7月23日

School of Language and Communication Studies Hosts First Academic Workshop on “Localizing the Construction of Chinese Health Communication Theory”

From 18 to 20 July 2023, an academic workshop themed “Localizing the Construction of Chinese Health Communication Theory” convened in Beijing. Organized by the School of Language and Communication Studies at Beijing Jiaotong University, the workshop received substantial support from the Health Communication Committee of the Chinese Society for the History of Journalism, Chinese Medical Ethics, MHM Journal, the Institute of Health Communication at Fudan University, and the Health Communication Research Centre at the School of Art and Communication at Tongji University. The event drew health communication researchers and healthcare professionals from nearly thirty universities to collectively explore future directions for health communication in China.

Distinguished health communication scholars were invited as discussants: Teresa Thompson, Emeritus Professor at the University of Dayton, Faculty Member at the University of Kansas, and Founding Editor-in-Chief of Health Communication; Zhenyi Li, Head of the Department of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University and Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian health communication journal MHM Journal; Jie Zhuang, Associate Professor at the School of Communication at Texas Christian University; Professor Sun Shaoqing, Deputy Director of the Institute of Health Communication at Fudan University School of Journalism; Wang Fan, Research Fellow at the Fudan Development Research Institute and Deputy Director of the Institute of Health Communication; Professor Su Linsen from the School of Language and Communication at Beijing Jiaotong University; Zhou Bin, Deputy Party Secretary and Associate Professor at the School of Art and Communication at Tongji University; and Associate Professor Chen Jingqian, Director of the School’s Health Communication Research Centre.

At the opening ceremony, Vice President Liu Kai delivered the opening address on behalf of the School. He emphasised the challenges and opportunities confronting health communication in China, alongside the importance of advancing the localization of health communication theory within the context of integrating Chinese and Western medical concepts.

Subsequently, researchers and healthcare practitioners from diverse disciplines, including communication studies, linguistics, biomedicine, nursing, psychological counselling, art therapy, and chronic disease management, shared insights on constructing a localized pathway for health communication. They addressed the intrinsic needs, motivations, and prospects within their respective fields.

Professor Wang Mingxu, Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Medical Ethics and Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, shared the journal’s achievements in fostering a community with a shared future between doctors and patients, alongside a series of research outcomes and experiences concerning doctor-patient relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Tian Hailong, Distinguished Professor at China University of Petroleum (Beijing), and Professor Li Mingzi from School of Nursing of Peking University explored health communication from a localization perspective. They emphasized that while learning from Western theories is essential, it is imperative to construct a unique theoretical framework within the Chinese context.

Professor Sun Shaojing from School of Journalism of Fudan University extended sincere gratitude to all attendees and supporting organizations and staff. She stressed the need to innovate health communication theory grounded in China’s contemporary social context to further guide practical applications.

Towards the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Professor Teresa Thompson introduced key details about the journal Health Communication, including its development history, focus areas, and submission requirements.

This workshop featured 20 papers presented in full and 10 in abstract form. The collected papers covered diverse themes including health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, health information retrieval and media usage, health discourse, narratives and cultural contexts, online health communities, interpersonal communication, and family dynamics. Many studies demonstrated profound humanistic concern and practical relevance, offering additional interdisciplinary perspectives for health communication research in China.