On December 2-3, 2024, the School of Media and Communication of Shenzhen University (SZU) and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences of Michigan State University (MSU) jointly hosted the inaugural MSU-SZU Joint Academic Symposium on Journalism and Communication. Held virtually, the event focused on fostering academic exchange and driving scientific research innovation under the theme “Bridging Scholars: Exploring Potential Communication Research Collaborations between MSU and SZU”.
The Symposium featured two sessions centered on key themes: online public opinion and health communication. Renowned scholars from both institutions delivered alternating presentations and engaged in discussions covering numerous cutting-edge topics in communication studies. Topics included AI-driven communication analysis, the impact of digital media on public discourse, the polarization of public opinion, cybersecurity and privacy, health technology, and decolonized environmental communication frameworks. Participants exchanged meaningful insights, contributing to enhanced scholarly understanding and fostering future collaborative research initiatives.
This milestone seminar represents a significant step in academic collaboration between these two prestigious communication schools. It provided an invaluable platform for the exchange of ideas and research insights, promoting mutual learning and innovation in communication studies. Based on the shared understanding between both institutions, the second MSU-SZU Joint Academic Symposium on Journalism and Communication is scheduled for the spring semester of 2025.
Michigan State University, a leading public research institution in the United States, boasts its College of Communication Arts and Sciences as one of the largest and most comprehensive communication schools in the country. It is ranked 5th globally according to the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for journalism and communication disciplines. Shenzhen University meanwhile continues to strengthen its reputation as a hub for academic innovation in China.
