On March 7, 2024, Professor Zhao Zuoquan, a leading scholar in spatial economics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was invited to the "Academic Lecture Hall of Nankai Institute of Economics and Development." His lecture, titled "Spatial Economic Analysis Methods: Using Standard Deviation Ellipse and Hexagonal Grid as Examples," offered deep insights into the transformation of spatial paradigms.

The meeting was chaired by Professor Zhou Mi from our institute. Professor Zhao Zuoquan introduced the shift in spatial paradigms, focusing on the mechanisms and applications of the elliptical cone paradigm. He highlighted its use in analyzing urban industrial spatial structures, empirical studies of new economic geography theory, spatial development theory, geographic spatial constraints, and Gibrat's law of urban system growth. Following this, he conducted an analysis of spatial interactions beyond gravity models and the parametrization of economic space using ellipses. Finally, Chen Lu, a member of Professor Zhao’s team, provided a detailed introduction to the operation and application of these methods.

Professor Zhao, along with Associate Professor Zhang Zhiqiang from the Institute of Urban and Regional Economics at Nankai University and Dr. Guo Jiahong from our institute, engaged in discussions on related topics in spatial economics. Our faculty and students had a lively discussion with Professor Zhao on the application and specific operations of elliptical and hexagonal grids in regional economics.

The "Nankai Institute of Economics and Development Academic Lecture Hall" is a series of academic events initiated by our institute in 2021. Each session invites renowned scholars to participate in discussions. The lecture series has played a significant role in enhancing the influence of our disciplines, promoting communication and collaboration, and strengthening academic exchanges.