Capsule Biography
Professor: Jin Jianbin
Academic title(s): Professor of Journalism; Academic supervisor for Global Business Journalism
Educational background: Ph.D. in Communication Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, 2002; Master of Engineering in Management Engineering, Tsinghua University, 1997; Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature, Tsinghua University, 1992; Bachelor of Engineering in Material Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, 1991
International training, experience and expertise：Visiting scholar, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (2008); Visiting Scholar, Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford, England, U.K. (2006-2007)
Q&A
Q: What is your relationship with Global Business Journalism program?
A: I have been following and participating in this program since the beginning. This program is the result of our school’s internationalization strategy, and it has been going on for many years [since 2007]. As an early step of our internationalization strategy, it enabled us to offer courses that were taught entirely in English. Moreover, we can get educational support from some organizations like Bloomberg, Reuters and the International Center of Journalists. These conditions led to this unique program.
Global business journalism needs professional talents. So does China, the second largest economy in the world. Supported by Bloomberg, the world’s largest business information provider, GBJ program focuses on both globalization and business news, and is well suited to the needs of the discipline and society.
Q: In your opinion, what is the special attraction of this program for international students?
A: I think probably the biggest attraction is the Chinese economy itself. After years of economic development, China has become the second largest economy in the world. Therefore, the students in the program are very diverse. Overall, the largest number of students came from mainstream [developed] countries, but also from countries that participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and other countries in Africa and Asia.
Actually, many international students have Chinese backgrounds. Their parents, who left China before, are now sending their children back to China to study. Beyond that, parents in some countries, such as South Korea, and some countries in South Asia, who can send their children to either the Occident or China, are willing to send their children to China. I think this phenomenon has a lot to do with the political or economic importance of our country.
Q: What do you think international students bring to our journalism school and Tsinghua University?
A: I think the communication between international students and domestic students will also help expand and promote Tsinghua students’ international vision and diversified development. Tsinghua needs diverse students and cultural backgrounds. The participation of international students is necessary for the campus ecology of Tsinghua University. I believe it will be a trend that as China continues to integrate into the world, Tsinghua will become more famous in the world, and international students will continue to come to Tsinghua.
Q: Global Business Journalism students are diverse. What about the GBJ faculty?
A: The teachers in our program are Chinese professors with academic backgrounds and foreign teachers with an industry background. GBJ is oriented to the financial news industry, so both types of teachers are indispensable.
On the one hand, GBJ needs to have fresh, front-line guidance for financial reporting and financial content production. Our foreign teachers are very good in this respect. For example, Lee Miller is good at data analysis. If he finds something through data analysis, an article will come out immediately. He can see news from many things. It's the same with Rick Dunham, who has many years of experience in this kind of reporting. Professors like these are among the top in the world, so I think students can learn a lot of skills and experience from experts in the industry.
On the other hand, our own [Chinese] professors, like Ms. Dai Jia and Ms. Hang Min, are more academic-oriented. It is also a good complement to help students understand China and financial news. The combination of these two aspects is balanced, flexible and can lay a foundation [for professional achievement].
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