A seminar titled "Metaverse, Virtual Society and Intercultural Communication" was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) on December 4, 2021, on the opportunities and challenges facing international journalism and communication in the wake of rapidly emerging new technologies.

Co-hosted by the School of International Journalism and Communication and the New Youth People-to-People Exchange Studio of BFSU, the online seminar gathered together scholars and experts from around the country and explored topics ranging from the concept of the metaverse to its impact on arts, global communication, future education and network security.

Speaking at the "Invited and Keynote Speakers" session, Sun Ping, a Peking Opera artist and honorary dean at the School of Art and Research of BFSU, examined the varied possibilities of disseminating arts in the new era, based on her own experiences of applying virtual reality and augmented reality to performance.

The session, moderated by Liu Ying, vice-dean of the School of International Journalism and Communication, also featured, among others, Professor Wang Wenfu from Sichuan University, Professor Yang Zhongkai from Dalian University of Technology and Professor Yang Lina from Beijing International Studies University.

At the "Roundtable Forum" session, the other component of the seminar, experts and scholars discussed various topics, such as the impact of the metaverse on new digital technologies, primary-level governance, and Chinese culture.

Zhang Zhao, moderator of the session and head of the New Youth People-to-People Exchange Studio, believed the thought-provoking seminar will help provide new ways of thinking and open new paths for future academic research.

"Metaverse" is generally defined as a virtual environment in which users are able to interact with each other through technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. As a possible future form of communication, it is widely considered both a challenge and an opportunity for global communication and international journalism.