Professor Liu Yamin from the School of Education at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) delivered an academic lecture titled “Strengthening Fundamental Skills in Research Proposal Development: Key Points Based on National and Provincial/Ministerial-Level Social Science Fund Applications” at invitation on the afternoon of May 22. The lecture was a part of the Chen Heqin Forum, hosted by the Preschool Education Research Team of the School of Teacher Education (Physical Education) of TU. Vice Dean Zhang Yingying presided over the event, which was attended by key research faculty members of the school.

Professor Liu delivers the lecture

Starting with the fundamental skills required for research proposal development, Professor Liu Yamin delved into the key points of grant applications, drawing on her extensive experience and offering practical advice. She first meticulously reviewed faculty members’ selected topics and draft proposals. Identifying issues concerning topic precision, content innovation, and argumentative logic, she provided targeted suggestions for improvement. Professor Liu emphasized that topics should closely align with academic frontiers and practical needs, and proposal structures should be adjusted to enhance logical flow.

Subsequently, using exemplary proposals as models, she conducted an in-depth analysis covering precise topic refinement, the hierarchical construction of arguments, and the development of a complete content framework. She detailed how to accurately grasp application essentials and effectively highlight research value and feasibility. By combining “case diagnostics” with “model guidance,” Liu provided faculty with an intuitive and actionable writing guide. This approach tangibly enhanced the professionalism and competitiveness of their grant applications, laying a solid foundation for future research project submissions.

During the interactive session, participating faculty raised questions concerning core issues such as topic selection strategies and key proposal writing elements. Drawing on her experience as an evaluator, Professor Liu systematically addressed critical concerns including ensuring topic innovation and maintaining the standardization of application materials, offering constructive suggestions tailored to specific needs.

This lecture provided a valuable platform for the school’s faculty to engage with high-level academic expertise. It significantly aided teachers in mastering grant application techniques and enhancing their research capabilities, playing a crucial role in advancing the school’s overall research proficiency to a new level.

Expert Profile:

Liu Yamin, born in Wuhan, Hubei Province, holds a Ph.D. in Education. She is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), and was a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Davis, USA.

Her professional appointments include: Evaluation Expert for the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Evaluation Center (Undergraduate Program Audit and Assessment); Standing Council Member, Higher Education Professional Committee, China Association of Higher Education; Standing Council Member (4th Term), Institutional Research Branch, China Association of Higher Education; Expert, Hubei Provincial Expert Think Tank for Women and Children’s Development; Expert, Hubei Provincial Expert Pool for Family Education.

Her primary research areas are Higher Education Management, and Degree & Graduate Education. Specific research directions include University Culture, Institutional Governance, Graduate Education, and Family Education.

She has published over 70 papers in humanities and social sciences academic journals, including Educational Research, Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education of Engineering, Fudan Education Forum, and Journal of National Academy of Education Administration. Her research covers themes such as university culture and institutional governance, professional degree graduate education, aesthetic dimensions of university teaching, and home-school cooperative education. She has authored 2 monographs and 1 translated work.

She has led numerous research projects funded by: National Social Science Fund; Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Research Planning Fund; National Education Science Planning Project; Hubei Education Science Planning Major Bidding Project; China Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Association Key Project; China Graduate School Dean Association Key Research Project on Graduate Education.