November 2nd to November 3rd, 2024, the International Symposium on "Inheritance and Integration: Media Globalization and the Dissemination of Chinese Culture" was held in Shantou, Guangdong. The symposium was jointly hosted by Shantou University and China News Service, co-organized by Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, Shantou University, the Center for International Communication of Chinese Culture, Shantou University, and the Guangdong Branch of China News Service, with support from the Li Ka Shing Shantou University Foundation.
Themed "Forging a Shared Sense of Chinese Cultural Community: A New Chapter for Global Chinese Diaspora Communication," the symposium brought together over 20 renowned scholars and media experts from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), the University of Calgary (Canada), Peking University, Minzu University of China, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Nankai University, Tianjin University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, Shanghai University, Shandong University, Huaqiao University, the Chinese Institute of Overseas Chinese Studies, as well as Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily and Thailand's Jing Hua Zhong Yuan United Daily News, who were invited to deliver keynote speeches. More than 60 authors of accepted papers, along with faculty and students from Shantou University, totaling over 200 participants, gathered to discuss the international dissemination of overseas Chinese culture and Chinese culture at large.
At the opening ceremony on the morning of November 2, Professor Liu Wenhua, Vice President of Shantou University, stated in his address that overseas Chinese not only play a vital role in national construction and ethnic development but also serve as important bridges and bonds for disseminating Chinese culture, effectively promoting mutual learning and cultural exchange between China and countries around the world. He expressed Shantou University's hope to unite various forces, pool academic wisdom, and produce more theoretical and empirical research outcomes on the international communication of overseas Chinese.
Yin Ning, Editorial Board Member of China News Service, noted in his address that the symposium's theme of "inheritance and integration" profoundly reveals the importance of preserving and innovating the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture in the context of globalization. He posed the epochal question of how to maintain the uniqueness of Chinese culture amid the tide of globalization while enabling the world to better access and understand Chinese culture, and through this understanding and appreciation, to better recognize a credible, amiable, and respectable China.
Professor Daya Kishan Thussu, President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), delivered a video address. He noted that the vast overseas Chinese community serves as a window for the global dissemination of Chinese culture, creatively promoting the integration and innovation of Chinese culture with the cultures of their host countries — a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly pronounced with the growth of China's comprehensive national power and the rise of digital globalization.
Ms. Zhang Cong, Chairperson of Media Chinese International Limited (Malaysia), stated in her address that "culture is the soul of a nation, and newspapers are the frontier of culture." As an important vehicle connecting Chinese communities and disseminating Chinese culture, Chinese-language media plays multiple roles in different countries and regions, particularly in bearing the historical and cultural identity of Chinese communities. Mr. Zhang Yikun, Executive Vice Chairman of the International Chaoshan Federation, expressed his hope that through exchange and discussion, the symposium could explore effective pathways for the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture and further strengthen cooperation between the International Chaoshan Federation and various sectors.
At the opening ceremony, Zhao Yang, a specially appointed expert for political participation and deliberation of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former Deputy Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, together with Liu Wenhua, unveiled the plaque for the Center for International Communication of Chinese Culture at Shantou University.
In the keynote sessions, the following distinguished speakers delivered brilliant presentations:
Professor ANG Peng Hwa, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and former President of the International Communication Association (ICA): "Media, Soft Power, and the Globalization of Chinese Culture"
Professor Cheng Manli, School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, and Distinguished Professor at Minzu University of China: "Opportunities and Challenges Facing Overseas Chinese-Language Media in the New Era"
Professor Wu Fei, College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University: "Global Commonality: Transcending the Conflict Paradigm of Western International Communication"
Professor Lu Xiaohua, Dean of the School of New Media and Communication, Tianjin University: "Chinese Cultural Communication in the Process of Building a Mechanism for Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative"
Professor Guo Shibao, University of Calgary, Canada: "The Overseas Dissemination and Continuation of the Chinese Language: Chinese Language Education, Identity, and Cultural Heritage Among the New Generation of Chinese Canadian Youth"
Professor Zhang Chunwang, Director of the Chinese Institute of Overseas Chinese Studies: "The Advantages and Roles of Overseas Chinese in Sino-Foreign Cultural Exchange"
Professor Zhang Zhian, School of Journalism, Fudan University, and Deputy Director of the Fudan Institute for Global Communication and All-Media Research: "City International Communication: Paradigms, Pathways, and Discourses"
Professor Chen Xianhong, School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: "Three-Level Integrated Communication: A Theoretical Model for the International Dissemination of China's Stories"
Professor Zhong Zhijin, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, Sun Yat-sen University: "Audience Research and Market Thinking in International Communication"
Professor Wang Xiaohui, School of Journalism and Communication, Nankai University: "New Possibilities for Chinese-Language Media in the New Era"
Professor Peng Weibu, School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University: "Mediatization of Memory: The Co-Imagination Production and Construction of Bangka Chinese Graves"
Professor Li Xigen, School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai University: "Research Approaches and Theoretical Perspectives on International Communication Effectiveness"
Mr. Chen Jianhui, Editor-in-Chief of Jing Hua Zhong Yuan United Daily News (Thailand): "The Global Landscape of Chinese-Language Media Communication"
Professor Guo Yan, University of Calgary, Canada: "Exceeding Boundaries: Chinese Children's Playful Use of Languages and Literacy Practices in a Chinese-English Bilingual Program in Canada"
Associate Professor Zhu Danhong, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, Huaqiao University: "Online Games as a Vehicle for the International Dissemination of Traditional Chinese Culture — A Case Study of Genshin Impact"
Professor Jia Wenshan, Distinguished Professor, School of Culture and Communication, Shandong University (Weihai): "Re-empowering, Re-agenda-setting: Overseas Chinese and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations"
The symposium accepted 56 papers following expert review, and featured six parallel sessions. On the morning of November 3, the parallel sessions were organized around themes such as "Cultural Communication of Overseas Chinese," "The Global Landscape of Chinese-Language Media Communication," "Audience Research on Chinese Communities," "Overseas Chinese Culture and Communication," "Digital Media and Cultural Communication," and "Cultural Communication Practices and Identity Studies," with a total of 12 thematic discussions conducted in two rounds.
The International Symposium on "Inheritance and Integration: Media Globalization and the Dissemination of Chinese Culture" marked the first event held by the Center for International Communication of Chinese Culture at Shantou University following its designation as a Guangdong Provincial Social Science Research Base. Moving forward, the Center will focus on key areas such as the overseas dissemination and influence of Chinese culture, media and overseas Chinese communities, and economic globalization and international communication, striving to build a high-level, interdisciplinary research platform integrating scientific research, exchange practices, and policy advisory services.
