University launches new media center

Dozens of film and new media experts were at Beijing Normal University for the launch of its New Media Image Research Center, which will focus on mediums such as micro movies and Internet dramas.

With the popularity of mobile Internet, such works have been attracting growing attention in recent years.

The center invited 22 experts from film and movie research institutions and dozens of researchers from universities, video websites, and film and TV series companies to exchange ideas.

"As an academic institution, we will cultivate talents (in this area), organize seminars and conferences and cooperate with video websites and publishing companies," said the center's director, Chen Xiaoyun, a professor from BNU's School of Art and Communication.

According to Yin Hong, deputy director of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, the number of mobile users in China represents a huge potential market for new media, but suggests that different practices will need study.