On the morning of 13 November, the Second Zhejiang University Doctoral Forum on International Communication: Seeking Truth formally commenced at the Centre for International Communication Studies, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University. The forum brought together leading scholars and doctoral candidates from journalism, communication studies, and related disciplines worldwide. Centred on the theme "What Makes the World Connected?", discussions explored multiple topical issues including digital communication, emerging platforms for international communication, communication strategies, and cross-cultural communication. This provided participants with a high-calibre platform for academic exchange and collaboration. The forum aimed to address contemporary challenges, collectively advance the development of an autonomous knowledge system in international communication, and foster authentic, effective global connectivity.
Sun Mengru, Secretary-General of the International Communication Committee of the Chinese Society for Journalism History, introduced the attending experts and scholars while reviewing the forum's founding journey. She stated that since its inception last year, the forum has been dedicated to establishing a benchmark doctoral exchange platform within China's international communication field. Sun Mengru acknowledged that despite numerous challenges in organising the forum, the team's perseverance and the steadfast support from faculty members had not only ensured its continuation but also demonstrated its burgeoning vitality. This year's forum saw submissions nearly double compared to last year, reflecting its expanding influence.
Zhang Yunfei, Deputy Party Secretary of the School of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University, delivered a welcome address on behalf of the School. He began by extending a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to the attending guests and students. He then provided a brief overview of Zhejiang University's distinguished history and its positioning as a comprehensive, research-oriented, and innovative institution, alongside the School of Media's current achievements in talent cultivation and disciplinary development. He emphasised the School's steadfast commitment to a "faculty and student-centred" approach, expressing hope for deepening exchanges and mutual learning with sister institutions to jointly advance disciplinary progress.
During a roundtable discussion centred on "Global Commonality: A New Theoretical Paradigm for International Communication," several experts and scholars from leading domestic universities and academic journals engaged in an in-depth analysis and debate concerning the "Digital Commonality" theory proposed by Wu Fei, Qiusi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University, and its derivative concept of "Global Commonality."
As the originator of the "Digital Commonality" theory, Wu Fei first elucidated his theoretical motivations. He noted that despite digital technologies being designed to facilitate communication, both the physical world and cyberspace appear to be becoming increasingly "fractured". Confronted with the practical difficulties in achieving the "communicative rationality" and "consensus" advocated by Habermas, he opted to "take a step back". Wu emphasised that "commonality" does not pursue absolute "consensus" or uniformity, but is founded upon humanity's two most fundamental and inescapable shared destinies: being "in the world" and "facing death". Its core principle lies in respecting differences and endeavouring to understand why others are different from us.
Sun Wei, Director of the Centre for Information and Communication Studies at Fudan University, offered a profound response to this. She candidly acknowledged that her academic relationship with Professor Wu Fei exemplifies precisely this 'common ground': they share both a common concern for reality (confronting a fractured world) and significant academic differences. Sun Wei's academic lineage stems from French philosophy, rather than the German Habermasian tradition upon which Wu Fei relies. Her core distinction is that we should not merely resign ourselves to abandoning consensus, but rather question whether consensus is inherently desirable. She contends that forcing "heart-to-heart" unity risks erasing the "other"; thus, actively acknowledging the existence of the "other" and recognising "incommunicability" represents the pinnacle of communication.
Professor Yuan Jinghua from the School of Humanities at Zhejiang University of Technology approached the subject from the practical dimension of international communication. She described the theory of "digital commonality" as providing an "epiphany-like" insight that resolved a critical impasse in her research on the "community with a shared future for mankind." She noted that traditional international communication remains trapped within a logic of conquest and confrontation, with "language" itself constituting one of its greatest obstacles. Language not only creates the "Tower of Babel" dilemma but also fosters the hegemony of English. Yuan Jinghua thus proposes leveraging the logic of "commonality" to "reconstruct our tools," breaking down linguistic barriers and returning to the "lifeworld." She cites phenomena such as the northward migration of Yunnan elephants and the viral "China Travel" video phenomenon to illustrate how non-verbal, everyday content possesses powerful international communicative efficacy. Based on this, she tentatively proposes the concept of "discourse commonality" (or "life commonality"), signifying a return to the "self-evident" meaning inherent in life itself.
Deng Shuming, Editor-in-Chief of Future Communication, affirmed the inherent compatibility between the theory of "commonality" and international communication from a journal editor's perspective. However, he also questioned whether the goal of "consensus" should be entirely abandoned.
Li Zhi, Executive Dean of the School of Media and Law at Zhejiang University Ningbo Institute of Technology, acknowledged the theory's intellectual rigour. Tracing its evolution from "resonance" and "commonality" to "empathy," he urged Wu Fei to refine the theory's dimensions—particularly "empathy"—to form a "closed loop." This refinement would enable young scholars to better "activate" and apply the theory in empirical research.
During the doctoral student debate segment of the forum, both sides engaged in a vigorous exchange centred on the question: "What constitutes the disruptive force in international communication?" The affirmative contended that technology constitutes the fundamental disruptive force, dismantling linguistic barriers and shifting discursive power from elite minorities to individual citizens. The negative countered that non-technological factors, exemplified by geopolitics, remain the true dominant forces, asserting that technology serves merely as a tool while state politics (such as the TikTok ban) fundamentally reshape communication landscapes.
Subsequently, Zhang Hong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Thought at Zhejiang University, offered her commentary. She acknowledged both perspectives, conceding that technology has indeed fundamentally altered the modalities and rules of communication. However, she also emphasised that technology does not exist in isolation; rather, it is constantly intertwined with and mutually constrained by factors such as geopolitics, capital, and socio-cultural influences, evolving in tandem with them.
The afternoon academic exchange session took place at the Centre for International Communication Studies. Parallel Forum One, themed "Digital Communication and New Platforms for International Communication," was chaired by Sun Mengru, with Ma Yiqi, Chief Editor of China Editor, serving as commentator. Fourteen students, including Zhang Yi, Yang Te, Chen Xi, and Takahashi Nobuko, presented research findings on topics such as the impact of technological generational gaps on global digital communication, paradigm shifts in international communication, and the intrinsic mechanisms of cross-cultural communication. Subsequently, the two experts offered valuable advice to the students. Regarding argumentation and conceptualisation, research should address the essence of phenomena, strengthen the articulation of viewpoints, ensure the academic background is rigorously distilled, and maintain consistent logical coherence across all sections. In terms of theoretical application, attention must be paid to the appropriateness of concepts; literature reviews should avoid mere enumeration and achieve deep integration with one's own research; and the writing should strike a balance between critical engagement and readability.
Parallel Forum II, themed "International Communication and Cultural Exchange", was chaired by Professor Wu Yun from Zhejiang University's School of Media and International Culture, with Deng Shuming serving as discussant. Students including Lin Guanxing, Cheng Wenqing, Tian Ningxin, and Zhang Chaojin engaged in in-depth discussions on diverse topics such as visual expression, cancel culture, cross-cultural migration, and the construction of belief systems. Subsequently, the two experts provided detailed and substantive feedback on each participant's paper, offering valuable insights for refining theoretical frameworks and achieving innovative breakthroughs in research. The discussions among multiple scholars vividly demonstrated the exploratory spirit and academic vitality of young researchers in the fields of international communication, digital media, and cultural studies. Through the exchange and collision of ideas, the forum injected fresh perspectives and impetus into contemplating the epochal question: "What unites us globally?"
The Qizhen Forum for Doctoral Candidates in International Communication at Zhejiang University concluded after a day of intensive discussions and intellectual exchanges. At the closing ceremony, Professor Huang Qing, Deputy Director of Zhejiang University's Centre for International Communication Studies, presented awards for the conference's best papers, recognising outstanding research achievements at this academic forum. The awardees took to the stage one by one to receive their honours. Their research not only signifies the latest explorations within the field of international communication but also holds profound significance for guiding the expansion of boundaries within related disciplines.
Subsequently, Gao Beichen, a doctoral candidate at Zhejiang University and conference participant, shared his reflections on the event. He extended his sincere gratitude to all attending experts, lecturers, contributors, debaters, and volunteers. He contended that the forum's true significance lay in providing an 'echo chamber' – while unable to resolve every uncertainty, the collision of ideas enabled each participant to find support and resonance.