From July 9th to 11th, 2024, the School of Information Management at Wuhan University (WHU iSchool) and the School of Information Management at Central China Normal University (CCNU iSchool) jointly hosted 2024 Information Future Leaders Summer School.

This event brought together esteemed faculty and student representatives from leading iSchools in the Asia-Pacific region, including Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information of Nanyang Technological University (NTU iSchool) in Singapore, the Graduate School of Library, Information, and Media Studies of the University of Tsukuba (Tsukuba iSchool) in Japan, and the Department of Literature and Information of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU iSchool) in Korea, the School of Computing and Information Systems at Singapore Management University in Singapore and the Business School of the University of Queensland in Australia.

The summer school commenced with an opening ceremony at WHU iSchool on July 9th, featuring welcoming addresses from Ms. Xiaoli Liu, Associate Director of the Office of International Affairs at Wuhan University and Prof. Wei Lu, Dean of WHU iSchool. Distinguished keynote speakers, including Prof. Sam Oh from SKKU iSchool, Prof. Atsuyuki Morishima from Tsukuba iSchool, Prof. Dion Hoe Lian Goh from NTU iSchool, and Prof. Lu An from WHU iSchool, delivered insightful presentations on crucial topics such as iSchools’ role in LIS education, Crowd4U, deepfake technology, and social media rumors. Associate Deans of WHU iSchools, Prof. Jiang Wu, Prof. Xiaoguang Wang, and Prof. Lihong Zhou co-moderated the opening ceremony and subsequent keynote reports.

The second day, July 10th, started with the Information Resources Management Academic Summit at WHU iSchool, organized and moderated by Prof. Lu An. Prof. Lihong Zhou began with an overview of the education programs at WHU iSchool. Following this, Prof. Yiwei Gong, Prof. Liang Hong, and Prof. Siluo Yang sequentially introduced the business practice and entrepreneurship competition, the digital intelligence talent training system, and the digital culture BS-MS-PhD program respectively at WHU iSchool. Assoc. Prof. Chenglong Li from CCNU iSchool shared insights into the bachelor’s and master’s Programs at CCNU iSchool. The summit fostered lively discussions and exchanges among faculty members of this summer school.

The final day, July 11th, featured two parallel keynote sessions at CCNU iSchool. In the first keynote session, Assoc. Prof. Chei Sian Lee from NTU iSchool, Assoc. Prof. Doming Xu from the University of Queensland, Assist. Prof. Bingtian Dai from Singapore Management University, Assoc. Prof. Ping Wang and Assoc. Prof. Wenjie Chen from CCNU iSchool presented their research on topics ranging from Gen Z’s information-seeking behaviour, digital health, AI and business, explainable AI, and neural influence estimator respectively. In the second keynote session, Assist. Prof. Masaki Takeda from Tsukuba iSchool, Assoc. Prof. Gayathri Nadarajan from SKKU iSchool, Assist. Prof. Hiroyoshi Ito from Tsukuba iSchool, Prof. Bailing Liu and Dr. Chuan Wu from CCNU iSchool presented their research on topics ranging from dementia support services in libraries, learning satisfaction of students during the pandemic, modeling social networks, and consumers’ privacy protection respectively.

The summer school concluded with a closing ceremony at CCNU iSchool, where student groups shared their feelings and experiences, and expressed their hope for meeting in the future. Prof. Shanshan Zhai, Associate Dean of CCNU iSchool, moderated the closing ceremony.

Cultural Immersion Activities during the Summer School

The summer school also offered a rich cultural experience opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of Wuhan and China. Cultural excursions included visit to Hubei Provincial Museum, where the participants indulged in a traditional chime performance besides appreciation of ancient antiques. And visit to the Yellow Crane Tower, which is a landmark building in Wuhan and one of the symbols of Chinese culture.

Participants also had a campus tour in Wuhan University, exploring Wanlin Art Museum, Wuhan University History Museum, and the Intelligent Computing Laboratory of Cultural Heritage. On the final day, CCNU iSchool organized a city tour, providing a comprehensive overview of Wuhan’s vibrant culture and history.

The 2024 Information Future Leaders Summer School strengthened the bonds among Asia-Pacific iSchools, and it marked a significant step towards collaborative educational initiatives and a new model of international collaboration within the iSchools community.