On March 28, 2023, International Communication Association China Forum, one of the most representative regional forums among the International Communication Association, announced its establishment in Tsinghua University. Noshir S. Contractor, president of International Communication Association (ICA), Chen Changfeng, Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University and Chairman of Asian-Pacific Communication Alliance (APCA), Zhou Qingan, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, Hang Min, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, Zhou Yong, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Renmin University of China, Wei Lu, Dean of the College of Media and International Culture of Zhejiang University, Zhou Baohua, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism of Fudan University, Chu Jianxun, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Science and Technology of China, Wang Xiuli, Director of the Center for Social Media Research of Peking University, Zhang Di, Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Renmin University of China, Zhu Mengxiao, special-appointed researcher of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Big Data, University of Science and Technology of China, Li Siyue, researcher of Hundred Talents Plan of the College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, attended the ceremony. Li Benqian, dean of School of Media and Communication, Shanghai JiaoTong University, attended online. The ceremony was hosted by Kuang Kai, Associate Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University.
Group photo of guests
International Communication Association China Forum is the third regional forum of ICA. Aiming at building an international academic community and providing a platform for Chinese scholars in communication to deeply participate in international communication academic exchanges, it was jointly initiated by seven Chinese universities: Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Shanghai JiaoTong University and University of Science and Technology of China.
Zhou Qingan, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, pointed out that the rapid establishment of the International Communication Society China Forum within such a short time could not be possible without full support of colleagues from the seven universities. He believes that with joint efforts, the International Communication Society China Forum will develop into the largest regional forum in the world and provide the development impetus with Chinese color for the discipline of journalism and communication, which is based on the world and has a global vision.
Noshir S. Contractor, president of the ICA, said the ICA has always been committed to the pursuit of internationalization. He believes the establishment of China Forum will help promote further development of global academic research on communication.
Dorien Kartikawangi, professor of the Indonesia Sub-Forum of ICA, expressed his blessing to the establishment of the China Forum online, hoping that the establishment will promote the development of news communication studies in China.
Chen Changfeng, professor of the School of Journalism at Tsinghua University and president of the Asia-Pacific Association of Journalism and Communication Societies, said that all founding members of the International Communication Association China Forum are from top universities in China, and they are leading the future development of journalism and communication studies in China. She hoped the new regional mechanism could stimulate the development of the Asia-Pacific Association of journalism and communication societies and produce more profound research results.
Afterwards, Noshir S. Contractor, president of International Communication Association (ICA), and Zhu Mengxiao, the rotating chairman of the International Communication Association China Forum in 2023, signed the founding letter, announcing the establishment of the International Communication Association China Forum.
As a representative of the initiators, Wei Lu, Dean of the CMIC, stressed the significance of the establishment of the International Communication Association China Forum: first, to meet the challenges of global changes and make ICA a truly international academic community; Second, to build a bridge for dialogue between China's communication studies and the world, and to create an open academic ecology for the construction of China's independent knowledge system; Third, to cultivate future generations of communication studies and promote academic inheritance, innovation and development.
Zhou Yong, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China, Hang Min, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, Zhou Baohua, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism of Fudan University, Chu Jianxun, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Science and Technology of China, Wang Xiuli, Director of the Center for Social Media Research of Peking University, Li Benqian, dean of the School of Media and Communication, Shanghai JiaoTong University, and other representatives of the initiators shared their views on the future prospects of the development of communication studies, exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and international scholars based on their own research experience and academic practice.
The establishment of China Forum of the ICA will promote the construction of the international academic community in Chinese journalism and communication, create a new channel and platform to enhance the internationalization of Chinese journalism and communication studies, enhance the interaction and exchange between the domestic and international academia, and contribute Chinese wisdom to the development of the world communication.