

The 9th Global China Dialogue is scheduled to take place on November 29, 2024, at Tongji University in Shanghai. This marks the first time the forum will be held in China, following the first eight sessions hosted at the British Academy in the UK.
According to the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Tongji University ranks first in China in the field of Data Science. The Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Al Social Governance, based at Tongji University’s School of Law, will assist the College of Arts and Media in organizing this year’s Global China Dialogue. The theme of this dialogue is ‘AI and Global Society: Building, Governance, Communication’, which builds upon Tongji University’s existing strengths in AI research and incorporates global, societal, and media perspectives.
Adding ‘and the First International Forum on Cross-Media Intelligent Communication’ after ‘the 9th Global China Dialogue’ aims to enrich and deepen the theme of this event. Leveraging the high-level platform of ‘the 9th Global China Dialogue’, this addition incorporates perspectives on cross-media and intelligent communication to foster multidimensional discussions on global social governance and communication. It is expected to attract greater participation from both academia and industry, promote the integration of academic insights and practical applications and enhance the impact of the dialogue’s outcomes in the fields of international business and communication.
GCD IX and the First International Forum on Cross-Media Intelligent Communication will feature a series of diverse panels and discussions, bringing together experts from academia, technology, policy and business sectors. These panels will explore AI’s transformative role in various domains, including healthcare, the economy, ethics and international collaboration. The event will emphasize the ethical implications of AI, the importance of data privacy and the crucial balance between innovation and regulation. GCD IX will include the following four panels:
- Panel 1: Ethical Frameworks and Accountability in Artificial Intelligence
- Panel 2: Artificial Intelligence in Society Building and Governance
- Panel 3: Global Shifts in Perceptions and Attitudes in the AI Era
- Panel 4: Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Health, Media and Communication
The ‘Photo Report’ below will include links for viewing or downloading almost all the speech notes or PowerPoint presentations from the GCD9.
Friday, 08:30-17:00, 29 November 2023 at Tongji University
Opening session
Greetings
Chair: Professor LI Linxue FGCA, Dean of College of Arts and Media, Tongji University, China (left)
Speakers (from left to right):
- Professor ZHAO Qizheng, Dean of the School of Journalism at Renmin University of China, former Director of the State Council Information Office, and former Vice Mayor of Shanghai, China
- Professor Lü Peiming, Executive Vice President of Tongji University in China
- Professor WANG Lei, Professor at the School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Tongji University; Council Member of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence; Secretary-General of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Society
- Professor Xiangqun Chang FRSA FGCA, President of Global China Academy; Honorary Professor of University College London (2015–20), UK
The photos below illustrate keynote speeches, panel discussions, and closing remarks at the 9th Global China Dialogue (GCD9). As in previous GCDs, the Closing Session includes a variety of functions, such as book launches. In this case, it features the Presentation of Certificates to GCA Fellows and the Presentation of the Young Scholars’ Paper Award, recognizing outstanding contributions and academic excellence.
Additionally, the reception and/or dinner sessions not only serve as social gatherings but also include important functions, further contributing to the integrity of the GCDs. While these sessions have been regular components of past GCDs in the UK, this marks the first time they are being hosted in China—a significant milestone that fosters deeper engagement among participants, facilitates cross-cultural academic exchange, and strengthens professional networks in a new context.
All presentation materials and related information will be added to each presentation for download, ensuring comprehensive documentation and accessibility for participants and stakeholders.
Keynotes speeches
AI, Ethics and the Humanities in the UK, Professor Tony McEnery, Chair of Global China Academy Council; Distinguished Professor at Lancaster University, UK [pre-recorded]
Judicial Reform in China in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Contest between Justice and Efficiency, Professor JIANG Huiling, Dean of the School of Law at Tongji University and Director of the Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for AI Social Governance, China
Group photo at the end of the Opening session.
Panel I: Ethical Frameworks and Accountability in Artificial Intelligence
Chair: Professor LIN Sijie, Professor at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering; Deputy Director of the Graduate School, Tongji University, China
Plenary speakers (from left to right):
- Irresponsible AI: Deconstructing the Responsible AI Narrative, Professor Joe Burton, International Security, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR) at Lancaster University, UK [pre-recorded]
- Generative AI: Ethics, Reliability, and Representation, Dr Niall Curry FRSA SFHEA, Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Applied Linguistics within the Department of Languages, Information, and Communications at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
- Auditing Work: Exploring the New York City Algorithmic Bias Audit Regime, Ms Lara Groves, Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute, UK
- Smart Governance: Starting from the Logic of the ‘D-Industry’, Professor ZHANG Xiaodong FGCA and Non-Executive Chinese Chair of the Global China Academy in the UK; CEO of the Agile Think Tank; and Professor and former Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Institute at Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, China
Panel II: Artificial Intelligence in Society Building and Governance
Chair: Professor LI Boyi, Secretary of GCA Chinese Council, Professor of Management, School of Business Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, China
Plenary speakers (from left to right):
- Governance in the Age of AI: Exploring New Paradigms, Mr Martin Garthwaite, Account Excellence Manager, Co-Chair of the Social Mobility Network PwC, UK
- The Wuxi Case of AI Empowering Modern Urban Governance, Mr HU Yi, Director of the Wuxi Municipal Data Bureau, China
- The Rise of Data-ism and the Digital Transformation of Urban Governance, Dr HUANG Hui, CEO of Shanghai Tianlv Software incorporated and the Honorary President of the Shanghai Information Society, and Mr DU Yichao, PhD Researcher at the Institute of Advanced Studies and Department of Anthropology at University College London, UK; Director of the Wuxi Institute of New Culture, China
- Ethical Evaluation and Governance of Generative AI (AIGC) Algorithms, Professor LI Benqian, Director and Distinguished Professor of the Institute of Intelligent Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Panel III: Global Shifts in Perceptions and Attitudes in the AI Era
Chair: Mr Kai Laing, Event Officer of Global China Academy; Director of Business Development of MEL Science, UK
Plenary speakers (from left to right)
- Under the radar? Examining the evaluation of foundation models, Mr Elliot Jones, Senior Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute, UK
- The Evolution and Logic of Western Attitudes and Perceptions of China over the Past 200 Years – Analysis Based on AI Large Models and Internet Archive Data, Professor GONG Weigang, Director of the Media Big Data Research Centre at the School of Sociology, Wuhan University, UK
- AI-Driven Workplace Transformation and the Skill Development of Graduates, Mr Ed Holroyd-Pearce, Co-Founder and President of Virtual Internships, UK
- Artificial Intelligence or Human Anchors? Audience Perception of News Broadcasting, Professor Shuhua Zhou, Distinguished Chair Professor of Media and Communication at City University of Hong Kong, China
Panel IV: AI Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Health, Media and Communication
Chair: Professor QIAN Yufang, Associate Fellow of the Global China Academy, Professor at the School of Foreign Languages, Zhejiang Gongshang University, and Director of the Corpus and Discourse Research Institute, China
Plenary speakers (from left to right)
- The Multimodal Corpora of Gerontic Discourse in China: Theory and Practice, Professor GU Yueguo FGCA, Chief Expert of the Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Human Language, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China
- AI and Ideological Bias: A Case Study on Dementia Representation, Dr Gavin Brookes, Reader in Linguistics and a UKRI Future Leader Fellow with expertise in corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, and health communication at Lancaster University, UK
- AIGC and Human-Machine Symbiosis, Professor SHEN Yang, dual-appointed professor of School of Journalism and School of Artificial Intelligence, Director of the Metaverse Culture Lab and New Media Research Centre at Tsinghua University, China
- Cross-Media Art and Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Professor LI Linxue FGCA, Dean of College of Arts and Media, Director of Centre of Energy and Thermodynamic Architecture, Tongji University, China
Closing session
Chair: Professor WANG Xin (top left), Associate Fellow of Global China Academy, Head of Department of Communication, College of Arts and Media, Director of Research Centre for Chinese Discourse and Global Communication at Tongji University, China
Closing remarks:
- Geopolitics and Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Lessons from the Past 40 Years, Professor Madeline Carr, Professor of Global Politics and Cybersecurity at University College London, UK
- The Cultural Theory of Globalization and the Advent of the Artificial Intelligence Era, Professor BING Zheng FGCA and Chinese Chair of Global China Academy Council, Former Vice-President of Jilin University, former Vice-President of Chinese Sociological Association, China
Presentation of certificates to GCA Fellows
Introduction of GCA and the Fellowships: Professor Xiangqun Chang FRSA FGCA, President of the Global China Academy, Honorary Professor of University College London (2015-20), UK. All existing GCA Fellows and Associate Fellows in China were on stage as witnesses
Presenter: Professor HAO Shiyuan FGCA, Academician and former Assistant President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), presented Fellowship awards to the newly elected GCA Fellows, Associate Fellows and Institutional Fellow based in China, including Hong Kong.
Recipients:
- Professor LI Yang (top left), recipient of GCA Fellowship. He is Academician of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, as well as a former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
- Professor Shuhua Zhou (top right), recipient of GCA Fellowship. He is Chair Professor at City University of Hong Kong and a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA); former President of the Chinese Communication Association (CCA, 2017-2019) and Vice Chair of the Asia-Pacific Communication Alliance (ACPC, 2018-2025).
- Professor LI Boyi (bottom left), recipient of GCA Associate Fellowship. He is Secretary of the GCA Chinese Council, is a Professor of Management at the School of Business Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics. He was formerly a Fellow in the Information Systems and Innovation Group at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
- Professor QIAN Yufang (bottom right) attended as a representative to receive the certificate for the GCA Institutional Fellowship, which she led. She is an Associate Fellow of the Global China Academy and a Professor at the School of Foreign Languages, Zhejiang Gongshang University. She is also the Director of the Institute of Corpus Linguistics and Discourse Studies (ICLDS), which has been recognized as an Institutional Fellow.
Presenter: Professor XIE Lizhong FGCA, Chinese President of the Global China Academy, former Head of the Department of Sociology at Peking University, and former Vice-President of the China Sociological Association (CSA), presented Fellowship awards to the newly elected GCA Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Institutional Fellows based overseas.
Recipients:
- Professor Madeline Carr (top left), recipient of GCA Fellowship, is Professor of Global Politics and Cybersecurity at University College London, as well as Co-Director of the interdisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Cybersecurity and Deputy Director of the REPHRAIN Protecting Citizens Online research hub.
- Mr Ian Stafford (Top right), recipient of GCA Fellowship, is founder of the UK’s first internet sports magazine, Sportsvibe, and The Sporting Club. He is a multiple award-winning British sportswriter, journalist, and broadcaster, has published 23 books, with his works widely circulated not only in the UK but also in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. He also attended as a representative to receive the certificate for the GCA Institutional Fellowship on behalf of The Sporting Club, which he founded.
- Dr Niall Curry FRSA SFHEA (bottom left), recipient of the GCA Associate Fellowship, Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Applied Linguistics within the Department of Languages, Information, and Communications at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
- Mr. Ed Holroyd-Pearce (bottom right), recipient of the GCA Associate Fellowship, is the co-founder and president of Virtual Internships in the UK. He has a rich background in the intersections of education, technology, entrepreneurship, and Asia.
All the existing and newly awarded GCA Fellows, Associate Fellows, and representatives of Institutional Fellows gathered on the stage to celebrate their achievements and witness the formal conferral of honours, reinforcing the spirit of academic excellence and collaboration.
Presentation of the Young Scholars’ Paper Award
Presenters:
- Professor Xiangqun Chang (right) FRSA FGCA, President of Global China Academy; Honorary Professor of University College London (2015–20), UK
- Ms ZHANG Yanli (left), The Party Secretary of the College of Arts and Media at Tongji University, China
Recipients:
- The two Third Prize winners are on the left in the top left photo.
- The two Second Prize winners are on the right in the top right photo.
- The One First Prize winner is on the middle in the bottom left photo.
- The presenters with all the Prize winners in the bottom right photo.
For the first time, the Global China Dialogue (GCD) forums issued a call for papers to young scholars and awarded winners. All participants were invited to attend GCD9, and the winners were also invited to the dinner session. The selected papers are potentially to be published in relevant academic journals. This marks a significant step in fostering academic engagement, encouraging emerging researchers, and recognizing outstanding contributions in the field.
The photo above shows participants at the GCD9 venue.
Dinner: Celebrating the Newly Awarded GCA Fellowships and the Conclusion of the 9th Global China Dialogue at Kingswell Hotel Tongji
The newly awarded GCA Fellow, Ian Stafford, chaired the entire dinner session. We appreciated the professional chairship of this multiple award-winning British sportswriter, journalist, broadcaster, and event host. Kai Liang, Event Officer at Global China Academy and Director of Business Development at MEL Science, UK, served as the interpreter, demonstrating exceptional clarity and fluency in facilitating communication. Their contributions ensured a smooth and enjoyable evening for all attendees. The event fostered a lively and engaging atmosphere, strengthening connections among participants.
The newly awarded GCA Fellow, Professor LI Yang (top), expressed that it is a lifelong honour to become a GCA Fellow. From a social scientific perspective, he reviewed global development historically in three stages and discussed its evolving trends. His insights enriched the evening, adding a thought-provoking dimension to the celebration.
The GCA Life Fellow, Professor ZHU Guanglei (bottom), expressed his happiness at seeing the growing number of GCA Fellowships and the steady development of GCA. He encouraged academics from universities to contribute by utilizing GCA’s platform to advocate for their research, promote scholarly exchange, and facilitate the implementation of research findings for the betterment of society.
Other speakers, either present in person or absent, had their short video recordings with English and Chinese subtitles played. They are:
- Professor CHEN Qiwei (top second right), Director of the Yangtze River Delta Fintech Research Institute at East China Normal University, leads a high-level think tank and a specialized platform integrating industry, academia, and research in the field of fintech
- Dr Yuan Cheng (top right), Trustee of the Board of Trustees, Global China Academy, is the Chair of Russell Reynolds Associates Greater China.
- Professor Patrick Baert, Professor of Social Theory at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, UK
- Professor LIU Shaojie, former Director of the Centre for Sociological Theory and Methodology at Renmin University of China; Chair Professor at the School of Social and Political Sciences at Anhui University, China
- Professor Martin Lockett, former Dean of the Faculty of Business, professor in the Department of International Business and Management at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China.
- Professor Yu Guoming, Director of the Academic Committee of the School of Journalism and Communication and leads the Communication Innovation and Future Media Laboratory at Beijing Normal University, China
Click here to read their videos transcriptions.
The 9th Global China Dialogue was held at Tongji University in Shanghai on November 29, 2024, marking the first time the event was hosted in China. The theme of this year’s event was ‘AI and Global Society: Building, Governance, and Communication,’ and it featured the First International Forum on Cross-Media Intelligent Communication. The conference included four panel discussions covering AI ethics, society building, global shifts in perceptions, and applications in fields such as health and media.
Keynote speakers included Professor Tony McEnery and Professor Jiang Huiling. The event also recognized outstanding contributions through GCA Fellowships and the Young Scholars’ Paper Award, and for the first time in China, a dinner reception was held to foster cross-cultural exchanges. This dialogue provided a new platform for international collaboration, focusing on the role of AI in shaping global society and communication.