Dongming Xu

Dongming Xu is a Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). His current research focuses on the five-year ERC-funded project A Middle Way? Probing Sufficiency through Meat and Milk in China (MidWay), examining sociocultural dimensions of food systems in China. With a background as an architect and heritage professional in China (1996-2008), he later pursued a Ph.D. at NTNU's Faculty of Architecture and Design (2008-2018), culminating in his 2018 dissertation A Multi-Perspective Observation of Site Museums.

• Education: Doctorate in transdisciplinary approaches to archaeological site museums (NTNU, 2018)
• Current Affiliation: Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, NTNU
• Previous Affiliation: Faculty of Architecture and Design, NTNU (Ph.D. studies and teaching)

Xu's research bridges architecture, cultural heritage conservation, and sustainability. His work explores the reversibility and minimal intervention principles in site museum design, comparative studies of Norwegian and Chinese heritage practices, and the sociocultural embeddedness of sustainable food systems in China. He emphasizes practice-based approaches and transdisciplinary methodologies.

Recent publications highlight his expertise in preventive conservation, timber damage monitoring, and vernacular architecture revitalization. Xu contributes extensively through interviews and academic dialogues, particularly in Sino-Norwegian collaborations. His 2023 monograph Permanence and Change documents Norwegian architect Liu Kecheng's influence on Chinese architectural discourse.

• Scientific Awards: ERC Starting Grant (MidWay Project)

Xu actively participates in outreach through academic lectures, including presentations at the European Association for Chinese Studies (2024), Sino-European Forum on Vernacular Heritage (2022), and ICAMT conferences. He serves as a columnist for Community Design Journal and contributes to international conferences on heritage conservation and sustainable architecture.