“Communication Research in the Age of AI” 

Introduction

The School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has been organizing the annual Communication Visiting Scholar Program since 2008. The Program aims to promote academic exchange and links among Chinese-speaking scholars in cultural China and improve the quality of research of the Chinese research community. The Centre for Chinese Media and Comparative Communication Research (The C-Centre) of the School of Journalism and Communication will play host to this program in 2026.

Program Theme 2026

The theme for the 2026 workshop is “Communication Research in the Age of AI.” As a disruptive force, artificial intelligence is reshaping communication practices, research methodologies, and even the epistemological paradigms of scientific inquiry. This workshop invites critical examinations of AI’s multidimensional roles in communication research through four interconnected sub-themes:

1. AI Applications and Societal Impact: How does AI transform the production, dissemination, and effects of information? Submissions may analyze emerging communication phenomena in AI-mediated environments, communicators’ adoption of AI tools, or public perceptions of AI.
2. AI Development and Macro-Social Dynamics: How do institutional and social structures shape—and how are they shaped by—AI? Submissions may explore evolving power relations among individuals, publics, technologies, media, and state actors, or examine political-economic foundations of AI.
3. AI as Research Methodology: How do AI tools advance innovations in quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches? We seek case studies demonstrating methodological advancement in research design, data analysis, or empirical modeling through AI.
4. AI and Epistemological Transformations: How does AI challenge and redefine the foundations of knowledge production? Submissions may investigate paradigm shifts in “AI for Science,” reconfigurations of researchers’ roles, or tensions between human intuition and AI logic through historical comparisons or systematic reviews.

Visiting Period

The visiting scholars participating in the workshop are expected to stay in Hong Kong for 13 days from January 27, 2026, to carry out intensive academic exchange and research. The School will provide a daily living allowance of HK$450 and accommodation for each visiting scholar. All visiting scholars are required to submit a paper in Chinese and present at the workshop, which will be held on January 30-31, 2026, with all presentations conducted in Mandarin.

Call-for-Paper

The deadline for the submission of extended abstracts is August 1, 2025, and the full paper submission deadline is November 20, 2025. All manuscripts should be submitted via https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13706722. Please refer to the Chinese version of the workshop pamphlet for details.

The Annual Workshop Committee

Prof. Francis Lee (Standing Convener)
Prof. Tian Yang (Theme Convener)
Prof. Joseph Chan
Prof. Donna Chu
Prof. Hsuan-Ting Chen
Prof. Hai Liang

Enquiry

Dr. Daisy Cheng
Phone: 3943 8709
Email: daisycheng@cuhk.edu.hk