From July 9 to 11, 2023, the 2021 Communication Students (2+2 joint class) went to Hong Kong Baptist University for summer international communication exchange. The exchange program was run by the School of Journalism and Communication and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Communication Research Institute. It aimed to foster global perspectives in international communication talent and encourage collaboration and exchanges with universities in Hong Kong. Specifically, 25 students from the 2021 Class of Communication department (2+2 Joint Class) were guided by 3 teachers to take part in the exchange program, which mostly consisted of foreign communication courses and field trips.
Wang Xiangwei, the associate professor in the journalism department, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, and former editor of the South China Morning Newspaper, lectured the course. His lecture, “China’s International Communication Policy: Opportunities and Challenges”, covered the following two aspects: China’s foreign communication policy and how foreign media views China. He shared the history of China’s external communication and international image since the People’s Republic of China’s founding. Moreover, he also highlighted the current issues and challenges in China’s international communication based on global public opinion. Besides, Professor Cherian George, the journalism department at Hong Kong Baptist University’s School of Communication, delivered a speech on the subject of “Critical and Comparative Studies of Global Media Systems”. Through a comparative lens, he delineated the distinctions and interconnections among diverse media systems, conducted a critical and systematical analysis, as well as elucidated the operating model of different media genres and their influence on the accomplishment of journalistic objectives. The students enthusiastically engaged in in-depth discussions and learning with the lecturers in the course question and answer session.
For the final destination, the teachers and students visited Phoenix Satellite TV, where they were given a tour of the facility’s development history, saw the shooting occurred in the news studio, and went inside the office to experience the vibe of the media. The sleek and contemporary workspace, cutting-edge tools and amenities, and omnimedia operation mode left an impression on both teachers and students.
During this exchange activity, the students collaborated in small groups to create media works centered around the idea of cultural integration, and undertake field trips and research from different domains, including humanities, architecture, and cuisine in Hong Kong. Through this exchange program, the students gained invaluable experience that will broaden their perspective on the whole world, deepen their theoretical understanding, practice effective cross-cultural communication, and raise their awareness regarding international communication. In addition, it was also a significant effort and communication practice to cultivate outstanding talent for international communication, encourage disciplinary exchanges, and convey China’s stories well.