On the afternoon of 23 January, the inauguration ceremony for the Zhejiang Research Centre for Systemic Transformation of Mainstream Media was held in the XR Studio at the School of Journalism and Communication and International Culture, Zhejiang University.

Yu Hanyin, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Information Office of the Provincial Government; Fan Jun, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice-Chairman of the Zhejiang Federation of Social Sciences; Xing Xiaofei, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Zhejiang Daily Press Group; Cheng Bo, Member of the Party Committee, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Director of the Group’s Converged Media News Centre at Zhejiang Radio and Television Group; as well as Huang Xiangfeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee at Zhejiang University, and Zhang Yan, Dean of the Institute of Social Sciences at Zhejiang University, jointly unveiled the plaque for the ‘Zhejiang Research Centre for Systemic Transformation of Mainstream Media’.

In his address, Fan Jun noted that the establishment of the ‘Zhejiang Research Centre for Systemic Transformation of Mainstream Media’ represents a significant step in implementing the Central Government’s policy directives and responding to the profound trends of media transformation. It is also a crucial step in driving the province’s mainstream media from ‘convergence’ towards ‘dynamic integration’, and from ‘platform development’ towards ‘ecosystem building’. It is hoped that the Centre will draw upon Zhejiang’s practical experience, deepen the summarisation of practices and the refinement of models, focus on producing a body of high-quality research outcomes, promote technology-driven empowerment and content innovation, strengthen joint talent cultivation and capacity building, and strive to become a leading centre for research into the systemic transformation of mainstream media nationwide.

In his address, Huang Xiangfeng stated that Zhejiang University has always been guided by national strategic needs, promoting the deep integration of theoretical research and practical innovation. At present, the communications landscape is undergoing profound transformation, creating an urgent need to pool the strengths of universities, think tanks and the media to jointly establish a high-calibre innovation platform. Zhejiang University will fully support the Centre’s high-standard development and high-quality growth. We hope the Centre will undertake research in areas such as the restructuring of communication systems through digital and intelligent technologies, the construction of an all-media evaluation system, the transformation of research paradigms in digital journalism, and the establishment of an independent knowledge system for Chinese journalism and communication studies, thereby making a due contribution to the systematic transformation of mainstream media.

Fang Xingdong, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Communication and International Culture at Zhejiang University, outlined the centre’s strategic positioning and key priorities for 2026. The centre will focus its efforts on research into intelligent communication, integrated innovation practices and collaborative talent development, striving to achieve substantial results in theoretical development, practical leadership and community engagement.

Zhao Yu, Party Secretary and Vice Dean of the School of Communication and International Culture at Zhejiang University, presided over the ceremony and expressed confidence that the centre would become a key support platform and a hub for innovation in the digital and intelligent transformation of China’s mainstream media, thereby contributing Zhejiang University’s expertise to the development of an independent knowledge system for Chinese journalism and communication studies.

This event marks a significant step forward for Zhejiang in the research and practice of systemic reform within mainstream media. The Research Centre will draw upon Zhejiang University’s disciplinary strengths, integrate academic and industry resources, and conduct in-depth research into media convergence and communication governance, thereby providing intellectual support and guidance for the development of the media sector within the context of China’s modernisation process.