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Conference Examines Internet’s Impact in China

Announced: May 22, 2007

Approximately 50 scholars from around the world converged at Texas A&M University on Monday (May 21) for the two-day Chinese Internet Research Conference "New Perspectives on the Internet in China." The annual conference convenes in a different location around the world every year, and Texas A&M hosted the fifth anniversary conference.

Hosted this year by the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and organized by the Institute for Pacific Asia and the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University, the conference allowed scholars from around the world to present the latest research regarding the Internet and other forms of digital media and its potential for the widespread transformation of society, including the weakening of political control.

Participants engaged in lively discussions on controversial issues, including the role of the Internet in undermining governmental control, the significance of online activism in China, and the role of blogs as a forum of public opinion in China.

Jack Qiu, a conference co-founder and faculty member from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said "this year's conference has gone extraordinarily well, in bringing together top experts and emerging scholars from around the world, as well as faculty and students from Texas A&M, in exploring the significant issues the Internet presents to Chinese society."

All participants agreed that the Internet is having a marked impact on Chinese society, in allowing a greater openness to expression, in presenting challenges to the Chinese government to control information, and to improve the quality of life for Chinese citizens. Conference attendees agreed that although the Internet is unlikely to "democratize" China, technology is contributing greatly to the modernization of Chinese society, and providing radically new opportunities for Chinese citizens.

Guo Liang, Deputy Director of the Institute for Social Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, argued that rather than being an "information superhighway," the Internet in China is much more of an "entertainment superhighway," in that Chinese netizens are far more likely to use the Internet for social chat, for online gaming, and for music downloads than they are to find political or other types of information.

Dick Chilcoat, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, welcomed the group of researchers to the Bush School.

"The Bush School is committed to a better understanding of the changes occurring in China," Chilcoat said, "and we are very glad to be able to support such a group of prominent scholars."

Dr. Ian Weber, Associate Professor of Communication at Texas A&M and a co-organizer of the conference, remarked that the conference had significantly contributed to the internationalization of Texas A&M University.

"The conference definitely helped the Chinese researchers to understand the growing research focus on Texas A&M on China," Weber said, "and they were really eager to establish formal collaborative research projects, student exchanges, and faculty exchanges with us."

Dr. Randy Kluver, Director of the Institute for Pacific Asia, said that the Internet and related technologies have grown exponentially in the last several years.

"The implications of this growth are momentous," Kluver said. "This is definitely a hot topic of global importance,"

Funding for the conference was provided by the office of the Vice President for Research and the International Programs Office. Dr. Richard Ewing, Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University, said the conference is an important one that he is happy to support.

"The Internet is having huge social impacts in China, as it is around the world," Ewing said, "and researchers do not yet understand the full implications of information technology. We are very glad that this important discussion is taking place on the campus of Texas A&M University."

The conference was initially hosted at the University of Southern California and later held at the University of California at Berkeley, Michigan State University, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Over its five year history, the annual conference has developed into a well-focused academic conference, featuring high quality research and stimulating discussions regarding the role of the Internet in Chinese society.

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