Reframing Global Communication: Equity, Voices, and Trends— The 9th Annual Conference on Image Studies and Global Communication
Abstract Deadline: March 1, 2026
Full Paper/Panel Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2026
Conference Date: June 27, 2026
Conference Venue: Songjiang Campus, Shanghai International Studies University
Hosted by:
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
International Communication Committee of the Chinese Association for History of Journalism and Communication
Shanghai Cooperation Organization University (Journalism Cluster)
Organized by:
School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai International Studies University
Research Center for Global Public Opinion of China, Shanghai International Studies University
Center for International Communication Studies, Shanghai International Studies University
Online Media and Global Communication
***
Countries of the Global South are playing an increasingly influential role in international communication, technological infrastructure, and public diplomacy, creating new possibilities for the global communication system. In this context, the 9th Annual Conference on Image Studies and Global Communication, hosted by Shanghai International Studies University, is themed “Reframing Global Communication: Equity, Voices, and Trends.” The conference aims to examine the practices, experiences, and challenges of Global South countries in global communication, with particular attention to how diverse voices, theories, and communicative models can collaboratively contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and pluralistic global communication landscape.
The conference invites scholars to critically engage with issues of communicative equity, voice, and power across regions, media forms, and institutional settings. It seeks to foster dialogues on how global communication is being reconfigured amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, technological transformations, and evolving cultural imaginaries, especially from perspectives that have historically been marginalized or underrepresented in global discourse.
In addition, this year marks the fifth anniversary of Online Media and Global Communication, an English-language, peer-reviewed journal jointly sponsored by the Center for Global Public Opinion Research of China and the School of Journalism and Communication at Shanghai International Studies University. Building on this milestone, the conference forum further aims to promote sustained scholarly exchange, mutual understanding, and collaborative research on media, communication, and cooperation grounded in principles of equity across the broader Global South.
***
Forum Topics (Including but not limited to):
1. Global South Countries and Communication Synergy
2. Cultural Flows, Identity, and Regional Solidarity in the Global South
3. Public Diplomacy, Soft Power, and Image Building in the Global South
4. Southern Theories of Communication: Decentering Dominant Paradigms
5. Civil Society, Digital Activism, and Cross-Cultural Engagement
6. Artificial Intelligence, Platform Governance, and the Future of Global Discourse
7. Digital Media Innovation and the Transformation of Global Public Spheres
8. Inclusive and Communicable Smart Cities: Beyond the Global South Paradigm
9. Climate Communication, Crisis Narratives, and Global Justice
***
Submission Requirements:
1. The call for papers is open to scholars worldwide. All disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to journalism and communication studies, foreign language and literature studies, political science, area studies, and related fields.
2. Abstract Deadline: March 1, 2026. Abstracts should be 300–500 words and clearly state the main research questions or hypotheses and the methodology used.
3. Full Paper/Panel Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2026. Full papers should be 7,000–12,000 words in length. Panel proposal submissions should include abstracts from all participants.
4. The main text of the submission should not contain any personal information to facilitate anonymous review. However, author information should be in the submission email with full name, affiliation, and job title of all authors, and state that the paper has not been published or presented in other conferences before.
5. Please submit your works to: globalopinion@shisu.edu.cn, with the email subject line formatted as “2026 Annual Conference-Institution-Author-Title.”
6. The best papers in the conference will be invited to submit to Online Media and Global Communication, a Scopus-indexed journal.
Expenses:
There is no conference registration fee. The conference committee will provide meals on the day of the event. Attendees should pay for their own transportation and accommodations.
Global South Grant:
We will offer complimentary accommodation grants to ten delegates based in the Global South outside China, subject to full-paper submission.
Contact information:
Tel: 86-021-35372559
E-mail: globalopinion@shisu.edu.cn