In response to the invitation from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University (MSU), Professor Zhang Xiaohong, Vice President of Shenzhen University, along with Professor Chao Naipeng, Professor Yang Guang, Assistant Professor Huang Wensen, and Assistant Professor Zhang Xing from the School of Media and Communication, visited MSU from May 6, 2024, for a three-day academic exchange and investigation.

The delegation visited the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU and its Office of China Program. Vice President Zhang Xiaohong, Dean Chao Naipeng, and Associate Dean Yang Guang engaged in extensive discussions with Teresa Mastin, Vice President and Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU, Kjerstin Thorson, Associate Dean for Strategic Planning, and Geri Zeldes, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education, exploring collaboration opportunities in scientific research, inter-college and school-wide academic exchanges and talent training projects. They reached multiple collaborative intentions, including undergraduate exchange programs, short-term exchange programs, and joint doctoral training programs. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the two institutions.

(Signing of the Collaboration Memorandum by the heads of both colleges)

They also participated in a seminar organized by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, exchanging ideas on academic research collaboration, co-organizing academic research workshops, and co-building joint innovation platforms. Attendees included Monique Turner, Chair of the Department of Communication, Allison Eden, Professor in the Department of Communication, Wei Peng, Professor in the Department of Media and Information, John Besley, Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Anastasia Kononova, Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Dar Meshi, Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, and Maria Molina Davila and Dan Hiaeshutter-Rice, Assistant Professors in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. Multiple co-research directions were explored, including but not limited to misinformation research, social media research, and digital civilization research. They planned to regularly hold academic research workshops, inviting experts and scholars from various fields to give keynote speeches and participate in panel discussions to facilitate the implementation of research collaboration.

(Academic seminar with professor teams from both universities)

Meetings with Steve Hanson, Vice Provost and Dean for International Studies and Programs at MSU further solidified the commitment to future collaboration, with discussions covering shared academic research interests, innovative teaching methods, and student exchange programs.

(Zhang Xiaohong presents a souvenir from Shenzhen University to Vice President Steve Hanson)

Accompanied by Professor Winson Peng from the Department of Communication, the delegation also toured various laboratories and research centers of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, fostering dialogue with researchers and exploring potential collaboration directions, gaining in-depth understanding of MSU’s research focus and latest developments in the field of communication.

(Visiting the college's experimental center)

Further discussions with Xinyu Wu, Director of the Visiting International Professional Program and the China Program Office at MSU, and Jennifer Wargo, Associate Director of the China Program Office focused on various collaboration initiatives, including visiting scholar programs, summer exchange programs, joint doctoral training programs, 3+1+1 integrated bachelor’s and master’s programs, and co-building joint innovation platforms. Overall, both universities expressed strong willingness to cooperate and reached a preliminary consensus on collaboration details, implementation steps, and expected outcomes.

(In-depth discussions on cooperation between the two universities with the director of the China Program Office at MSU)

Michigan State University is a world-class public research university, known as a Public Ivy League School, consistently ranked within the top 150 in the world’s four major university rankings. Its College of Communication Arts and Sciences is one of the largest and most comprehensive communication colleges in the United States, holding a prestigious reputation with top-tier journalism and communication programs. The achievements of this visit mark a significant milestone in international cooperation in the humanities research field for Shenzhen University and a key measure to promote the internationalization of talent training at the university. This visit signifies another major deployment by Shenzhen University to establish deep-level collaborative relationships with top North American higher education institutions.

(Visiting Michigan State University)