Addressing global climate change, advancing energy transition and green development, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature have become an international consensus. The high-quality development of green and low-carbon cities is an inevitable requirement to meet people’s needs for a better life. The 2026 International Congress on Natural Resources and Planning will be held at The University of Hong Kong in March 2026. Concurrent with the congress will be a series of academic activities celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Architecture and the 45th anniversary of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at HKU. We are now issuing the second round of notifications for the congress.
I. Time and Venue
Time: March 27 to 30, 2026 (tentative). Registration opens on March 27, and the congress concludes on March 30.
Venue: The University of Hong Kong (Pok Fu Lam Road, Central and Western District, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China)
Important Date Reminders
Abstract submission opens: November 21, 2025
Abstract submission deadline: December 30, 2025
Abstract acceptance notification: January 30, 2026
Full paper submission for Outstanding Young Scholars’ Paper Competition: January 30, 2026
Registration deadline: March 10, 2026
Conference dates: March 27 to 29, 2026
II. Conference Theme
The conference takes “Natural Resources, Urban Future and Architectural Heritage” as its theme. It focuses on the most representative and urgent challenges of the contemporary era, sorts out the core demands of sustainable development from three dimensions, and provides an overall framework for interdisciplinary dialogue. The official language of the conference is English.
III. Organizational Structure
Host Institutions:
International Association of Natural Resources
Urban Systems Institute, HKU
Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU
Co-organizing Institutions:
Global Designers Association
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS
YUANYE AWARDS Organizing Committee
Undertaking Institutions:
Faculty of Architecture, HKU
Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU
YUANYE AWARDS Urban Design Center
IV. Registration Methods
Individual participants can complete registration by logging on to the official website of the International Congress on Natural Resources and Planning (www.iaonr.org) or following the WeChat official account (ID:YUANYE AWARDS). Groups of 3 or more people can register as a group through the congress’s official website.
Special Reminders
For registered participants who need an electronic invoice, please indicate this requirement during registration. The invoice will be sent to the corresponding email address promptly after the payment is received. The organizing committee will no longer process invoice applications after March 25, 2026. Please fill in the invoice information and receiving email correctly—each participant is allowed only two modifications.
Participants who cannot attend after successful registration must submit a cancellation request through the registration system before 24:00 on March 25, 2026. The full conference fee will be refunded to the original payment account one after another after the conference, and the refund process will be completed within 30 working days after the conference. No refunds or electronic invoices will be provided for those who fail to submit the cancellation request online before 24:00 on March 25, 2026.
The conference will not arrange airport/train station transfers or unified accommodation. Participants are requested to book hotels independently as needed. The organizing committee will compile information on surrounding hotels near the venue for reference.
For more details, please visit ：http://www.yuanyebei.com/html/event/2025/61/index.html