Led by Professor TSO Hung, Associate Vice-President (Communications and Public Affairs) and Dean of School of Communication (SCOM) of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), a SCOM delegation including Dr SONG Zhaoxun, Associate Professor; Dr WU Jing, Assistant Professor; and Dr ZHAO Mengmeng, Assistant Professor, visited the School of Advertising of Communication University of China in Beijing in late September 2019. Zhao Xinli, Associate Dean and Associate Professor; Han Wei, Deputy Secretary of the School of Advertising of Communication University of China, welcomed the SCOM delegation. On behalf of Professor Ding Junjie, Dean of the School of Advertising, Associate Dean Zhao Xinli extended a warm welcome to Professor TSO Hung’s delegation.

Associate Dean Zhao Xinli shared with the delegation that the School of Advertising of Communication University of China has been playing a leading role in scientific research, international exchanges and community services. He believed that extensive cooperation could be built between the School of Advertising of Communication University of China and the School of Communication of HSUHK in the areas of student exchanges, curriculum design, teacher exchanges and academic research. Professor Lu Ying of Department of Art Design; Associate Professor Yang Xuerui, Department Head of Department of Advertising; Associate Professor Wang Wei, Department Head of Department of Internet and New Media; and Associate Professor Liu Peng, Associate Department Head of Department of Public Relations, also introduced the characteristics of their departments. They are all enthusiastically expecting interaction and cooperation with the School of Communication of the HSUHK in different aspects in future.

Professor TSO Hung then introduced HSUHK to the School of Advertising. She said that HSUHK has developed rapidly over recent years and has received wide support from academia, industry and other sectors in Hong Kong and the Mainland. The unique focus on business journalism and communication of the School of Communication has gained a high level of recognition in the education sector and the communication industry. As regards future cooperation between the two Schools, she pointed out that advertisement was a combination of business and communication and therefore the emphasis on business journalism and communication of the School of Communication and curriculum design of the School of Advertising should be able to inform each other under joint projects. In projecting future developments of the communication industry, Professor TSO Hung opined that the use of new media has definitely become the trend of journalism and communication. The Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Convergent Media and Communication Technology) programme offered by the School of Communication, and the Department of Internet and New Media of the School of Advertising of Communication University of China, were precisely the right channels to train professionals to meet this trend.

During the meeting, the two Schools confirmed cooperation in major projects including student and teacher exchanges as well as co-organisation of academic seminars and deans’ forums. Through bilateral cooperation in academic and scientific research, it was hoped that the international standing of both Schools would be raised further in academia and industry.

To form a basis of future collaboration, the two Schools already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September 2019.