Call for Papers: Navigating Cross-Cultural Communication in the Digital Age: Opportunities and Challenges

2024-10-02 12:00 AM

2024-12-15 12:00 AM

PhDSymposium2025@xjtlu.edu.cn

Call for Papers

Navigating Cross-Cultural Communication in the Digital Age: Opportunities and Challenges

The First XJTLU-CUC Joint International Symposium for PhD and Emerging Scholars

Suzhou, China, and Online

March 28-29, 2025

Organizers

We are delighted to announce the launch of an International PhD Symposium series, co-organized by the Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in Suzhou and the MOE Joint Institute of International Communication Research at Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing. This symposium series aims to offer a unique platform for PhD students and early-career scholars (within three years of PhD graduation) to present research, engage with emerging and established scholars, exchange ideas with reputable journal editors and international publishers, and foster cross-disciplinary, and cross-institutional collaboration in the fields of media and communication and beyond.

This first International PhD and Emerging Scholars Symposium, co-sponsored by China Ambassador for the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), will be held at XJTLU campus in Suzhou. We encourage scholars to attend in person at the venue. However, we also offer an online participation option for global attendees.

Background

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the art of storytelling has evolved significantly. The advent of digital platforms, interactive gaming, and emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality have radically transformed the narrative landscape, adding new dimensions to the way stories are told. However, the impact of these technologies on cross-cultural communication is a subject of ongoing debate. While some argue that technology fosters greater understanding and connection across cultures, others contend that it can reinforce stereotypes and exacerbate divisions. With this background, the symposium aims to critically examine the intersection of storytelling, technology, and cross-cultural communication, exploring both the challenges and opportunities these changes present. In particular, it seeks to:

  1. Analyze the role of technology in shaping contemporary storytelling practices across cultures, with a focus on both its potential for fostering cross-cultural dialogue and its risks.
  2. Discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise from technological changes in storytelling within diverse cultural contexts, considering both the hype and the reality of their impact.
  3. Explore how technology drives both positive change and disruption in storytelling, and how these effects manifest across different cultures.
  4. Encourage interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the impact of technology on narrative forms and cross-cultural communication, including critical perspectives on cultural representation and appropriation.
  5. Foster a dialogue among PhD students, early-career researchers, and established scholars on the future of storytelling in a globalized world, with a focus on the complex interplay between technology and culture.
Themes

We invite papers that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  • The evolution of storytelling in the digital age and its complex impact on cross-cultural communication, including both its potential for fostering understanding and its risks.
  • The role of social media in shaping narrative structures and audience engagement across cultures, with a critical examination of how these platforms can both connect and divide.
  • The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in enhancing cross-cultural storytelling experiences, considering both their potential and limitations.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential for automating and personalizing storytelling across different cultures, with a focus on ethical considerations and cultural sensitivity.
  • The preservation and adaptation of traditional storytelling methods in the face of digital transformation, with a focus on maintaining cultural integrity.
  • Cross-cultural storytelling as a tool for bridging cultural divides and fostering understanding, with a critical examination of the challenges and opportunities this presents.
  • The intersection of journalism, storytelling, and technology in a global context, with a focus on the role of storytelling in shaping public discourse across cultures.
  • Brand storytelling in the digital age and its implications for cross-cultural marketing, with a focus on the ethical considerations of cultural representation.
  • Ethical considerations in digital storytelling, including issues of representation, consent, and cultural sensitivity, with a focus on the implications of technology in these areas.
  • The impact of algorithms on how audiences engage with and discover stories that bridge cultures.
  • The role of audience interpretation and participation in shaping cross-cultural narratives and dialogues, as well as the function of digital platforms in including or excluding various perspectives.
Confirmed Keynote Speaker

Professor Daya Thussu, President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) & Managing Editor of the Sage journal Global Media and Communication, Professor of International Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Scholarships

To support PhD candidates and early-career researchers, the organizing committee is offering a limited number of scholarships. These will cover travel and accommodation expenses.

Applicants for the scholarship will need to submit a full paper for consideration.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions should be in English and adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Abstracts should be approximately 250 words, including the title, authors' names, affiliations, and contact information.
  • Full papers for scholarship application should be no more than 6,000 words, excluding references.
  • Panel proposals should include an abstract for the panel as a whole (max 300 words) in addition to individual abstracts for papers to be included in the panel. We also welcome proposals for innovative session formats such as roundtables, debates etc.
Submission Deadline

December 15, 2024

Full program and collection of abstracts

A full program, including keynote speakers, journal editors and publishers, as well as abstracts will be available as the conference date approaches.

Submission and Inquiries

Please submit your abstract and any inquiries to PhDSymposium2025@xjtlu.edu.cn

Registration

No registration fee is required. Participants, except for those awarded a scholarship, will need to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Additional Information

Details regarding the venue, travel and accommodation will be announced in January 2025.

Important

Please indicate your preference for presenting online or in-person when submitting your abstract.

Possible Outputs

Accepted papers may be considered for publication in a special issue of a leading international academic journal or an edited volume with a reputable publisher.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and to a stimulating and insightful symposium.

Central Organizing Committee

Professor Xiaoling Zhang, Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU)

Professor Deqiang Ji, The MOE Joint Institute of International Communication Research, Communication University of China (CUC)

Dr Xianwen Kuang, Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU)

Ms Xiaomei Jiang, Institute of Communication Studies, Communication University of China (CUC)

Local Organizing Committee

Dr Dharma Adhikari, Dr David Herold, Dr Rong Ma, Dr Marco Pellitteri, Dr Gejun Huang, & Ms Heyang Hu, Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU).

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