About 30 young communication scholars from Greater China will meet in Kunming on the campus of Yunnan Normal University on 11-12 August 2009 to discuss current research of mutual interest.



This is an outgrowth of the Visiting Program for Young Scholars from China sponsored by the Department of Media and Communication, under which every year 10 to 18 scholars from major universities have come to take residence in the City University of Hong Kong for one month. “We have developed a strong national network with the rising stars of the field in China,” said Professor Lee Chin-Chuan, head of the Department, who started the program. The Department has hosted more than 60 Chinese scholars in the past five years.



To strengthen the academic ties and personal bond, the participants of the visiting program have volunteered to form a “Learned Club” (多聞雅集) with its name taken from Confucius to mean “making friends with people of broad learning.” When 40 members of the Learned Club went to Nanjing University to hold the first meeting last summer, the dean of its School of Journalism and Communication expressed warm welcome by hosting a sumptuous dinner party.



“We treasure our strong fellowship that has been a source of support for our intellectual growth,” said Professor Chen Xianhong, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology who was one of the early participants in the Program. Dr. Zhang Ping of Fudan University echoed, “Attending this reunion is one of my high priorities.”



This year's conference will be held under the auspices of the Department and the School of Journalism and Communication at Yunnan Normal University. Professor Zhuang Xiaodong and Dean Hao Puning of the hosting institution will inaugurate the conference. Professor Lee and Professor Chang Tsan-kuo from the Department will deliver keynote speeches. Parallel sessions will then be held to present current research by participants.



After the conference, participants will tour the beautiful Dali and Lijiang on a voluntary basis.