On June 16, 2025, Tongji University's College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) welcomed a delegation from Springer Nature, a global leader in academic publishing, for a collaborative exchange focused on advancing the internationalization of three flagship journals: Built Heritage, Frontiers of Urban and Rural Planning (FURP), and Architectural Intelligence (ARI). The meeting, held in Conference Room C1, brought together Springer Nature executives—including Vice President James Finlay, Executive Editor Mengchu Huang, Executive Publisher Jia Han, and Senior Editor Yin Hu—with editorial leaders from Tongji, including Academician Chang Qing (Editor-in-Chief of Built Heritage), Academician Wu Zhiqiang (Editor-in-Chief of FURP), and Professor Philip F. Yuan (Vice Dean of CAUP and Editor-in-Chief of ARI). The dialogue centered on leveraging AI technologies and open science practices to enhance journal development and global academic engagement.

The discussion opened with Professor Philip F. Yuan, Vice Dean of CAUP, welcoming the delegation and outlining the college's achievements in international collaboration and journal innovation. He emphasized how the three journals, supported by Tongji's disciplinary expertise and Springer Nature's global reach, had created a seamless ecosystem for academic research, international dissemination, and disciplinary reconstruction, strengthening China's role in global architecture and planning discourse. Journal leaders then shared progress: Built Heritage highlighted its impact in heritage conservation and international rankings, FURP detailed its rapid internationalization through joint initiatives and expanded editorial networks, and ARI showcased its integrated model linking the DigitalFUTURES platform, conferences, and the journal to drive academic exchange and research collaboration.

James Finlay underscored Springer Nature's willingness to deepening ties with Tongji, particularly in promoting Chinese scholarship globally. He highlighted the publisher's AI-driven initiatives, such as intelligent peer review, cross-lingual academic integrity tools, and multimedia content integration, while emphasizing the need to uphold research integrity amid technological shifts. Academician Wu Zhiqiang shared insights from global engineering networks, stressing the role of journals in addressing international challenges. Academician Chang Qing concluded by affirming the partnership's potential to innovate academic publishing and elevate China's contributions to global architecture and planning.

The meeting marked a pivotal step in Tongji and Springer Nature's collaboration, positioning both to lead in AI-enhanced publishing and open science. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and fostering international dialogue, the partnership aims to amplify the global impact of Chinese research, shaping the future of academic discourse in architecture and urban planning.