Research Concentrations – Department of Communications and New Media

Concentrations

At CNM, we strive to create knowledge through engaged scholarship and curate cutting-edge research on new media technologies and communication. Following the traditions of social sciences, arts and humanities, computer science and engineering, we collaborate with industry and public-sector stakeholders to advance policy and pedagogy in order to contribute to the wellbeing of society at local, cross-cultural, Inter-Asian, and global levels. More specifically, colleagues at CNM conduct excellent research with distinct features, while contributing to the dynamic research culture of the department as a whole.

We are an international and interdisciplinary department. Our faculty’s areas of expertise span across communication studies, cultural studies, computational social science, and interactive design with an emphasis on new and emergent media.

Research strengths at CNM coalesce into five concentrations:

Critical Culture and Media Studies Cluster

The Critical Media and Cultural Studies cluster draws on theories of power, technology, affect, creativity, intersectional identity, sexuality, history and cultural heritage to explore diverse cultural groups and media texts, practices and industries. Oriented toward progressive change, researchers engage government and non-government partners to tackle crucial political and ecological problems, while mobilising critical pedagogies to help our students become lively, creative and independent citizens of the world.

Computation, Media, and Creativity Cluster

The Computation, Media & Creativity cluster examines research in the interdisciplinary areas of human-computer interaction and collaborative communication. Its main focal points are around the design and use of technologies: developing tools to understand and model user behaviour, and understanding user experiences in dynamic / adaptive computational systems. We achieve our goals through (1) research inquiry through the production of media, (2) affording users with new modes of expression, (3) AI and data-driven insights from generative modelling, and (4) exploring, understanding and applying UX to advance society.

Health and Risk Cluster

The Health and Risk cluster conducts research on timely health and risk issues with social impact including, among other things, (1) designing campaign messages and interventions to influence health behaviour and health technology adoption; (2) examining the psychological and social cultural processes involved in health outcomes and risk perceptions; (3) understanding the health meanings of marginalised communities, and (4) communication and misinformation during COVID-19.

Politics and Publics Cluster

Pedagogical and Disciplinary Research Nexus

The Pedagogical and Disciplinary Nexus emphasises theory-practice connections while addressing the pressing issues of our time when rapidly evolving and diversifying communicative processes are evident at every level of cognitive, cultural, social, political and economic interactions. Members of the research nexus also carry out policy research together with our industry and public-sector partners.