The 23rd International Conference of the International
Association for Intercultural Communication Studies
(IAICS)
Call for Papers
Conference Time: June 6-8, 2017
Conference Venue & Host: Macao Polytechnic Institute, Macao
Conference Theme: “Languages and Cultures in a Globalizing World:
Diversity, Interculturality, Hybridity”
In today's world, globalization erases boundaries and leads to increased contact among various
languages and cultures. While human contact and migration have always been present throughout
history, e.g., on the Silk Road, today's media and transport capacities facilitate contact and
communication to an exponentially greater extent than ever before. As a consequence, the
phenomena of diversity, interculturality and hybridity are intensified. Juxtaposed to increased
contact ensuing from globalization are both the positive and negative aspects of the protectionist
efforts of localism. The theme of this conference seeks to examine the context of these problems
within the spheres of education, language, culture, and society.
Conference Goals:
To provide scholars, educators and practitioners from different cultural communities with
opportunities to interact, network and benefit from each other’s research and expertise related
to intercultural communication issues;
To synthesize research perspectives and foster interdisciplinary scholarly dialogues for
developing integrated approaches to complex problems of communication across cultures;
To advance the methodology for intercultural communication research and disseminate
practical findings to facilitate understanding across cultures;
To foster global intercultural sensitivity and involve educators, business professionals, students
and other stakeholders worldwide in the discourse about diversity and transcultural
communication issues.
Topic areas are broadly defined as, but not limited to, the following:
Cosmopolitanism in culture Intercultural communication and cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism in literature Time and space in culture / literature
Language and culture Intercultural communication and nationality
Language and identity Comparative culture
Cultural identity
Cultural hybridity
Interculturality in literature
Intercultural communication and interculturality
Diversity studies
Language Teaching as Intercultural Communication
Media and interculture Internet intercultural communication
Multi cultures and interculturality Intercultural communication competence
Culture and travel writing Intercultural education
Crosscultural encounters Interculture and human resource management
Comparative poetics Interculture and public policy
Comparative literature Transnational enterprises and intercultural communication
Imagology Cultural study theories
Literature and religion Culture and diplomacy
Literature and film Language planning and policy
Translation studies Intercultural pragmatics
Guidelines for Submissions
Abstract, 100-150 words in English, including positions, affiliations, email addresses and
mailing addresses for all authors. Times New Roman 12 pt font size, single spaced.
Panel proposals reflecting the conference theme may be submitted. Panel proposals should
include a 100-150 word abstract of each panelist's paper (as above) and panelists must each
individually complete the registration process (as below).
The submissions will be evaluated by peer-review. There is a cap of 300 participants in the joint
conference (see "Joint Conference" and registration information below).
Deadline: Please submit abstracts and panel proposals by 28th February, 2017.
Conference Working Language: English
Joint Conference: The 23rd IAICS Conference is held in conjunction with the 6th
International Conference on English, Discourse, and Intercultural
Communication (EDIC), Part I (Macao), June 6th-8th, 2017, followed
by 6th EDIC Part II (Xinjiang), June 9th-11th, 2017. For information on
EDIC Part II (Xinjiang), please contact the Xinjiang conference organizers.
Submission to: For correct registration, please follow this two-step procedure:
1) register and submit abstract online at http://edic.ipm.edu.mo, then
2) forward the computer-generated email you receive from the online
registration with your registration number to ics@stu.edu.cn
Registration Fee: Waived. However, participants should arrange their own accommodation.
Online Information: http://www.uri.edu/iaics/, http://edic.ipm.edu.mo/
Sample Abstract
The Development and Validation of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale
Guo-Ming CHEN, Ph.D.
Department of Communication Studies
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881, USA
Email:gmchen@uri.edu
The present study developed and assessed reliability and validity of a new instrument,
the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). Based on a review of the literature, 44 items
thought to be important for intercultural sensitivity were generated for the purpose of
analyses in this study. A sample of 414 college students rated these items and generated
a 24-item final version of the instrument which contains five factors. An assessment of
concurrent validity from 162 participants indicated that the ISS was significantly
correlated with other related scales, including interaction attentiveness, impression
rewarding, self-esteem, self-monitoring, and perspective taking. In addition, the
predicted validity test from 174 participants showed that individuals with high ISS
scores also scored high in intercultural effectiveness and intercultural communication
attitude scales.
