The International Communication Association (ICA) China Chapter was successfully established at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China on March 28th, 2023. Noshir S. Contractor, the President of ICA, and leaders from the seven founding Chinese universities for the ICA China Chapter attended the inauguration ceremony.

The ICA China Chapter is the third local chapter of the International Communication Association (ICA) in the world. The founding  universities of the ICA China Chapter include Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Science and Technology of China. The Chapter aims to contribute to the internationalization of the academic community of communication studies and provide a platform for Chinese communication scholars to participate in international academic exchanges.

In his opening speech, Qing’an Zhou, the Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, highlighted that the establishment of the ICA China Chapter in such a short time would not have been possible without the strong support of the colleagues from the seven founding universities. Zhou stated that the establishment of the ICA China Chapter can further promote Chinese universities’ collaboration and interaction with the international academic community, thereby contributing to the worldwide development of communication research.

ICA President Noshir S. Contractor expressed the association's commitment to internationalization and highlighted that since the 1970s, ICA has made significant strides in increasing its international visibility and membership, particularly in countries from the Global South. At present, the association has over 6,800 members across 87 countries. Contractor emphasized that the establishment of the ICA China Chapter will further advance global academic research and foster collaboration in the field of communication.

The Chair of the ICA Indonesia Chapter, Dorien Kartikawangi, and members of the ICA Indonesia Chapter extended their congratulations to the newly established ICA China Chapter online.

Changfeng Chen, Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University and President of the Asian-Pacific Communication Alliance (APCA), highlighted that the founding members of the ICA China Chapter, from China's top universities, are well-positioned to lead the future development of journalism and communication research in China. The APCA, which was established at Tsinghua University in 2018, has brought together organizations and members from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Chen expressed her hope that the ICA's new local chapter mechanism will facilitate collaborations with regional associations such as the APCA and promote academic exchanges within the region. Noshir S. Contractor, the President of the ICA, and Mengxiao Zhu, the 2023 Chair of the ICA China Chapter, jointly signed the declaration of the establishment of the ICA China Chapter, announcing its official establishment.

Following the signing of the declaration of the establishment of the ICA China Chapter, representatives from the founding universities of the Chapter, including Yong Zhou, the Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Renmin University of China, Min Hang, the Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, Lu Wei, the Dean of the College of Media and International Culture of Zhejiang University, Baohua Zhou, the Associate Dean of the School of Journalism of Fudan University, Jianxun Chu, Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Science and Technology of China, Xiuli Wang, the Director of the Social Media Research Center at Peking University, and Benqian Li, the Dean of the School of Media and Communication of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, shared their visions for the ICA China Chapter, future directions of communication studies, and possible exchanges and collaborations between Chinese scholars and international scholars.

Mengxiao Zhu, the 2023 Chair of the ICA China Chapter, outlined three goals for the China Chapter: to continue to host regional hub conferences, to invite communication scholars from all over the world to come to China for lectures and academic exchanges, and to provide more resources and support for junior scholars and graduate students in China. She hopes that the ICA China Chapter can become a bridge for communication between Chinese scholars and international communication scholars.

Later on March 28th, 2023, a Meet and Greet session was held at the Yifu Hall of Tsinghua University. The session was hosted by Qiaolei Jiang, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, and attended by Min Hang, Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, Kai Kuang, Associate Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, and graduate students from the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University. During the meeting, Contractor shared his academic experience and visions for the field. The students discussed with Contractor on topics such as interdisciplinary research, evolving media technologies, and the development of communication studies in China.