This book is among the first to comprehensively examine the far-reaching impact of China’s new fertility policies on early education and development. Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has entered a period of declining fertility rate and aging population, which poses a serious threat to its sustainable development. To address this crisis, China has radically revised its fertility policy through the state’s guidance for regulating couples’ reproductive choices, abandoning its iconic one-child policy, and adopting the selective two-child (2013), universal two-child (2016), and then the three-child (2021) policy. Drawing on empirical evidence obtained through various research methods, this book offers multidisciplinary perspectives on the far-reaching impact of these policies. Part I summarizes the lessons learned from new fertility policies and identifies important directions for future research. Focusing on two major microsystems, part II presents research assessing families’ fertility desire for an additional child and projecting the demand for preschool education. Part III attends to family dynamics and their relation to early learning and development for both only and non-only children. Part IV addresses the importance of expanding access to affordable and high-quality early childhood education and care for children from birth through age 6. The Impact of New Fertility Policies on Early Education and Development in China contributes to policy development and practical improvement and serves as a catalyst to stimulate future studies on the topic. It will be a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners of early childhood education and care, as well as for families of young children. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Early Education and Development.

This book is part of a series which makes available to English-speaking audiences the work of the individual Chinese economists who were the architects of China's economic reform. The series provides an inside view of China's economic reform, revealing the thinking of the reformers themselves, unlike many other books on China's economic reform which are written by outside observers. Li Jiange (1949-) is one of the most notable and powerful economists holding office in China at present. He is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Central Huijin Investment Company, one of the most influential financial institutions in China. He is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a Professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and other academic institutions. He has held many important positions in the state Research Office and the Department of Policies, Laws, and Regulations, and has been Director of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. His work has included major contributions to debates about maintaining financial stability, about achieving equitable income distribution, and about China's overall economic development. The book is published in association with China Development Research Foundation, one of the leading economic and social think tanks in China, where many of the theoretical foundations and policy details of economic reform were formulated.

Intelligent materials are emerging composite functional materials that have boomed since the 1990s. The intelligent material system, involving a multitude of structures and functions, combines studies that explore nature, mimic nature and surpass nature. It also provides novel ideas, new theories, and cutting-edge methodologies for the innovation of science and technology. Thus, mimicking the micro/nanostructures and functions found in nature will build a bridge between biology and technology, which may provide inspirations for solving today's technological problems.This book gives a complementary introduction about natural and artificial micro/nanoscale interfacial materials, devoting largely to the intelligent materials with special wettabilities. Inspired by nature, the authors proposed a concept of "binary cooperative complementary micro/nanoscale interfacial materials". Based on this design concept, the contact and coupling of heterogeneous materials will result in novel properties on the surface or interface of materials, which may create new functional materials and devices. This book combines popular science and professional knowledge, which will be suitable for not only researchers but also science lovers.

Architecture Asia, as the official journal of the Architects Regional Council Asia, aims to provide a forum not only for presenting Asian phenomena and their characteristics to the world, but also for understanding diversity and multiculturalism within Asia from a global perspective. This issue reveals the development of Thailand contemporary architecture, and features five essays and twelve projects that elaborate this perspective. The five essays elaborate the contemporary architecture of Thailand in Southeast Asia, and how Thailand architecture was influenced by western architectural theories and finally found a good balance between modernisation and localisation. The twelve projects, accompanied with full-colour photos and text descriptions, concentrate on the exploration of modernity, regionalism and futurism in Thai architecture from 1940 to 1980, and highlight architectural works that reflect on practical industrial buildings, demonstrate the exploration of Thai contemporary architecture from form, space and architecture to the complex disciplines of ecology, humanities, society and industry.

Intelligent materials are emerging composite functional materials that have boomed since the 1990s. The intelligent material system, involving a multitude of structures and functions, combines studies that explore nature, mimic nature and surpass nature. It also provides novel ideas, new theories, and cutting-edge methodologies for the innovation of science and technology. Thus, mimicking the micro/nanostructures and functions found in nature will build a bridge between biology and technology, which may provide inspirations for solving today's technological problems. This book gives a complementary introduction about natural and artificial micro/nanoscale interfacial materials, devoting largely to the intelligent materials with special wettabilities. Inspired by nature, the authors proposed a concept of binary cooperative complementary micro/nanoscale interfacial materials. Based on this design concept, the contact and coupling of heterogeneous materials will result in novel properties on the surface or interface of materials, which may create new functional materials and devices. This book combines popular science and professional knowledge, which will be suitable for not only researchers but also science lovers.

The ARCASIA Awards for Architecture is an annual award established by the Architects Regional Council Asia to recognise the outstanding architectural works of Asian architects. It hopes to encourage the inheritance of the Asian spirit and promote the improvement of the Asian architectural environment as well as the role of architects and architecture in the social, economic and cultural development of Asian countries. This special issue of Architecture Asia gives a comprehensive review of the 26 winning projects of ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2022 which includes Single Family Residential Projects, Multi-family Residential Projects, Commercial Buildings, Resort Buildings, Institutional Buildings, Social and Cultural Buildings, Specialised Buildings, Industrial Buildings, Historical Restoration Projects, Adaptive Reuse projects, Integrated Development. Through brief project descriptions and rich images, it provides a wonderful opportunity for readers all over the world to get a quick glance at what happened in Asian architecture in 2022.

This book is part of a series which makes available to English-speaking audiences the work of the individual Chinese economists who were the architects of China's economic reform. The series provides an inside view of China's economic reform, revealing the thinking of the reformers themselves, unlike many other books on China's economic reform which are written by outside observers. Li Jiange (1949-) is one of the most notable and powerful economists holding office in China at present. He is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Central Huijin Investment Company, one of the most influential financial institutions in China. He is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a Professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and other academic institutions. He has held many important positions in the state Research Office and the Department of Policies, Laws, and Regulations, and has been Director of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. His work has included major contributions to debates about maintaining financial stability, about achieving equitable income distribution, and about China's overall economic development. The book is published in association with China Development Research Foundation, one of the leading economic and social think tanks in China, where many of the theoretical foundations and policy details of economic reform were formulated.