Call for Papers

“The Future of Chinese Internet in the Era of AI”

The 22^nd Chinese Internet Research Conference (CIRC)

Peking University, Beijing

7^th-9^th July 2025

Background

Technology-driven social transformations are taking place on a global scale. China is at the forefront of this trend. Over the past 30 years, Chinese Internet development has made remarkable achievements with far-reaching impact. In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), this development is also facing more opportunities and challenges, particularly as it is expected to play a key role in the construction of new forms of civilization and the evolution of a complex world order. New technologies bring about a revolution in knowledge, posing significant challenges for the restructuring of social sciences, humanities, and policy studies. Researchers must respond seriously to such epochal changes.

About the Host

Peking University is renowned as the “cradle of journalism and journalism education in China.” The genesis of Chinese journalism can be traced back to 1918 when the Peking University Journalism Research Association was founded. As China's earliest institution for journalism education and research, this association nurtured the country's first batch of journalism professionals. In 2001, PKU re-established its School of Journalism and Communication. This institution has created a unique, forward-looking, international-oriented model for researching, teaching, and developing talent in journalism and communication. Journalism and Communication at PKU is a Double First-Class Discipline in China. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, PKU's communication and media studies consistently rank as the best in China and among the world's top. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject has consistently awarded the PKU discipline of Journalism and Communication an A+ rating, positioning it at the forefront in China.

Conference Theme

The 22^nd CIRC in 2025 will return to the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, which hosted CIRC annual conference in 2010. The conference theme will focus on "The Future of Chinese Internet in the Era of AI” and place the development of Chinese Internet in a future context. Artificial Intelligence is impacting reality in an accelerating way, bringing about new techno-material changes, both to the underlying infrastructure of the Internet and its upper-layer applications. It is also a powerful shaping force on the social and cultural fronts, influencing the economy, political governance, as well as social diversity and cultural exchange.

In the past few years, we have witnessed a crisis of fragmentation in the global Internet, while Internet-driven global cultural interconnection suffered a backlash. Industrial decoupling and geopolitical conflicts have continued. Meanwhile, the question of cultural interconnectedness remains pivotal to both the Chinese and global communities. However, new technologies have posed even more severe challenges to old problems. Different approaches to governing artificial intelligence are being explored globally, as the world experiences conflicts and antagonisms fueled by different sets of underlying values.

The power of technology is driving transformations, but technology is not the only force at play. Various social factors will intertwine to influence the future direction of China's Internet development. These factors are unfolding in full force across economic, political, and cultural dimensions. As we move toward the era of AI, we need to reassess where the Chinese Internet stands in the new technological environment, paying attention to both the driving forces and resistances to its development, in order to evaluate the local and global impacts it will bring.

We welcome submissions addressing the following topics, including but not limited to, the role that AI plays in:

1. History and evolution of the Chinese Internet

2. Digital infrastructure construction and application

3. Digital economy and social development

4. Emerging digital technologies and social governance

5. Internet communication and social change

6. Digital cultural construction and mutual learning among civilizations

7. Geopolitics and global Internet governance

8. Artificial Intelligence and ethical development

9. International communication and global development of Chinese Internet

10. Global Internet reform in the AI Era

Submission guidelines

Abstract and panel proposals should be submitted by 28 February 2025. All submissions should be written in English and sent to circ2025@163.com.

Abstract: Individual or co-authored abstracts should be 300-500 words, excluding the title page and references. The title page should include the title of the paper, the name of the author/co-authors, academic/professional affiliation(s), and email address(es). The abstract should include central arguments and a substantive summary.

Panel proposal: Panel proposals are limited to 1,000 words, excluding the title page, references, and appendices.

The organizing committee will inform applicants of its decision by 31 March 2025. Full versions of the accepted papers are to be submitted by 1 June 2025. Papers should not exceed 8,000 words, including notes and references, and should be sent to the organizer via email.

Top Student Paper Contest

To participate in this contest, the papers need to be authored / co-authored by students only. They cannot be co-authored by any faculty member or postdoc. The papers should be written in full, in a similar format as journal articles (up to 8,000 words), but not published or accepted for publication in an academic journal, book, or any other formal outlet or platform. They should include authors’ names and affiliations. Winners will be chosen by the CIRC Steering Committee (in collaboration with the conference organizing committee). The result will be announced on the last day of CIRC 2025.

If you wish to participate in the student paper contest, please send your full paper to the following email, with the subject “Student paper contest”, by 1 June 2025: circ2025@163.com.

For further inquiries, please contact: circ2025@163.com.