On April 2, the third joint committee meeting for the co-construction of the College of Media and International Culture by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department and Zhejiang University was held at the Zijingang Campus. Zhao Cheng, member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department, and Ren Shaobo, Secretary of the University Party Committee, attended and delivered speeches.

Zhao Cheng stated that the co-construction of the College of Media by the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department and Zhejiang University is a major task in implementing the directives of General Secretary Xi Jinping and accelerating the development of a high-level culturally strong province. It is also a win-win initiative for advancing both the university and Zhejiang’s journalism sector. Since the launch of the joint program, the two sides have engaged in in-depth collaboration in institutional development, curriculum design, faculty enhancement, base construction, and think tank building, achieving substantial results. Regarding future work, he emphasized the need to establish new heights in tracing the origins and disseminating General Secretary Xi’s key discourses on news and public opinion, uncovering compelling Zhejiang stories to form unique strengths and branding. The college should also play a pivotal role in driving systemic reforms in mainstream media, serving as a key think tank for transformation. Additionally, breakthroughs should be made in AI + media education, research, and talent cultivation by leveraging Zhejiang University’s strengths. Efforts must also focus on enhancing international communication capabilities, expanding the depth of dissemination, and cultivating high-caliber, innovative journalism talent through integrity and creativity. Looking ahead, the joint program should maximize its leading role, summarize and promote successful experiences, and further strengthen talent support for the province’s news and public opinion work.

Ren Shaobo expressed sincere gratitude to the Provincial Party Committee and Government for their long-standing support in the reform and development of Zhejiang University and its College of Media. He noted that Zhejiang University has always prioritized the college’s growth, and the high-standard co-construction with the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department has injected strong momentum into the high-quality development of its media disciplines. The new round of joint efforts presents a major opportunity to advance the college’s specialized and high-level development while contributing to regional and national modernization. He stressed the importance of fostering talent with a strong ideological foundation, improving the quality of independent talent cultivation through systematic design in teaching, materials, practice, and employment. Talent must remain the cornerstone, with accelerated efforts to elevate the media disciplines, promote resource sharing between the university and local sectors, and innovate talent development models. Strategic leadership should be reinforced by collaborating with mainstream media to explore future fields. The university will seize this new phase of co-construction, with strong support and guidance from the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department, to further enrich collaboration content, expand platforms, and provide resource guarantees. The goal is to swiftly establish a talent cultivation system and independent theoretical framework with Chinese characteristics, contributing to the development of a self-reliant knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese features.

Lai Yingjie, Executive Deputy Minister of the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department, attended the meeting. Yu Hanyin, Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department and Director of the Provincial Government Information Office, presided over the session and summarized the achievements of the joint program while outlining key priorities for the third phase. Zhu Shiqiang, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, introduced Zhejiang University’s supportive measures for the initiative. Experts and scholars at the meeting actively contributed suggestions on the joint program’s development.

Also present were Wang Shuiming, member of the Party Committee and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Zhejiang Daily Press Group; Zhao Lei, Deputy Party Secretary and Editor-in-Chief of Zhejiang Radio and Television Group; Chen Feng, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Education; as well as representatives from relevant departments of the Provincial Party Committee Publicity Department, the Department of Education, Zhejiang Daily Press Group, Zhejiang Radio and Television Group, and faculty members from Zhejiang University.