On the morning of December 22, 2025, the School of Media and Communication hosted an academic lecture titled “Constructing Legitimacy in Geopolitical Conflicts: The Communication Logic and Public Response to Corporate Conflict Engagement Actions (CCEAs).” The lecture was delivered by Dr. Hui Zhao, Assistant Professor at the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Denmark, and attracted wide interest among faculty members and students.

Drawing on the backdrop of contemporary geopolitical conflicts, Dr. Zhao opened her talk by noting that the public opinion environment confronting corporations has undergone profound changes. Based on her latest research, Dr. Zhao argued that in times of geopolitical crisis, corporate responses matter even when companies are not directly responsible for the conflict itself. She traced a strategic shift from traditional crisis communication toward “corporate conflict engagement actions (CCEAs),” suggesting that this transition reflects companies’ efforts to maintain legitimacy and secure social acceptance amid evolving normative expectations.

The lecture concluded with a discussion session, during which participants explored how corporations can balance competing pressures in real-world contexts. Dr. Zhao summarized that contemporary corporate communication has moved far beyond information management; it has become a complex arena of legitimacy construction, value alignment, and risk negotiation. Understanding these underlying dynamics, she stressed, is essential for grasping the changing landscape of business and public opinion.

With its coherent theoretical framework and solid empirical grounding, the lecture offered participants a valuable window into the frontiers of strategic communication research, combining strong academic insight with clear practical relevance.