During China's National Day Golden Week, Professor Susan Shirk traveled to Guangxi with her family at the invitation of Professor Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University. During the trip, she engaged in conversations with local residents and grassroots officials.As a long-time scholar of China, Professor Shirk gained fresh insights and reflections on China's economic development, poverty alleviation policies, urban–rural disparities, and broader social transformation.In this episode, she joins Professor Da Wei for an in-depth conversation on the significance of field research, the evolution of research methods, and the real-world challenges facing China–U.S. academic exchange.