Renmin University of China established the Department of Journalism in 1955 and reformulated it as the School of Journalism and Communication in 1985. Throughout its history, SJC has emphasized a global perspective as one of the cores of its running principles.
SJC has a long history of bridging academic exchanges between China and the world. In 1960, faculties of the Department of Journalism translated a series of foreign journalism books such as The Principles of Journalism by Casper Yost, Four Theories of the Press, The Ethics of Journalism, and so on.
In 1982, the Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication (CJJC), now the top tier journal in China that is institutionally based at the SJC published Prof. Zhang Longdong’s article The Process, System and Effects of Mass Communication. This is the first article that systematically introduces communication researches in the western world to China. Entering the 21st century, SJC made further progress in internationalization by translating academic studies, recruiting faculties with overseas educational backgrounds, and attending international academic conferences.
Faculties from the world
SJC has 57 full-time faculties, among which three are foreign teachers and 12 got their Ph.D. Degrees from foreign universities, such as Stanford University, Syracuse University, UC Davis, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Alabama, Indiana University, University of Bonn, National University of Singapore, Chinese University of Hong Kong, etc. Their research interests are wide and diverse, ranging from philosophy, psychology, political communication, public relations to ethics of journalism, crisis communication, health communication, feminism. The diverse research interests construct an active academic atmosphere for scholars to communicate and inspire each other.
In addition to hiring full-time teachers, part-time positions are open to professors all around the world. Thor Wasbotten, Professor in the Journalism department at Kent State University joined SJCas part-time faculty. During the COVID-19, he attended international academic conferences to employ overseas talents and promoted international cooperation with global institutions on behalf of SJC. Bu Zhong, Professor in the Communication Department at Pennsylvania State University also joined the school as a part-time member to help develop the discipline of studies and establish research teams.
On behalf of SJC, Prof. Thor Wasbotten attended international academic conferences to employ overseas talents and promoted international cooperation with global institutions
Over the past three years, SJC has also invited outstanding international scholars to give workshops. Prof. Daya Thussu in the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University, Frank Esser, Head of the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich, Professor Matthieu J. Guitton, Editor-in-Chief for Computers in Human Behavior have had the workshop either offline or online for faculties and students in the past few years.
Global opportunities for students
SJC provides students with multiple opportunities in international experiences, such as international exchange programs, RUC International Summer School, international internships, and so on.
Studying abroad is an essential part of the SJC experience. Both undergraduates and graduates have the opportunity to attend school-level or university-level exchange programs. RUC has international partners from all over the world. SJC also cooperates with many prestigious journalism schools, such as journalism school in the Syracuse University, University of Missouri, Moscow State University, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Anadolu University. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, SJC still supported 31 undergraduates and graduates studying abroad as well as 12 students who attended the online international exchange program.
Except for 2020 which was amidst the upheaval of COVID-19, SJC holds international summer school every year by inviting foreign teachers to give lectures to undergraduates. Nearly 200 students have attended 4 courses over the past three years. Besides, SJC also issues BA, MA, or Ph.D. degrees to more than 100 international students in the last 3 years.
Building international academic community
SJC values the relationship with the international academic community. In the past 5 years, faculty members in SJC published 17 academic works and 49 papers in English, covering a wide range of disciplines including journalism, communication, medicine, psychology, computer science and so on. Associate Prof. Pan’s paper Social Capital,Social Support,and Language Use in Online Depression Forum received Outstanding Dissertation and Thesis Awards at the 69th Annual ICA Conference in the Interpersonal Communication Division in 2019.
Many faculty members take the role of editor-in-chief or join the editorial board of famous journals both at home and abroad. Prof. Liu Hailong is the editor-in-chief of CJJC, Prof. Zhou Weihua is a board member of Publishing Research, Publishing Science, and Chinese Editors Journal, Prof. Hu Baijing is a board member of Journal of Renmin University of China, and Prof. Yan Yan is on the editorial board of Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media.
SJC held International conferences to platform mutual communication. The International Journalism and Communication Deans Conference is a branded meeting that invited Deans and vice deans of prestigious journalism schools to attend conversations and discussions annually. In the past five years, the conference has invited deans from many famous universities, including the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, College of Information and Communications at the University of South Carolina, School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University and College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University. Through this annual meeting, Deans in the world can share their concerns and negotiate answers to the common problem faced by the global journalism education community.
A new step: cultivating talents for international communication
On Oct. 13, 2021, SJC established the Department of International Journalism and Communication as its fifth department. This is a new step to integrate resources on teaching, research, and public service in the field of international communication.
By providing courses in English, this program aims to educate students with the ability to write English news articles, produce live TV and radio news programs, as well as engage in multi-media reporting activities. Furthermore, this program targets to provide the most promising minds with comprehensive knowledge ranging from journalism and communication to international relations, economics and laws so that students can understand the complexity, interconnectedness, and depth of global issues in front of the new generation.
Nearly 20 full-time and part-time faculties joined the newly-built department. SJC is looking forward to recruiting more excellent faculties to build a greater teaching and research team.
Together with the MA program in International Journalism and Communication and Ph.D. program in international journalism, the establishment of the department of IJC for undergraduates marks a well-established education system in the field of international journalism and communication.
Over the past 66 years, SJC has built a solid base in education and research in journalism and communication practice. The school will carry on the tradition into the future along with the rapidly changing age of the world. (End).
Author:Yan Yan
Editor:Yu Xiangjun
