CityU hosts 28th International Conference of IAICS to explore synergies in intercultural communication
The 28th International Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies was inaugurated at the Taipa campus of the City University of Macau (CityU) on March the 23rd. This conference was jointly organized by CityU and the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS) with the aim to explore synergies in intercultural communication. During the opening ceremony, scholars and guests delivered their speeches. They were Prof. Jun Liu, CityU Rector; Mr. Zhang Haigang, Vice General Manager of China Daily 21st Century English Education Media and Secretary-General of the Language Education and International Communications Committee of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese; Prof. Joanna Williams, President of IAICS; Chair Prof. Lixian Jin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of CityU and President-elect of IAICS. This two-day event attracted more than 100 experts, scholars and leading researchers from four continents to participate online and in-person.
Guests, scholars, and students witnessed the opening ceremony. They included Mr. Xu Zhiping, Deputy Director of the University Office under the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of Central People’s Government in Macao SAR; Mr. Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of the Department of Tertiary Education of the Government Education and Youth Development Bureau; Ms. Lam Weng Na, Head of the Division of Research and Publications of the Government Cultural Affairs Bureau; CityU Vice Rectors, Prof. Zhou Wanlei, Prof. Ip Kuai Peng, and Prof. Chee Seong Chin; Mr. Chu Te Lin, CityU Pro-Rector; and Prof. Wang Chuang, Dean of Faculty of Education of the University of Macau.
Rector Jun Liu welcomed experts, scholars, and representatives to the international conference on behalf of the University in his opening address. He said that CityU, located in Macao – a multicultural and multilingual environment, is dedicated to promoting the internationalization and academic disciplines in the field of intercultural communication, cultivating talents to broaden global horizons, and striving to expand global connections. Rector Liu mentioned that the University’s teaching and research objectives in the field of intercultural communication are in line with the International Association for Intercultural Communication Research. “Going forward”, Rector Liu explained, “CityU will continue to strengthen intercultural communication studies and provide more experiential learning experiences to cultivate more scholars, researchers, and practitioners of high caliber to serve the needs of society and city development.”
Vice General Manager Zhang Haigang, on behalf of China Daily, congratulated the conference on its opening. “On the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, it is more important to explore intercultural communication and increase exchanges and connections between languages and cultures,” he said. Vice General Manager Zhang confirmed that IAICS is committed to promoting research in the field of intercultural communication, facilitating public understanding towards different cultures, and building a better world. He concluded: “Sharing similar visions, China Daily is committed to strengthening English education and promoting cultural exchanges. In collaboration with CityU, China Daily will host the upcoming Global English Education China Assembly in Macao. We hope to work with CityU and IAICS to contribute to the development of the field of intercultural communication.”
President Joanna Williams, on behalf of IAICS, welcomed participants worldwide who took part both online and in-person, and expressed her sincere gratitude to CityU and the Association and conference committee for their support. She pointed out that the hybrid conference has attracted and allowed more participants in the new situation of the post-epidemic era; this wider participation contributes significantly to intercultural practices. Prof Williams outlined some local intercultural connections: “Macao is a place of multicultural integration with a long history where cultural heritages of China and Portugal are presented. The city has strong cultural compatibility and creativity, and is an open, friendly and harmonious society.” She hoped that the participants can learn from each other and also have a wonderful time during the event.
On behalf of the organizing committee, President-elect Lixian Jin expressed gratitude to the government and community for their generous support. She pointed out how in the post-pandemic era this conference is a major academic event for researchers and practitioners in intercultural communication. This year’s conference theme is “Synergies in Intercultural Communication: Languages, Professions and Heritages.” She expressed hopes that the 28th International Conference of IAICS will inspire reciprocal and mutual understanding in the workplace and create a better, more peaceful world.
In addition, the first day of this inspiring conference also featured keynote speeches from Prof. Zhu Hua, Professor of Language Learning and Intercultural Communication and Director of the International Centre for Intercultural Studies at the Institute of Education of the University College London, and Prof. Zhang Hongling, Director of the Intercultural Institute at Shanghai International Studies University and Vice President of China's Association for Intercultural Communication.
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With the theme “Is (Inter) culturally speaking enough?” Prof. Zhu Hua discussed new priorities in learning and teaching language and culture. She shared her insights about key changes on various conceptions and research methodologies in intercultural communication and discussed the influences of these new priorities on learning and teaching language and culture. She proposed new definitions for success, strategies, learning objectives and outcomes. Prof. Zhu’s keynote enhanced our critical understanding of pervasive power dynamics and differences in cultures, identities, and politics.
Prof. Zhang Hongling delivered her keynote speech with the theme “Enhancing Awareness and Strengthening Dialogues: Exploring the Cultural Identity Construction of Chinese English Learners in the New Era.” Given that learning a language has an impact on learners’ cultural identities, Prof. Zhang elaborated how people construe themselves and define who they are through language. She discussed the recently developed ‘blended cultural identity framework’ for constructing Chinese English learners’ identities and examined how enhancing critical cultural awareness and promoting intercultural dialogues can effectively develop learners’ blended cultural identities.
Overall, the two-day conference featured 90 research presentations and scholarly speeches, focussing on intercultural communication and cultural identities under the context of development of social media, technology, and businesses. The participants confirmed that today’s event was definitely rewarding; it has inspired their research in the field of intercultural communication and interdisciplinary studies. They are eager to attend the second day of the conference.
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For more information, please visit https://iaics.cityu.edu.mo/home
Source: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
