At 19:00 on November 1, 2025, the 459th “Hou Wailu Academic Lecture” was successfully held in Conference Room 503 of the School of Foreign Languages on the Chang’an Campus. Jointly organized by the Office of Social Science Research and the School of Foreign Languages at Northwest University, the event featured Professor Zhao Ronghui from Shanghai International Studies University as the distinguished speaker. Professor Zhao, who serves as Director of the Center for Applied Linguistics at the Institute of Language Sciences, Lead Principal Investigator for Major Philosophy and Social Science Research Projects of the Ministry of Education, and Doctoral Supervisor, delivered a specialized lecture titled “Key Points in Research Project Applications and Material Writing.” The lecture was chaired by Professor Cao Ruonan, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, and attended by faculty and students from the School, creating a vibrant academic atmosphere.
At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Cao Ruonan extended a warm welcome to Professor Zhao and introduced her academic background and research achievements. During her presentation, Professor Zhao shared systematic and practical guidance on the key aspects of research project applications and material writing. Drawing from her extensive experience, including leading 28 National Social Science Fund projects, she provided a clear action framework for future research applications. First, in the topic selection phase, Professor Zhao emphasized the importance of building closely on one’s existing research foundation. She advised against blindly following trends and recommended achieving breakthroughs through innovative combinations of “new perspectives + established fields,” thereby revitalizing traditional research areas with fresh academic value. Second, regarding proposal writing, Professor Zhao offered strategic advice from the perspective of a review expert. She stressed the need for a focused approach with seamless connections between sections. Key points included clearly articulating the significance of the research question, existing limitations, proposed methods, and expected outcomes. She also highlighted the importance of refining core highlights through reverse revision after completing the initial draft. Finally, on research output, Professor Zhao shared practical tips for writing and submitting papers. She advised presenting core arguments early to avoid obscuring key points with excessive references. Additionally, she recommended carefully matching submissions with target journals and paying attention to recent thematic trends to improve alignment.
During the Q&A session, participants actively raised questions on topics such as balancing hot topics with personal research accumulation, determining disciplinary affiliation in interdisciplinary project applications, and improving initial review success rates for manuscript submissions. Professor Zhao provided detailed and thoughtful responses, combining theoretical insights with practical examples. Her answers were both academically profound and highly applicable, fostering a lively and engaging atmosphere.
The lecture lasted over two hours. With her profound academic expertise and rich practical experience, Professor Zhao presented an intellectual feast that addressed participants' questions regarding research project applications and academic writing. After the event, Professor Cao Ruonan once again expressed sincere gratitude to Professor Zhao and encouraged all faculty and students to take this opportunity to actively engage in research practice, continuously improving their project application and academic writing capabilities.
Speaker: Professor Zhao Ronghui
Host: Dean/Professor Cao Ruonan
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