Authro: Guo Jun 

Publisher: China News Network  

Date: September 9, 2024

In line with Guangdong Province's strong push for rural revitalization and the Millions Project, the launch ceremony for the 2024 Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey was recently held at Jinan University. This year's survey represents a significant upgrade in its design, including enhancements in the survey lineup, sample size, and regional characteristics, marking an exciting new phase for the project.

Overview of the Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey

Initiated by the Economic and Social Research Institute of Jinan University and jointly sponsored by various institutions—including the Rural Revitalization Research Institute, the Social Survey Center of Jinan University, and the Communist Youth League Jinan University Committee—the Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey has been an essential tool for understanding rural dynamics in the province. Since its inception in 2018, the project has completed six rounds of field surveys that have produced valuable insights in areas such as database construction, academic research, policy consultation, and talent development.

From 2018 to 2022, the survey covered nearly 120 rural areas across 30 districts and counties within Guangdong Province, with an effective sample of about 3,600 rural households. It is noted for being one of the few representative datasets in the academic community regarding rural environments in Guangdong. The findings from these surveys serve as a scientific foundation for government policy formulation in rural revitalization and provide important resources for scholars studying rural development.

In 2023, the survey extended its reach to 326 villages across 31 towns and eight cities, utilizing the Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Project as a framework for data collection, thereby gathering more extensive and detailed information.

New Developments in the 2024 Survey

At the launch ceremony, Jinan University emphasized the significance of the Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey as a connecting point for collaboration, leading to the establishment of the Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey University Alliance. This new alliance includes sister institutions such as Wuyi University, Shaoguan College, and Huizhou College, which aim to enhance the capabilities of the survey initiative.

The project has attracted over 20 new faculty members and more than 170 investigators from 15 universities nationwide to join its research team. This interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaboration will inject fresh energy and innovative perspectives into the project, further advancing Guangdong's efforts in rural revitalization.

The upcoming survey will expand its reach by visiting towns and villages using comprehensive methods such as discussions, questionnaires, and on-site visits. This year signals a shift, as the total sample size is expected to exceed 1,000 administrative villages for the first time, truly embodying the concept of a thousand villages survey. The survey will revisit sample villages from previous years while also incorporating new locations.

Comprehensive Research Focus

The research content for this round will be more diversified, addressing multiple key areas including:

- Poverty reduction with unique Chinese characteristics

- Rural governance

- Rural green development

- Rural social security

- Rural land transfer

This comprehensive approach is designed to provide deeper insights into the evolving landscape of rural life in Guangdong, thereby effectively supporting the province's broader rural revitalization strategies. The enhanced Guangdong Thousand Villages Survey aims not only to gather data but also to facilitate the informed development of policies that can transform rural communities across the region.