By: Mohamed Sahr
mohamedsahrpro@gmail.com
The Communication University of China (CUC) has urged newly admitted international students to harness academic knowledge and professional skills to prepare themselves for a rapidly changing media and communication landscape.
The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, during the grand opening ceremony for the Class of 2026, which brought together hundreds of new students from different parts of the world.
Shu Gangbo, Assistant to the President of CUC, welcomed the incoming international students and highlighted the diversity of the university’s new intake.
He noted that the university is hosting undergraduate students from 16 countries and regions, graduate students from 38 countries and regions, and visiting students from 27 countries and regions.
“Your arrival brings fresh vitality and vibrant diversity to the CUC community,” he said.
Shu also outlined CUC’s history, noting that the university was founded in 1954 and has become one of China’s leading institutions for broadcasting, television, media, information and communication studies.
He said CUC is among the first group of Double First-Class universities directly administered by the Ministry of Education, a key university under Project 211, and a key university supported by the 985 Project Innovation Platform for Advantageous Disciplines.
Professor Wu Minsu of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication (Digital Communication) encouraged the new students to make the most of their time in China by exploring the country beyond the classroom.
She said students should not only focus on campus life, learning Chinese and completing their academic programmes, but should also take the opportunity to experience China from different perspectives.
Wu encouraged the international students to tell authentic and comprehensive stories about China and its people, saying this would help audiences around the world gain a better understanding of the country.
“With this, the world will know and understand China better,” she stated.
Professor Li Jidong, Vice Dean of the School of Information and Communication (International Communication), challenged the students to recognize the growing influence of artificial intelligence in their chosen field.
He said that regardless of how many years students spend studying communication, whether as journalists, media creators or scholars, AI tools and intelligent agents would increasingly become their new classmates, colleagues and competitors.
According to Li, artificial intelligence can write news stories within seconds, analyze public opinion over time, generate videos and translate between languages automatically.
He therefore urged the students to continuously improve their knowledge and professional skills, noting that CUC provides access to advanced learning facilities and resources covering various aspects of media, communication and information.
Sabiiti Daniel, a student representative of the 2026 Master’s Programme in Journalism, Media and Communication, expressed gratitude to the Government of China for providing international students with what he described as a profound and life-changing opportunity.
Daniel highlighted the relationship between China and Africa, describing both sides as sincere friends and reliable partners.
“China and Africa share identical community and cultural values,” he said.
He added that, under South-South Cooperation, studying and exchanging experiences in China provides international students with an opportunity to contribute to stronger China-Africa relations.
Meanwhile, Mahad Abdikafi Ahmed, an international student from Somalia, said he was excited and ready to begin his academic year at CUC.
He described the opportunity as a significant one and expressed optimism about pursuing his master’s degree in Digital Communication.
Ahmed said he intends to apply the knowledge and experience gained in China to contribute to development in his home country after completing his programme.