Tag: China

CFP ICA 2016 Preconference: The Politics and Economics of Chinese New Media Industries

Call for Papers: ICA 2016 Preconference:
The politics and economics of Chinese new media industries

[Selected full papers will be included in a special issue for International Communication Gazette, to be published in early-2018.]

Date and Venue
June 9th 2016, ICA conference hotel (Fukuoka, Japan)

Division Affiliations
Communication Law and Policy Division
Communication and Technology Division
Media Industry Studies Interest Group

Organizing committee:
Weiyu Zhang, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore
Zhan Li, Associate Professor, Xiamen University, China
Jing Wu, Professor, Peking University, China
Bingchun Meng, Associate Professor, London School of Economics, UK
Min Jiang, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, US

Keynote Speaker
Prof. Stephen Reese, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

Spotlight Presentation
Selected best submission will be featured as a spotlight presentation.

Conference Fee (lunch and two tea breaks included)
–         Free for presenters
–         25 USD for general audience

Sponsors
Xiamen University, China
Peking University, China

Aim and Scope
Just like many other indicators of China’s development, digital media industries in China are constantly generating impressive figures. For example, Alibaba’s initial public offering in 2014 was ranked world’s
biggest at $25 Billion; Wechat, the fastest rising social media app developed by Tencent, achieved a user base of 440 million within four years of its release. By February 2015, Chinese Internet users have
reached 641 million, more than double the number of users in the U.S. Numbers aside, however, there have not been much academic research on the regulatory context, the political and economic dynamics, as well as the broader implications at both domestic and global levels of such fast-pace development. For instance, there are increasing efforts from the Chinese government and elites to articulate alternative frameworks over the global governance of the Internet and new media industries.

This preconference intends to serve as a platform to facilitate dialogues around the political, the economic, the institutional and the policy aspects of media industries in China, in view of the rapid
development of digital media. But this is not just about having ‘China experts’ analyzing Chinese companies or Chinese policies. We are keen to move beyond the ‘China exceptionalism” by taking an explicitly global and comparative perspective. For one thing, the ownership structure and the business practices of Chinese digital media companies are intricately related to global capitalism in general. For another, Chinese information technology companies, such as Baidu, Alibaba, ZTE and Huawei, are aggressively expanding their businesses overseas, especially in Africa and South East Asia, with varied degrees of success. Last but not the least, through platforms like the National Office for Internet and Information, and channels like the Sino-US Internet Forum, the Chinese authorities are actively participating in the construction of international and global policy frames concerning the future development of digital media industries.

With the global reach of Chinese IT companies and the international ambition of Chinese government, it is imperative to understand how the new developments in Chinese digital media industries, are reconfiguring the politics and the economics of information and communication technologies (ICTs).  Moreover, it is important to understand how traditional media such as mainstream newspapers respond to such changes and incorporate digitalization into their own industry plans. This preconference aims to invite scholars from all over the world to tackle the issue, primarily using China as a context in which innovative research questions and methods can be applied.

We are particularly interested in papers that address the following themes:
–         The globalization and internationalization of Chinese media industries, including both Internet and other traditional media
–         The roles of international regulatory bodies and international non-governmental organizations in shaping the landscape of new media in China
–         The roles of Chinese authorities in shaping global policies regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs)
–         The economics of Chinese new ICT companies, including foreign and local venture capitalists, shareholders, business models, sources of profits, consumer strategy, etc.
–         The evolving political parallelism in Chinese media industry
–         Comparisons of Chinese new media industry with other countries’ media industry

Abstract Submissions
Please submit a 500-words abstract in word or pdf format to ica15china@gmail.com.  All submissions will be subject to a double-blind review by at least 2 reviewers. To facilitate the review process, please write a separate cover sheet with the paper title and affiliation/s and omit the affiliations in the actual abstract.

Deadlines
–         Submission of abstracts: Jan 15th 2016
–         Notification of acceptance: March 1st 2016
–         Final paper submission: June 1st 2016

New York University Shanghai job ad (China)

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SHANGHAI
Two Tenure Track Positions
Contemporary Global Media – East Asia Emphasis

NYU Shanghai is seeking to fill two tenure-track positions in the field of Contemporary Global Media with a special emphasis on East Asia at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning in the Fall Semester of 2016. We are seeking scholars who can contribute broadly to the curriculum in media studies and interactive media arts. Scholars with focuses in one or more of the following are of particular interest: East Asian media institutions, alternative media practices such as critical making, and contemporary forms of public culture within the region. NYU Shanghai is also looking for a commitment to research and teaching in a cross-cultural context and curriculum, and the building of new research collections. An interest in, and experience with, interdisciplinary and collaborative research is desirable, while knowledge of urban China is especially welcome. NYU Shanghai is developing an active interdisciplinary group working with other NYU faculty in New York, Abu Dhabi, and other NYU Global Studies sites. The faculty member occupying this position will play a key role in the growth of that work group. Preferred candidates will have an active research agenda and a demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary scholarship, as well as expertise in project-based pedagogy. Qualified candidates should have a Ph.D.

The terms of employment in NYU Shanghai are comparable to U.S. institutions in terms of research start-up funds and compensation, and include housing subsidies and educational subsidies for children. Faculty may also spend time at NYU New York and other sites of the NYU global network, engaging in both research and teaching.

Review of applications will begin November 1, 2015 and will continue until the position is filled. To be considered, applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, separate statements of research and teaching interests (no more than three pages each), and electronic copies of representative publications. To complete the online process, applicants will be prompted to enter the names and email addresses of at least three referees. Each referee will be contacted to upload their reference letter. Please visit our website for instructions and other information on how to apply. If you have any questions, please e-mail shanghai.socialscience.recruitment@nyu.edu .

About NYU Shanghai:
NYU Shanghai is the newest degree-granting campus within the NYU Global Network University. It is the first Sino-US higher education joint venture to grant a degree that is accredited in the U.S. as well as in China. All teaching is conducted in English. A research university with liberal arts and science at its core, it resides in one of the world’s great cities with a vibrant intellectual community. NYU Shanghai recruits scholars who are committed to NYU’s global vision of transformative teaching and innovative research.

New York University has established itself as a Global Network University, a multi-site, organically connected network encompassing key global cities and idea capitals. There are three degree-granting campuses in New York, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi, and complemented by eleven additional academic centers across five continents. Faculty and students circulate within the network in pursuit of common research interests and cross-cultural, interdisciplinary endeavors, both local and global.
EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled

Hong Kong Postgraduate Fellowships

Applications are invited for the Hong Kong Postgraduate Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) studentships to commence study in September 2016. HKPFS is a special scheme run by the HK University Grants Council designed to attract the best students for doctoral study in Hong Kong. The scheme is extremely generous in terms of remuneration and benefits and it is open to all applicants irrespective of nationality. For a copy of HKBU’s information about the scheme, please contact Colin Sparks.

Over the last few years, the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University has been increasingly successful in helping students obtain these very competitive awards. We should like to ask you to encourage any of your students who are interested in pursuing doctoral studies to apply to us.  The School is a large one with a wide range of research interests.  We are interested in potential students who wish to research in the following areas:
*Film Studies (documentary studies, television studies and Asian cinemas are particularly strong specialisms)
*Journalism (comparative media systems, media education and literacy, and Chinese media are particularly strong specialisms)
*Communication Studies (advertising and public relations, organisational and health communication are particularly strong specialisms)

Students with other interests within these general areas are strongly encouraged to contact the School to discuss whether we possess the expertise to supervise them should they decide to apply.

Our doctoral programme is very international in orientation and composition.  Roughly 30 per cent of our doctoral students are from outside China. We have students from Europe, the US, Africa, South Asia and East Asia and we are keen to maintain such a cosmopolitan student body.  The general conditions for admission to the university’s Graduate School are at: http://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/.

Hong Kong is an excellent place to study for a doctoral degree and a very exciting place to live. HKBU is very well supported by the UGC and research is one of our main priorities. Universities enjoy a  high level of academic freedom. (Incidentally, despite its name, Hong Kong Baptist University is a secular public university that welcomes students of all religions and none.)  Hong Kong bills itself as “Asia’s World City” and has a diverse population.  Faculty and students are active participants in the city’s vigorous civic life.

There is a two-step application process.  Potential students must first register their interest with the UGC at the URL above and obtain a registration number. They then apply to HKBU through the Graduate School using that registration number as a reference.  Applications are exclusively electronic. Applicants must submit their initial applications through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System before the deadline on 1 December 2015 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong Time.

Should any of your students be interested in learning more about these opportunities, they can feel free to contact the Director of the Doctoral Programme, Colin Sparks.

ABC Asia-Pacific Conference (China)

The 14th Association for Business Communication (ABC) Asia-Pacific Conference
November 27–29, 2015
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Guangzhou, China

We are living in the 21st Century of increased level of globalisation and internationalisation in which people of different countries, cultures and communities interact more frequently than ever. Along with this trend, communication across cultures also poses great challenges for both academics and practitioners alike in business and management contexts. The conference therefore aims to focus on the diversity and complexities of business communication across countries and cultures.

Click here for the full call for papers (submission deadline: June 30, 2015).

Beijing Normal University postdoc (China)

The Department of Digital Media, School of Art and Design at Beijing Normal University invites applications for Post-doc Research Fellow in

(A) Communication (with specializations in Digital Media, Media Art & Design, or Political Communication) OR
(B) Data Mining on Social Media OR
(C) Statistics

Appointment to the appropriate rank will be considered with reference to the candidate’s qualifications and experience. Applicants should (i) possess a PhD degree from a reputable university; (ii) have undertaken research in the aforementioned field(s); (iii) be proficient in English OR Chinese; (iv) be able to publish research output with international impact.

Appointment(s) will normally be made on contract basis for up to 20 months, which, subject to funding, performance and mutual agreement, may lead to longer-term appointment. Salary will be highly competitive, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Please email the Application Materials (full curriculum vitae, together with copies of qualification documents, a publication list and abstracts of selected published papers) to ZHANG Lun.

Chengdu University of Technology job ad (China)

International Foundation Programme Teacher
Chengdu University of Technology
Expires:22nd August 2015

A well established Sino-British University Programme in Chengdu, China is seeking additional motivated, experienced teachers to help deliver a UK University International Foundation Programme for the coming academic year. The programme forms the first year of Business and Computing programmes delivered exclusively in English but taught in China to the same standards as those delivered in the UK. Students study in Chengdu for three or four years and are awarded the same degrees or higher diplomas as students studying in the UK. The programme has a reputation for stringent quality management and has successfully sent students on to complete post-graduate degrees at top ranking institutions such as University College London, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Birmingham.

The International Foundation Programme bridges the gap between students who have taken the Chinese National College Entrance Examination and the skills required to be successful on a UK undergraduate award. Modules delivered include General English, Academic English, Communication Skills, Business/Computing English, Maths and IT skills and an Integrated Project. Candidates with a background in ESL teaching to young adults or university preparation courses are preferred. Experience of the UK higher education system is a definite plus. Those who apply with experience of living or studying in China will also be looked upon favourably, as well as those having a well developed sense of adventure and strong team work skills. Minimum qualifications needed would be an undergraduate degree, but relevant teaching qualifications such as a CELTA are also desirable. Evidence of having a reflective approach to teaching/training could also be demonstrated in any application for this position.

Chengdu is a thriving city in south-west China that currently presents great opportunities for living and working, as well as outstanding potential for research projects. Within the Programme, we have a dedicated staff development scheme with the chance to take a Post Graduate Certificate in International Education, ensuring the quality of courses delivered are of an equivalent standard to what is delivered in the UK.

Note: This position is a contracted position for one academic year, starting in September 2015 and finishing in Summer 2016. Salaries typically range from 10,000 to 14,000 RMB per month and staff are normally expected to teach up to 20 periods per week. Benefits are awarded for staff who re-sign for subsequent years. On campus accommodation is offered as part of the remuneration package along with airline tickets for travel to and from China.

Candidates should contact careers@zy.cdut.edu.cn in the first instance for more details about the position and an application form.

American Cultural Centers and Cultural Programming in China

American Cultural Centers and Cultural Programming in the People’s Republic of China

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards. PAS invites organizations to submit proposals for the establishment of an American Cultural Center (ACC) through an existing partnership with a Chinese institution and/or comprehensive U.S. cultural-related programming at space provided by a Chinese partner institution as needed.

The ACCs created through this initiative are open to organization/institution faculty, staff, and students of all levels, as well as the general public for specific events. The ACCs’ goal is to provide a space to create a community and interactions that allow Chinese audiences to better understand the United States, its culture, society, government, language, law, economic system, and values. The ACCs seek to address the broad spectrum of responsible U.S. opinions in a climate of academic freedom and open-ended inquiry. Areas of programming at ACCs may include (but are not limited to):
– Invited public, private, and academic speakers to engage audiences on U.S. culture, society, government, language, law, economic system, and values, etc.;
– Cultural programming representing a broad range of U.S. visual and performing arts;
– Information resources on U.S. culture, society, government, language, law, economic system, and values, etc. in print and/or electronic form.

Eligible applicants:
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Request for Applications (RFA). PAS invites U.S. post-secondary accredited institutions of higher learning (Public, Private, and State) and not-for-profit organizations subject to 501 (c) (3) of the tax code to submit proposals for the establishment of an American Cultural Center (ACC) through an existing partnership with a Chinese institution and/or comprehensive U.S. cultural-related programming at space provided by a Chinese partner institution as needed. PAS will award three grants up to US$100,000 per grant.

Closing date for applications:
July 31, 2015

CFP IJOC (Un)civil Society in Digital China

Call for Proposals
International Journal of Communication (IJoC)
Special Journal Issue – (Un)civil Society in Digital China

Special Editors
Min Jiang (Ph.D.), Associate Professor of Communication Studies, UNC, Charlotte, USA

Ashley Esarey (Ph.D.), Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta, Canada

Rationale
Civil society’s role in furthering democratization and the development of a public sphere has long attracted scholars whose work has traced the historical roots of civil society in China and celebrated its emergence offline and online. While decades of economic reforms have empowered myriad civil society organizations, volatile contention has arisen among social groups along ideological, class, ethnic, racial and regional fault lines. Uncivil exchanges, amplified by the Internet and social media, often work at cross purposes and fail to produce consensus or solutions to public problems. These disputes, and the underlying social/political/cultural schisms, threaten to undermine constructive citizen engagement and the promise of civil society in China. They also challenge the notion of a unified civil society standing in solidarity against a monolithic, authoritarian state.

Consider the following examples of new sociopolitical contention:
o   The Internet flame war between Han Han and Fang Zhouzi that delegitimized the notion of “public intellectual” in China
o   Left-Right debate among China’s intellectual communities that spill over into street brawls
o   Vigilantism and breaches of privacy (i.e., instances of “human flesh search engine” and the Guo Meimei Red Cross scandal)
o   Online conflicts between “haves” and “have-nots” amidst extreme inequality
o   Virtual contention between Han and ethnic minorities over the status of Tibet and Xinjiang
o   Racial discourse on mixed-race Chinese and immigrants
o   Clashes over Taiwan’s “sunflower movement” expressed on the Internet
o   Divergent online opinions about the “umbrella movement” in Hong Kong

This special section invites contributors to unpack the multilayered, multidimensional reality and contradictions that define the Chinese Internet, focusing on the big-picture ramifications of online contention. With a population of nearly 650 million, Chinese Internet users are more diverse than the tech-savvy, liberal elites who first went online two decades ago. The groups active online today include politically conservative, nationalistic, apathetic, and even reactionary individuals. They also evince complicated attitudes towards the state, business and other demographic segments. The complex make-up of Chinese civil society and the nature of its self-representation thus challenge, on the one hand, an idealized notion of civil society that is independent from the private sphere, government and business, and on the other, the implicit assumption prevalent in Chinese Internet studies of a liberal subject demanding social justice, media freedom and political reform.

Questions for contributors:
o   What are the characteristics of Chinese civil society? What is its potential or limitations? Does the proliferation of the Internet in China necessarily empower civil society in China? Is the opposite possible?
o   Is civil society always civil? Can it be uncivil, fractious and even reactionary? How does the Chinese Internet amplify or mitigate (un)civil tendencies? To what extent is online public debate or collective action becoming more fragmentary, working at cross purposes, or resulting in “echo chamber” effects and polarization? Do nationalistic, jingoistic and even reactionary forces overwhelm and dominate “civil” discourse?
o   Are the “uncivil” tendencies of the Chinese Internet inevitable in a society composed of increasingly diverse groups? To what extent do commercial and state institutions influence uncivil tendencies online through intervention or even manipulation? What roles do powerful Internet businesses and elite personalities play?
o   Under what circumstances might incivility online prove advantageous for political or social change?
o   What evidence do we have for (un)civil society in China? Examples might include the formation of informal groups and formal organizations, discourses, and their intersection with collective action, social movements, and other social behavior.

Contributions to this special section will map a spectrum of key actors, issues, and orientations of a contentious civil society that has been submerged under a larger body of research on China and established democracies that assume state-society confrontation and fail to explore intra-societal tensions. Collectively, the contributions promise to produce a theoretically-interesting and empirically rich body of work that expands and deepens Chinese Internet research dominated by work focused on such topics as Chinese Internet censorship and propaganda, online activism, civic associations, deliberation and online culture. Insights generated from this special issue will in turn inform and advance research on civil society by debating its essence and examining the conditions conducive or unfavorable to its growth, with implications going beyond China. Although contributions will emphasize what polarizes Chinese society and sometimes seem to tear it apart, we welcome contributions that analyze the prospects for rising above incivility, bridging sociopolitical schisms, and building consensus without compromising self-expression and personal security.

Affiliated Conference
We encourage interested contributors to attend the 13th Chinese Internet Research Conference (CIRC) that includes as its theme “(un)civil society in digital China.” The conference will be held at the University of Alberta, Canada on May 27-28, 2015. The deadline for submitting paper abstracts (400 words) for the conference is February 15, 2015.

Proposed Schedule for IJoC Submissions
Abstract Deadline July 1, 2015
Notice of Abstract Acceptance August 1, 2015
Full Paper Deadline January 1, 2016

Paper Guidelines
o     Abstracts submitted for pre-screening should be less than 500 words. Please send your abstract to Min Jiang and Ashley Esarey.
o     Submitted papers will go through double-blind peer review.
o     The maximum word count is 9,000 words (including the abstract, keywords, images with captions, references, and appendices, if any). Submitted full papers are not guaranteed acceptance.
o     Formatting of the special section follows Author Guidelines of the International Journal of Communication (IJoC). Articles will be returned to authors if not APA (6th edition) compliant.

University of Colorado Denver in Beijing job ad

Communication Instructor
International College at Beijing
University of Colorado Denver

The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) Department of Communication invites applications for a non-tenure-track Instructor position at the International College at Beijing (ICB). The job will commence in September, 2015. Depending on the performance of the individual hired, multi-year renewals are possible.

Located in the Haidian District of Beijing (China’s silicon valley), ICB is an international partnership between the China Agricultural University and the University of Colorado Denver that offers complete undergraduate programs in Economics and Communication. All courses are administered and taught by CU Denver faculty in English, and the degree earned is awarded by CU Denver. The ICB program offers a thriving and collegial environment that embodies the best promises of international education, and features classes on diversity, globalization, new media (analysis and production), environmentalism, and more.

The teaching load is 4 courses each semester. The instructor will be responsible for teaching a range of communication courses. The salary is competitive and commensurate with peer institutions. Instructors also receive two round-trip airline tickets between Beijing and the US, international health insurance, and free on-campus housing. Semesters are 14 weeks long; the fall semester begins in mid-September, and the spring semester begins in mid-February.

The successful applicant will possess an M.A. in communication; a Ph.D. is preferred. Preference is for an individual who has experience teaching in an international setting and a personal and scholarly interest in diverse cultures. Fluency in or the desire to learn Mandarin is valued, as is an active research agenda.  The successful applicant must be able to obtain a work visa in China (type Z).

Interested applicants must apply online. Submit a vita, a cover letter, a sample syllabus, and a list of at least three references. Deadline to apply is May 20, 2015. Finalists for the position will be interviewed between May 22 and May 31, 2015.

The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on University benefits programs, including eligibility, is available online. CU Denver is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors; to achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment, while the Department of Communication is committed to promoting civic engagement and the use of communication to foster a more equitable and humane world.

For more information, please contact Dr. Sonja Foss.

CFP 8th International Conference on Intercultural Communication (Wuhan, China)

Call for papers
8th International Conference on Intercultural Communication
November 20-22 (Friday-Sunday), 2015, Wuhan University, China

Conference Goals
In the construction of cultural soft power at the age of globalization, the “national image” has become the focus of attention. The stand points of the thinking are roughly the following four:Information Capital (the result produced by a range of information input and output between countries), Psychological Perception (cognitive and emotional interaction between in-group and out-group), Brand Marketing (brand equity at the national level) and International Communication(image mutual-construction at media level). Those four points further demonstrate the technical tendency of “national image” study, including commercial brand strategy, one-dimensional public-opinion management, and dominant image perception. However, from the actual situation, the technical definition cannot deal with real problems in national image construction. That is to say,while technicism was pursuing perfect performance of national image, it ignored the pluralistic,open and interactive context, and simply treated the positive and negative, deviation and misread,making both in-group and out-group feel tired and resisted with national image. From the angle of intercultural communication, the definition of “national image” needs to break through single technicism route and turns to inter-subjectivity and interculturality, trying to create a national imagefull of self-renewing vitality in a multiple interactive environment. In the era of media convergence,cultural integration has become a development trend. Inter-subjectivity plays a groundbreaking role in the construction and dissemination process of national image. The communication between ethnic groups breaks the single utterance of national image and injects diverse contents into it. Those diverse contents, in turn, are able to introspect the meanings and problems of ethnic group communication. Therefore, we are eager to discuss “ethnic communication, national image and intercultural communication” in the era of globalization, rethinking the manifestations of cultural centrism,unilateralism, and cultural hegemony as cultural soft power, and looking for reciprocal, creative cultural force to deliver us from the plight of soft power with the intercultural, inter-subjectivity and equal rights as the foundation of ethnic group communication and national image construction.

Conference Topics: Ethnic communication, National Image and Intercultural Communication

Topics include, but are not limited to:
1) Intercultural Communication Foundation of Ethnic Communication and National Image Construction
2) Possibility of Ethnic Communication and Reciprocal Understanding
3) National Image Construction Deviation under the Context of Soft Power
4) Mutual Construction of Traditional Media and National Image
5) Mutual Construction of Social Media and National Image
6) Brand Marketing and National Image Construction
7) Cultural Psychological Problems in National Image Construction
8) Cultural Communication and National Image Construction
9) Comparison between Tourism Promotional Video and National Image Construction

Conference Venue + Cooperating Organizations
Conference Venue: School of Journalism and Communication, Wuhan University, China
Center for Studies of Media Development, WHU, China
Cooperating Organizations: The Chinese Association for History of Journalism and Communication, China
China Association for Intercultural Communication, China
National Image Research Center, Tsinghua University, China

Abstract: 500 words in Chinese or 150 – 250 words in English, including positions, affiliations, email addresses, mailing addresses and the general introduction of your paper. Please submit abstracts by June, 30, 2015 via email.

Full paper: The accepted authors will receive a formal invitation letter by the organizing
committee before July, 10, 2015, and the deadline for full paper is Oct. 10, 2015.

Conference languages:
Bilingual: Chinese and English
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

Convener:
SHAN Bo
Ph.D., Professor