On March 7, 2025, the inaugural session of the Doctoral salon series, “Crossroads Corner,” was successfully held at the School of Media and Communication. Titled “Rethinking the History of U.S. News and Communication in China,” the event featured a keynote lecture by Professor Shaogen Deng, a renowned scholar in journalism and communication studies. Professor Deng, Director of the Journalism and Marxist Research Center at Renmin University of China, Distinguished Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication, former Secretary General of the Chinese Association for History of Journalism and Communication, and Executive Editor of Journalism Evolution. His lecture attracted a diverse audience of faculty and students and was co-moderated by Professor Xin Yu, a faculty member under the university’s “Hundred Talents Program,” and Assistant Professor Wensen Huang.
To begin his lecture, Professor Deng shared insights from his academic journey. Reflecting on his doctoral experiences, he emphasized three essential qualities for PhD candidates: a sense of urgency, a proactive mindset, and a questioning spirit. He advised students to build a robust knowledge framework, balance depth and breadth in research topics, and navigate challenges in archival work.
The lecture transitioned into a lively dialogue between Professor Deng and the attendees, covering pressing topics such as deadline management, integrating communication theories into dissertation writing, fostering healthy mentor-student relationships, and the implications of AI in academia. Professor Deng highlighted the importance of disciplinary subjectivity in research, urging students to anchor their work in the core logic of communication studies. He also encouraged them to embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat, stating that “human creativity and critical thinking remain irreplaceable”.
Professor Yu concluded the event by reflecting on the value of academic camaraderie and mentorship, urging participants to cherish the intellectual bonds forged during their studies.
About the Doctoral Salon Series “Crossroads Corner”
Launched in February 2025, the Doctoral Salon Series “Crossroads Corner” aims to foster dialogue among doctoral and master’s students at the School of Media and Communication, inviting scholars and emerging academics to share their research processes, reflections, and interdisciplinary visions. The series’ name draws inspiration from the metaphor of the “crossroads” – a concept famously invoked by Wilbur Schramm to describe communication studies as a dynamic intersection of disciplines. Just as ancient crossroads evolved into bustling marketplaces and cultural hubs, the series aspires to be a vibrant nexus where ideas converge, clash, and propagate, symbolizing both local grounding and global scholarly reach.
