I. Evolution of Workshop Themes and General Characteristics of Selected Papers In recent years, the frequent occurrence of global public emergencies has posed severe challenges to national governance systems. Aligning with major strategies such as "Constructing a New Development Pattern" and "Coordinating Development and Security," the Journal of Systems & Management organized four thematic academic workshops between 2021 and 2025, leveraging the Dean’s Forum of Schools of Management and Public Administration. Under the guest editorship of scholars including Yang Xiaoguang, Xue Lan, Li Jianping, and others, 13 high-quality papers were selected from 85 submissions, reflecting the latest explorations by Chinese scholars in safety and emergency management.
The themes evolved from adapting to new patterns to embracing digital intelligence, and finally to deepening systemic coordination:
2021: "Complex Systems Management under Double Circulation" focused on pandemic response and supply chain security.
2022: "Smart City Management in the Digital Era" explored intelligent transportation and digital governance.
2023: "Digital Emergency Management: New Opportunities and Challenges" analyzed digital risks and cross-border cooperation.
2025: "Coordinating Development and Security from a Systems Management Perspective" treated development and security as two sides of the same coin, focusing on digital economy risk governance and supply chain resilience.
The 13 accepted papers exhibit three characteristics: highly focused topics responding to real-world scenarios; rigorous and diverse methodologies, including complex system modeling (ABM, System Dynamics), data-driven decision-making (CH-DEA, fsQCA, Case-Based Reasoning), and robust optimization; and dual-value conclusions that offer both theoretical innovation and actionable management insights.
II. Core Contributions by Theme
2021 (Resilience): Research identified that the primary obstacle to China's manufacturing security is scale reduction rather than foreign control; optimization models for shelter hospitals revealed diminishing marginal utility thresholds for emergency budgets; and studies proved that cost-sharing flexible cooperation and bidirectional option contracts effectively mitigate government risks.
2022 (Smart Cities): Papers proposed incentive-compatible double-layer VCG auctions to reduce distribution costs; developed EID online opinion models integrating personality traits; and utilized heuristic algorithms to reduce drone energy consumption in flood rescue operations.
2023 (Governance Challenges): fsQCA analysis found that positive or neutral demands are ironically necessary conditions for "opinion reversal" in emergencies; other work explored Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in response to supply chain disruptions.
2025 (Systems Thinking): Dynamic robust optimization coupled with SEIAR models highlighted the criticality of medical staff fluctuations; evolutionary game theory proved that strongly differentiated subsidies are superior to universal ones for blockchain-enabled supply chain transparency.
III. Institutional Advantages of the Workshop The Journal of Systems & Management established a "fast-track" review process, reducing the average submission-to-acceptance cycle to approximately six months. Furthermore, the workshop provides a platform for face-to-face mentorship from senior scholars, helping authors integrate diverse perspectives and enhance research capabilities.
IV. Areas for Improvement and Future Directions Despite these achievements, three areas require further attention:
Deepening Research Paradigms for New Technologies: Beyond "technology empowerment," research should address new management risks such as AI accountability, algorithmic bias, and blockchain mistrust.
Transitioning to Proactive Perspectives: Currently, 11 of the 13 papers focus on post-event response. Future research must align with "Grand Safety and Emergency" frameworks by emphasizing risk identification, early warning, and pre-event resilience assessment.
Support Mechanisms for Young Scholars: With only four papers first-authored by doctoral students or junior faculty, there is a need for "Doctoral Forums" or dedicated fast tracks to ensure the sustainable development of the discipline.
Moving forward, we will continue to organize high-quality workshops to contribute the wisdom of the Chinese management science community to the construction of a safe, resilient, and smart society.
(Reported by Liu Dehai)