On March 28, the opening ceremony and keynote forum of the conference were successfully held. Experts and leaders from government, academia, research, and industry convened to explore how digital and intelligent technologies are reshaping the cultural and creative industries through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Ke XUE, Vice Dean of ICCI and Chair of the Conference, hosted the forum and extended a warm welcome to all participants. She emphasized the importance of grounding innovation in Chinese cultural heritage while embracing the diversity of global civilizations. She expressed hope that the conference would serve as a platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue and global collaboration in shaping the future of the cultural and creative sectors.

Feng GU, Deputy Director of the Council Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, affirmed the Institute’s educational philosophy of “internationalization, interdisciplinary integration, and industry orientation.” He praised the conference as a vivid example of integrating education, research, and industry, noting that the fusion of culture and technology would be a key driver of global development. He reaffirmed the university’s support for the Institute’s initiatives and emphasized the need to reform educational models to cultivate students' innovative and cross-functional competencies.

Weimin ZHANG, Dean of ICCI, warmly welcomed guests from around the world. He emphasized that cultural and creative industries were emerging as a new engine of global economic growth—from traditional craftsmanship to innovations in the metaverse, technology was driving the sector forward. He highlighted the Institute’s commitment to interdisciplinary education, talent development, and research, supported by a network of collaborative labs and partnerships across faculties.

Zhang noted that over the past six years, the conference has become a recognized academic platform in the field, promoting international cooperation through mutual empowerment. He expressed hope that this year’s theme would inspire meaningful dialogue on the future of the industry and its interdisciplinary innovation pathways

Boying LIU, Deputy Director of the Office of the Leading Group for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries in Shanghai, delivered a keynote address focusing on the role of innovation in driving urban and industrial development. He stressed that “culture needs creativity, and creativity needs culture,” calling for deeper integration of creativity and technology. He outlined how digital empowerment, immersive consumer experiences, and ecosystem restructuring were reshaping the value chain of the industry. Emerging sectors such as self-care economy, empathy-driven markets, and winter sports economy  would become innovation hotspots, positioning cultural creativity as a key driver of future growth.

Terry FLEW, Professor of Digital Communication and Culture at the University of Sydney and the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow , delivered a keynote titled “AI and the Cultural and Creative Industries: Friend or Foe?” He explored the complex interplay between creativity and technology in the digital era from three key perspectives:

1. Creativity is fundamentally a human intellectual trait; technology should enhance—not replace—human imagination.

2. The creative industries thrive on human-technology collaboration, where teamwork and digital tools fuel continuous innovation.

3. It is essential to critically assess how technological advancement affects creative labor and to guard against the risk of creativity being undermined by commercial or capital-driven logic.

Flew emphasized the importance of maintaining humanistic values amid technological transformation and called for a balanced, co-creative relationship between humans and machines.

Yong DUAN, Deputy Party Secretary of Shanghai University, delivered a keynote titled “Museum Innovation in the Age of Digital Intelligence.” He provided insights into how museums were evolving in response to digital transformation and AI-generated content (AIGC). Through new technologies, museum-based creative products were entering the metaverse, with emerging formats such as NFTs and viral “internet-famous” artifacts.

While these changes are driving new business models, Duan emphasized that the core mission of cultural preservation must remain unchanged. He highlighted the importance of “innovation grounded in tradition”, advocating for a deep integration of cultural heritage with modern technology to revitalize and amplify the relevance of historical assets in contemporary society.

John DOWNEY, Member of Academia Europaea; Associate Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor of Comparative Media Analysis, Loughborough University, delivered a keynote titled “The Imagination of AI and the Future of Journalism.” A leading scholar in digital communication, Downey examined the profound impact of AI on the news ecosystem.

He noted that AI technologies have become deeply embedded across the news production chain. While AI can enhance productivity and help assess political bias, it also poses risks such as the erosion of journalistic professionalism, job displacement, audience disengagement, and misinformation.

“We are at a crossroads between a technological utopia and dystopia,” he said, urging continued efforts to balance the benefits of AI with its potential downsides in the media sector.

Lingyun SUN, Dean of the International Design lnstitute, Vice Dean of College of Computer Science and Technology, Huang Tingfang chairProfessor, Zhejiang University, delivered a keynote titled “Human-Machine Interaction in the Age of AI Foundation Models.” He explained that large AI models, trained through vast data accumulation, domain-specific reinforcement, and human feedback, now possess powerful knowledge and creative capabilities.

While these models excel in handling complex tasks, challenges such as limited semantic understanding and data bias remain. Sun emphasized that as AI have became more deeply integrated into society, we must pay close attention to its ethical and legal implications. He called for ongoing innovation to ensure a future where AI and human values can coexist harmoniously.

Dr. Hong XIAO, Chairman of Perfect World Holding and Director of Perfect World Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote titled “AI Applications in the Cultural and Creative Industries.” Drawing from industry experience, he outlined how AI is driving disruptive change in the gaming sector.

He emphasized that AI significantly has boosted productivity and lowers the barriers to game development, allowing more creators to participate. When integrated with VR and AR, AI enables highly immersive experiences, bringing players into richer, more interactive digital worlds. Looking ahead, AI-native games—fully conceived and built with AI—are on the horizon. Dr. Xiao concluded by highlighting the importance of embracing technology with an open mindset to foster intelligent, symbiotic development between humans and machines.

Continuing the tradition of the conference, this year’s event hosted a Deans' Forum focused on educational innovation and international collaboration in cultural and creative disciplines. Two key themes guided the discussions:

“Digital-Intelligence integration: A New Driver for Interdisciplinary Cultural Innovation”

“Multi-Collaboration: Building a New Ecosystem for High-Quality Cultural and Creative Education”

The latter session, held in the Main Conference Hall, was co-chaired by Prof. Chengyu XIONG,  Dean of the Institute of Cultural Development and Communication, Communication University of China, and Prof. Ke XUE,  Distinguished Changjiang Scholar. Deans and scholars from 12 leading universities explored topics such as educational reform in the digital age, the fusion of technology and culture, and how global insights can inform locally grounded creative practices.

Prof. Chengyu XIONG opened the forum by highlighting the Communication University of China’s role in advancing international, cultural, and technological communication. He outlined its multidisciplinary innovation model led by university leadership, built around three key pillars: international journalism, online communication, and cultural development. Emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between culture and technology. Xiong urged the academic community to balance technological empowerment with human values in the AI era—ensuring that the future of creativity remains fundamentally human-centered.

Prof. Pengju WEI, Dean of the Institute of Cultural Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, presented the university’s unique “Cultural Economy” program. Through hands-on learning—such as simulated pitch sessions and business plan development—students learn to transform cultural resources into commercial value. He also introduced the university’s Digital Laboratory for Cultural Quality Assessment, which evaluates the economic potential of cultural assets and supports digital cultural strategies in heritage-rich regions like Shanxi, contributing to the global expression of China’s "Guochao" (national trend) economy.

Prof. Ke XUE, introduced ICCI’s “2.0” model for cultural-technology integration, stressing the importance of transcending both geographic and disciplinary boundaries to cultivate innovation-ready talent.

Prof. YEO Puay Hwa Jesvin, Deputy Associate Provost (Strategy, President Ofice; Acting Chair of the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, shared the school’s curriculum reforms, which integrate AI into programs such as animation and game design. New courses like Interactive Installations & Creative Robotics and Generative AI Art equip students with cutting-edge skills. NTU also supports student-led entrepreneurship and promotes cross-cultural creativity, exemplified by projects combining Chinese ink painting with digital art to enhance Asia’s cultural voice on the global stage.

Prof. Thomas POELL of the University of Amsterdam focused on the influence of platform monopolies on cultural production. He warned that AI ecosystems dominated by tech giants such as Amazon and Google are redefining which voices are visible in the digital space. His university’s Cultural Data and AI master’s program blends humanities and computational analysis, preparing students to critically examine algorithmic ethics and cultural diversity.

Prof. Terry FLEW from the University of Sydney introduced the university’s new AI Trust and Governance Center, aimed at bridging humanities and technology disciplines. The center addresses the ethical challenges of AI in areas like healthcare and education. Flew also noted that Australian universities were leveraging industry PhD programs to enhance collaboration between academia and business—for example, using VR technology to support cognitive therapy for dementia patients.

The conference hosted nine parallel forums, each exploring forward-looking topics at the intersection of culture, technology, and innovation. Themes included:

•Digital innovation of Intangible Cultural Heritage and New Quality Productive Forces

•Traditional Chinese Art and its Cross-cultural Communication

•The Cultural and Creative Industry: Integrating Humanities and Economy

•Intelligent Communication in the Cultural and Creative Industry

•Curatorial Equality and Digital Media

•Human-Machine Interaction and Creative Experience

•New Cultural Spaces and Contemporary Rural Living

•Digital Aesthetics and Cultural Creative Design

More than 70 thought leaders from academia, government, and industry shared insights on the evolving landscape of digital cultural creativity. From the digitization of intangible heritage to immersive metaverse experiences and education reform, the forums offered rich, cross-sector perspectives on how culture, ethics, and innovation can thrive together in the age of digital intelligence.

1. Digital innovation of Intangible Cultural Heritage and New Quality Productive Forces

This forum explored how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can be revitalized in the digital age. Scholars from institutions such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing Normal University, Hong Kong Baptist University (Beijing Normal University branch), and others examined how digital storytelling and ICH IPs—like Bai ethnic “tile cats” and the Dai Water Splashing Festival—shape collective identity among Gen Z. Discussions also focused on using the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model to analyze how digital ICH communication fosters cultural cohesion.

2. Chinese Traditional Arts and Communication

Experts from Peking University, Tongji University, and Sichuan University discussed topics such as the evolution of printmaking identities, intercultural adaptations of Yuan zaju (classical Chinese drama), and the aesthetic transmission of historical imagery across media. The session highlighted the need to balance preservation with innovation in traditional art forms.

3. The Cultural and Creative Industry: Integrating Humanities and Economy

This forum examined how cultural values and economic growth intersect in the creative sector. Presentations covered topics including digital creative industries, immersive cultural tourism, heritage and sustainability, innovation performance, and cultural entrepreneurship. Institutions such as Northeastern University, China Media University, Loughborough University, and Peking University contributed. Reviewers provided constructive feedback on research methodologies and practical relevance.

4.Intelligent Communication in the Cultural and Creative Industry

This session focused on the integration of AI into creative processes. Scholars from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Goldsmiths University of London, Nanjing Normal University, and the University of Stirling addressed topics such as AI collaboration with creative workers, algorithmic bias in recommendation systems, and digital preservation techniques. The session offered both theoretical insights and industry relevance.

5. Curatorial Equality and Digital Media

Speakers from institutions including Imperial College London, Zhejiang University, and Brunel University discussed how digital platforms are reshaping curatorial practices. Topics included inclusive public space design, cultural representation of marginalized communities, the appeal of digital heritage, and VR-driven exhibition models. Experts emphasized the ethical responsibilities of digital curation and the importance of preserving cultural diversity.

6. Human-Machine Interaction and Creative Experience

Focusing on the role of generative AI (AIGC), this forum featured vibrant participation from young researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, and China Media University. Topics ranged from AI-assisted art to blind box consumer psychology, immersive theater, gender expression, AI-driven recruitment fairness, and digital mental health interventions. The session underscored the rise of interdisciplinary research in the age of creative AI.

7. New Cultural Spaces and Contemporary Rural Living

This forum explored how new cultural formats are reshaping rural identity and local lifestyles. Speakers from institutions including Tongji University, City University of Hong Kong, and Beijing Dance Academy discussed rural tourism through sensory design, space reconstruction for cultural revival, art-led rural development, and tea culture’s tourism potential. The session emphasized reimagining rural life through creative placemaking.

8. Digital Aesthetics and Cultural Creative Design

Scholars from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sichuan University, and others shared studies on how digital tools are transforming creative design education and heritage preservation. Topics included mathematical pattern applications in traditional motifs, emotional responses to AI resurrection technologies, and the role of AI in design pedagogy. The forum encouraged further exploration into how emotional, ethical, and technical dimensions converge in creative design.

Beyond academic discussions, the conference featured interactive experiences such as a digital theater and metaverse-based VR exhibitions, allowing participants to virtually explore high-resolution scans of global cultural heritage sites—offering a truly immersive encounter with international cultural assets.

Since its launch in 2018, the International Conference on Global Cultural and Creative Industries has evolved into a leading global platform for interdisciplinary and cross-sector dialogue. It has become a benchmark for advancing both theory and practice in the cultural and creative industries worldwide.

This year’s conference further emphasized international collaboration, academic-industry integration, and interdisciplinary innovation, highlighting key trends in digital cultural creativity. As China enters a crucial phase of economic transformation, the conference explored how new quality productive forces can unlock fresh value in a changing world—positioning digital creativity as a strategic driver for the future of global industries.