Dr. Ren Kai, is a scholar specializing in rural settlements, rural environments, and rural revitalization, with a strong interdisciplinary background bridging architecture, planning, and tourism. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Rural Planning from Southeast University, an M.Arch. from Tsinghua University, and a B.Arch. from Xi’an Jiaotong University. Currently serving as a Lecturer at the Department of Tourism, Inner Mongolia University, she is also a master’s supervisor for the Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) program and a National Class I Registered Architect. she was a Lecturer at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, contributing to the fields of architecture and planning education. In recognition of her academic and professional contributions, she was selected as a high-level talent under the “Elite Talents Revitalize Inner Mongolia” initiative. Dr. Ren has led numerous national, ministerial, and regional research projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Education, with a focus on rural cultural landscapes, settlement evolution, and sustainable rural development. Her research has been widely published in high-impact SSCI, SCI, and CSSCI journals such as Land, Buildings, and the Journal of Natural Resources. In addition to her academic work, she has contributed to policy advisory reports adopted by governmental and regional bodies, advancing strategies for rural spatial planning, cultural tourism development, and talent cultivation in Inner Mongolia. She has also received multiple teaching awards, including prizes at the provincial and institutional levels, and serves as a reviewer for leading international journals.