IAMCR Webinar "Pathways to Excellence"

Huixuan Qin

I am a student in International Journalism and Communication with academic interests in migration governance, gender politics, and global media narratives.

My work explores how identities, inequalities, and political meanings are constructed, contested, and communicated across borders. Through research projects on refugee policy, urban poverty, gender representation, and digital cultures, I have examined how institutions, media platforms, and local communities shape experiences of belonging, exclusion, and social justice.

My research experiences include studying migrant solidarity and urban sanctuary initiatives in Canada, investigating gendered narratives in global media discourse in Poland, and conducting fieldwork on informal settlements and housing precarity in the Philippines. These projects have strengthened my interests in migration, humanitarian governance, and the relationship between media and public understanding.

Alongside research, I have worked in photography, visual documentation, and cross-cultural communication, including supporting international cultural productions through bilingual translation and media storytelling. I am particularly interested in combining research and communication to make complex social issues more accessible to diverse audiences

Maram Al Turky

I am a senior at Wayne State University majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Global Studies. As a Communication Studies student, I've developed a deep interest in understanding how communication processes impact individuals. My minor has also provided me with cross-cultural communication skills and inclusivity knowledge, which are crucial in today's diverse and globalized world.

The knowledge, skills, and training I have gained have proven to be invaluable not only as a student but as an English-as-Second-Language (ESL) teacher's assistant where the fascinating insights I gained have allowed me to approach teaching in a unique way and provide my students with a more effective learning experience that is best adapted to their needs. This has also proven fruitful as a non-profit worker where I was able to effectively communicate with fellow volunteers and the community we served.

In addition to understanding communication processes, the most valuable lessons I have learned during my time at WSU center around research and writing. The research-based courses I've taken and my participation in Wayne State's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program have fueled my passion for conducting thorough research and presenting my findings clearly and compellingly. Through these experiences, I have gained skills in research methodology and data analysis using applications like SPSS. These skills have been valuable in both written and data-driven communication, and I hope to use them to become a better student, educator, and human being in the future.

Jian Song

Jian Song is a graduate student at the School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, under the supervision of Professor Yu Hu. He completed his undergraduate studies at the School of International Journalism and Communication, Beijing Foreign Studies University, under the supervision of Professor Yi Song. 
He is proficient in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Arabic, among other languages. His research interests span a wide range of areas, including international communication, China-Arab communication, social media studies, journalism and communication history, AI-human interaction, digital game technology, and digital communication. He is also skilled in using AI for digital art creation and digital exhibition production. 
He became an IAMCR member and joined the ISM Working Group in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2024. Since then, he has participated in the IAMCR annual conference every year as a sole or first author, and has remained active in various IAMCR conferences and online events, continuously advancing his research. In 2026, he received the ISM Best Paper Award.