About CIRC & 2023 Hosts
The Chinese Internet Research Conference (CIRC) began in 2003 with the first conference held at the University of Southern California. Since then, CIRC has convened annually to develop a community of scholars and feature research that examines the development, use, and impact of the Internet, mobile phones, and associated new media technologies in the Chinese world. Scholars from a variety of academic disciplines, including media and communication, journalism, political science, law, sociology, psychology, education, cultural studies, international relations, and geography, as well as analysts from public- and private-sector research units participate in the conference. Their presentation topics cover Internet law and policy, user behavior, online participation, gaming, online civil society, social movement, identity and culture, among other areas. The conference series has been highly successful in encouraging new and innovative scholarship on the Chinese Internet and mobile phones, developing and mentoring researchers and research collaborations, and generating published research on the Internet and new media in China, Chinese societies, and Chinese-related Internet dynamics around the world.
The Conference venue changes yearly, and is typically hosted by a local university or research institution.
Previous conferences have been held at:
2003 University of Southern California
2004 University of California, Berkeley
2005 Michigan State University
2006 Nanyang Technological University
2007 Texas A&M University
2008 University of Hong Kong
2009 University of Pennsylvania
2010 Peking University
2011 Georgetown University
2012 University of Southern California
2013 The University of Oxford
2014 Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2015 University of Alberta
2016 Fudan University
2017 Texas A&M University
2018 University of Leiden
2019 National University of Singapore; Murdoch University, Singapore & Australia
2020/2021 (postponed due to COVID-19) RMIT University (https://circ2021.net/)
2022 Hong Kong Baptist University (https://www.comm.hkbu.edu.hk/circ2022/)
Members of the CIRC Steering Committee including:
HU Yong, Peking University
Min JIANG, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Randy KLUVER, Oklahoma State University
Jack Linchuan QIU, National University of Singapore
Florian SCHNEIDER, Leiden University
Cara WALLIS, Texas A&M University
Haiqing Yu, RMIT University
Peter K. YU, Texas A&M University
Weiyu ZHANG, National University of Singapore
Baohua ZHOU, Fudan University
For ten years, Prof. ANG Peng Hwa was a former member of the CIRC Steering Committee until 2015, when he was elected as the President of ICA (International Communication Association).
2023 Hosts
Digital Asia Hub
The Digital Asia Hub is an independent, non-profit Internet and society research think tank based in Hong Kong, led by an Executive Director, Management Board, and Steering Committee. Its funding is provided through individual, institutional and corporate donations. Incubated by The Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and a diverse group of academic, civil society, and private sector partners, the Hub provides a non-partisan, open, and collaborative platform for research, knowledge sharing and capacity building related to Internet and Society issues with focus on digital Asia. The Hub also aims to strengthen effective multi-stakeholder discourse, with both local and regional activities, and will contribute to – and itself serve as a node of – a larger network of academic organizations: the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers (the “NoC”).
The Faculty of Mass Communications Department, Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University (CMU) was founded in January 1964, under a Royal Charter granted by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. CMU is the first provincial university in Thailand, based on
the government’s policy and the objectives of the northern people, as a center for academic and occupational knowledge in order to benefit the region and the country as a whole. The campus is home to lush greenery. A tranquil pool is nestled in the woods, and the natural environment is great. The main campus is located on the eastern side of Doi Suthep One the way to Doi Suthep, many tourists stop by the university. The students walking around campus radiate youth.
Organizing Team
Malavika Jayaram
Executive Director, Digital Asia Hub
Dev Lewis
Program Lead and Fellow, Digital Asia Hub
Pimonpan Chainan
Senior lecturer at Faculty of Mass Communication, Chiang Mai University (Thailand)