Our Trustee Spotlight series highlights the people guiding the Landscape Research Group. Through these features, we share the diverse experiences, research interests, and motivations that shape the direction of our work.
Based in Shanghai, Fei Mo brings an international academic perspective to the Landscape Research Group, with a long-standing connection to the Landscape Research journal as both reader and author. As an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, her work sits at the intersection of research, teaching and global knowledge exchange. Since joining the Board of Trustees, Fei has contributed to strengthening access to landscape research in China while supporting the development of LRG’s international networks.
1. What first inspired you to get involved with the Landscape Research Group and what does being a trustee mean to you?
I have been engaged with Landscape Research as both a reader and author since my PhD studies at the University of Sheffield. Working closely with professors who served as editors-in-chief of the journal encouraged me to think beyond my own research and consider contributing to its wider scholarly community.
Through colleagues involved in the Landscape Research Group, I came to better understand its long-standing role in supporting landscape research and practice. This motivated me to apply for the trustee role. I recognise the responsibility this entails and value the trust placed in me. Based primarily in Shanghai, I also see this as an opportunity to help strengthen LRG’s engagement and networks in East Asia.
2. What are you most proud of contributing to LRG during your time as a trustee?
One of the most meaningful contributions during my time as a trustee has been supporting the donation of a complete printed set of Landscape Research to China.
Previously, no full print collection was available, and access at my university was limited to digital issues from the late 1990s. This restricted engagement with the journal’s earlier scholarship. Transferring the collection from the UK to Shanghai involved logistical and financial complexity, but was made possible through collaboration between university libraries, international book partners, DHL and the Landscape Research Group.
I am particularly pleased to have contributed to improving access to the journal for readers both within and beyond my institution.
3. How do you see the role of LRG evolving in the coming years and what opportunities should landscape research focus on next?
The challenges facing landscape research are closely tied to wider societal demands and ongoing shifts within the discipline. As research funding increasingly prioritises interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary agendas, there is a need for landscape research to contribute meaningfully to broader debates while retaining a clear sense of its core strengths.
There is an open question as to whether greater openness to interdisciplinary collaboration, or a clearer articulation of disciplinary boundaries, is more important at this stage. Both approaches may play a role in supporting the future trajectory of the field.
What remains central is the relationship between people and nature. This should continue to guide both research and practice within landscape studies.
4. What excites you most about the future of landscape research – both within LRG and in the wider field?
What excites me most is the growing capacity of landscape research to provide both intellectual and practical leadership in shaping environments that support human well-being alongside ecological systems.
Within LRG and the wider field, I am particularly encouraged by the potential for landscape research to act as a bridging discipline — translating rigorous scholarship into meaningful societal and environmental impact.
I am interested to see how this leadership can be sustained through continued critical inquiry, interdisciplinary engagement, and the development of future generations of landscape scholars and practitioners.
About Associate Professor Fei Mo, LRG Trustee
As an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fei brings both academic depth and international perspective to her role as trustee. Her work highlights the importance of access, collaboration and long-term knowledge exchange in supporting the field’s development. As LRG continues to expand its global networks, her contribution provides an important link between established scholarship and emerging research communities in East Asia.