director of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Centre (Shanghai), and Dean of the Institute for Heritage Conservation and Cultural Revival at Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute, was awarded the title of Foreign Member of the Académie d'Architecture. This honor was nominated by the Selection Committee of the Académie and confirmed through a secret ballot by all its members. Professor Shao is the third scholar from Tongji University to be elected as a member of the Académie d'Architecture, following in the footsteps of Academician Zheng Shiling and Professor Wu Jiang.

At the ceremony, Katherine Jacque, President of the Académie d'Architecture, delivered a welcome speech and presented Professor Shao Yong with her membership certificate and badge. Professor Benjamin Mouton, former President and member of the Académie d'Architecture, remarked that it was Professor Shao's extraordinary work that opened the doors of the Académie to her. For the Académie, having such a professional in urban heritage with her high level of ability and courage, as well as the ensuing rich exchanges, is particularly valuable.

Lou Yongqi, Vice President of Tongji University, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech, congratulating Professor Shao on her election. He noted that Professor Shao has led her team in the field of historic and cultural heritage conservation for over 30 years, actively promoting Sino-French exchanges and cooperation, and making outstanding contributions to the cause of heritage conservation in China and worldwide, as well as to the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Professor Shao expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all Chinese and French individuals who have long supported and assisted her. She then gave a report titled People-Centered: The Concept, Methods, and Paths of Habitat Heritage Conservation, sharing her thoughts and practices on the innovative concept of habitat heritage. She stated, Heritage is not about preserving the ashes of history, but about keeping the flame of civilization burning!

Professor Shao has long been dedicated to research, teaching, and practice in the fields of urban and rural development history, world cultural heritage, conservation and development of historic cities, towns, and villages, urban renewal, and rural revitalization. She serves as Vice Chair of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Vernacular Architecture, Deputy Secretary-General of the Historic Cities Planning Branch of the China Urban Planning Society, member of the Urban Renewal Branch, and editorial board member of the journals Architectural Heritage and Built Heritage. She has led over 100 heritage conservation projects, including Pingyao, Lijiang, Qingdao, and Zhouzhuang, and authored books such as Conservation and Revitalization of French Architectural, Urban, and Landscape Heritage and World Heritage in China: Historic Cities. She has published over 70 academic papers and presided over or participated in numerous research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Professor Shao has received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation three times and over 30 national and provincial-level awards for planning and design, heritage conservation, education, and technological innovation. In 2021, she was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government.

Founded in 1840, the Académie d'Architecture boasts a long history and is a top academic institution in the global architectural community, with approximately 300 members, including around one-fifth who are foreign members.