The 2014 UNESCO-UNAOC Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue Week (2014 MILID Week) was inaugurated on September 27.

The two-day conference was organized by Tsinghua University International Center for Communication (TUICC). Over 100 scholars, NGO officials, international organization officials and researchers from 15 countries attended the conference and shared their experiences and research results in MILID.

Liu Binjie, Chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee of the National People's Congress and the Dean of School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, said at the opening: “Tsinghua University International Center for Communication is dedicated to global MILID education for decade. Especially the Caravan writing classes taught by Professor Li Xiguang have organized over 500 students from Tsinghua to travel to the borders of Asia to witness the truth and experience of different culture for the last 15 years. This is a very successful way to educate youth in terms of MILID.’

Six panels were held during the conference: MIL in the Middle East and North Africa Region, MIL Development in Ethnic Minority Areas and Intercultural Dialogue, MIL Policies and Strategies, MIL in Education, MIL in the Age of Big Data and MIL and Visual Communication.

Zhai Huisheng, Party Secretary of All China Journalists’ Association, awarded Professor Si Jiuyue with a Special Contribution Award for Journalism and Education.

Tsinghua University International Center for Communication (TICC), a brainchild of Mr. Wang Daohan, China’s veteran political figure, was launched in the summer of 1999, chaired by Professor Li Xiguang. Dedicated to international communication, political communication and health communication, TICC has made innovative achievements in national branding, communication strategies, the training of spokespersons and caravan journalism classes. The TICC, with its media, academic and public policy tri-lateral research structure, is considered China's top think-tank in press, politics and public policy. （By Mao Wei and Sihan Zhang）