On October 19, 2024, the Third Global Development and Health Communication Forum, organized by the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University and hosted by its Center for Global Development and Health Communication, was successfully held at Tsinghua University. With the theme “Media for Empathy and Equity,” the forum continued to focus on the critical role of communication in advancing the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly exploring how media in the digital age can help build a more inclusive and equitable world. More than 150 leaders, experts, and scholars from the United Nations, government agencies, NGOs, academia, media, and private sectors participated in the forum. This year’s forum featured a virtual reality experience zone, where participants could immerse themselves in Zambia through VR technology to learn how frontline health workers are contributing to the global effort to eradicate polio.

Panel Discussion at the Plenary Forum

Virtual Reality Experience

On September 22, 2024, during the UN Summit of the Future, the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University and the Center for Global Development and Health Communication Research, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, convened a side event in New York for the first time. The event brought together Chinese and international experts to discuss the theme “Identifying Breakthroughs in Global Cooperation to Accelerate the SDGs.” During the event, Professor Zhou Qing’an, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication and Director of the Center for Global Development and Health Communication Research, was interviewed by UN News, where he shared in-depth insights on current global communication trends and the professionalism of journalism in the social media era.

Side Event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York

Professor Zhou Qing’an Being Interviewed by UN News

From August 26 to 30, 2024, a 15-member delegation of Chinese media representatives, led by Associate Professor Chen Liang, Deputy Director of the Center for Global Development and Health Communication Research, and Associate Professor Kuang Kai, Director of Research, embarked on a “Global Health Exploration Tour” in Geneva, Switzerland. During the four-day visit, the delegation visited the World Health Organization (WHO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).

The Delegation Meeting with Assistant Director-Generals, the Chief Scientist, and Other Senior Officials at WHO Headquarters