From November 29 to 30, 2025, the Guangdong Provincial Graduate Academic Forum — "E-Yuan Cup" Journalism & Communication (Regional and Country Studies) Sub-Forum was held in Shantou, Guangdong. The forum was hosted by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province (Guangdong Academic Degrees Committee Office) and co-organized by Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, Shantou University, and the Center for International Communication of Chinese Culture, Shantou University.
The forum adopted an innovative "online + offline" hybrid format, focusing on the intersection of journalism and communication studies with regional and country studies. It attracted graduate and outstanding undergraduate students from multiple universities nationwide. The forum received over 300 paper submissions and simultaneously held two offline and three online parallel sessions for in-depth discussions, providing a high-quality academic exchange platform for journalism and communication research from a regional and country studies perspective.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Mao Hao, Dean of Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, Shantou University; Dr. Chang Cheng, Assistant President of Shinawatra University (Thailand) and Dean of the School of Information Resource Management; and Li Jinlong, General Manager of Guangzhou E-Yuan Information Technology Co., Ltd., delivered speeches in succession.
Mao Hao stated that the forum aims to build a high-level platform for academic dialogue, promoting research that aligns with national strategic needs and deeply engages with real-world issues. Drawing on his teaching experience in Thailand, Chang Cheng elaborated on the value of disciplinary integration and regional and country studies, expressing his hope to collaborate with Shantou University in exploring interdisciplinary models, enhancing China-Thailand mutual understanding, and cultivating intelligent communication talents. Li Jinlong, based on the development needs and trends of generative AI, international communication, and intelligent media, proposed that "technology cannot replace cultural understanding" and expressed his desire for deep collaboration with Shantou University combining "enterprise platforms with academic wisdom."
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Shantou University and Shinawatra University (Thailand) was also held on site. Representatives from both sides signed the agreement, laying a solid foundation for academic research and faculty-student exchanges, and jointly opening a new chapter of inter-university cooperation.
Professor Feng Yueji and Professor Li Yong from Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, along with Professor Fang Mo from Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, delivered keynote reports in succession. Feng Yueji analyzed the Chinese cultural identity of young overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia from the perspective of semiotic memory. Li Yong elucidated the need for systematic transformation in the journalism industry, emphasizing the core position of journalism ontology. Fang Mo argued for the value and feasibility of "game studies" as an independent academic discipline.
In the afternoon, two offline parallel sessions commenced simultaneously. The first session featured researchers from Beijing Foreign Studies University, Jinan University, and other institutions, focusing on regional and country communication and media convergence. Topics included the English translation of Xinjiang's tourism image, early Chinese Communist Party overseas media mobilization, and the emotional identity of "silver-haired idols," combining theoretical exploration with practical concerns. Professor Fang Mo served as the commenting guest, acknowledging the innovative value of the research while offering suggestions for improvement in theoretical depth and argumentation logic.
The second session revolved around "Technology Empowerment and Cultural Communication," covering cutting-edge topics such as generative AI entrepreneurship empowerment, livestreaming of intangible cultural heritage, and AIGC public opinion governance, integrating technological perspectives with humanistic concerns. Professor Li Yong from Cheung Kong School of Journalism of STU praised the interdisciplinary and diverse nature of the sharing during his commentary, offering suggestions on research methods and argumentation logic, and encouraging greater standardization in academic expression.
Online parallel sessions were held simultaneously, covering topics such as traditional cultural communication, AI and media paradigms, and cross-cultural narratives, showcasing the intersection and integration of journalism and communication with regional studies, technology, and culture, and facilitating intellectual exchange across multiple fields.
Guest Speech
Signing Ceremony
Keynote Speech
Group photo of the meeting
