This paper uses multiple data sources to trace the spatio‑temporal evolution of geography higher education institutions in China from 1904 to 2024, dividing it into two sub‑periods (1904–1977 and 1978–2024). The evolution was complex and fluctuating, shaped by social contexts, educational policies, and geography’s inherent transdisciplinarity. Social contexts, as external factors, both generated demand and imposed constraints linked to economic capacity and higher education conditions. Educational policies, including educational goals and institutional frameworks, acted as internal factors and greatly influenced the diversity and spatial patterns of these institutions. Moreover, geography’s transdisciplinary nature aligned well with China’s higher education system, potentially facilitating its growth and proliferation. Currently, geography in higher education is flourishing, yet several challenges have emerged: disparities among institution types, educational objectives, degrees, majors, and department sizes; risks of departmental closures in affiliated, non‑comprehensive, and non‑normal colleges; frequent absence of “geography” from departmental names; marginalisation in smaller departments; and poor performance evaluations from some administrators and reviewers. These issues require Chinese geographers to reflect deeply and respond proactively, and they should also consider expanding geography knowledge production from an institutional perspective to enhance the discipline’s inclusivity and productivity in China.
Jun et al. (Tue,) studied this question.