About Us

School of Chinese Scholar Seminar

Seminar Series on Transmedia & AI Innovations

Speaker: Prof. Brian YECIES (University of Wollongong)    

Moderator: Prof. Dingkun WANG (School of Chinese, HKU)

Time: 17:00-18:30pm (HKT)

Language: English

Venue: CRT-7.30, 7/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Seminar #1: Transmedia Innovations in the Webtooniverse

Date: 12 June 2024 (Wed)

Abstract:

In this talk, I will analyze the meteoric rise of Korea's online and mobile webtoon industry and explore how this new global-facing digital entertainment medium is transforming the creative industries. I trace some of webtoons' dynamic links to fan translation, cross-media storytelling, styles and technologies, as well as the production, localization and reception of innovative smartphone apps and platforms. While the "Korean Wave" of popular culture has enjoyed striking global success since the 2000s, limited attention - at both popular and scholarly levels - has been paid to the complex relationships between webtoon artists, platforms, agencies, policymakers, fan-translators, and readers - all elements of what I’ve called the "Webtooniverse". Through a brief sketch of this ongoing research, I will explain why the South Korean webtoon industry is important to amateur and professional content creators in Hong Kong and across the globe, and how their work in this diverse platform environment is contributing to the digital economy.  

Seminar #2: Empowering the Visual Arts via Blockchain Remix and AI Innovations

Date: 14 June 2024 (Fri)

https://hku.zoom.us/j/96873350598?pwd=dUsvVnhVN01iMExmMGRqVmNLcUxiQT09

Meeting ID: 968 7335 0598

Password:944224

Abstract:

This talk contributes new scholarly research to current debates on intellectual property rights infringement in the digital spheres where visual art is created, bought, sold, and traded. Artists, scientists, technologists, policymakers, and scholars remain concerned about fakes, imitations, intermediation via Artificial Intelligence tools and the lack of trust and transparency in such global transactions. Through ongoing Australian Research Council Linkage Project work (LP210300009) – conducted in association with partnering change-makers Australian Copyright Council, Copyright Agency, National Association for the Visual Arts, Australian Network for Art & Technology, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Data61, this talk shows how a range of digital artwork can be listed, securely traded, preserved, and remixed with gen-AI tools in previously unrecognized ways. Preliminary innovative blockchain solutions of the nature explored by the project aim to authenticate, safeguard, and promote the work and livelihoods of creative industry practitioners and enterprises in cyber-secure ways. The hope is to challenge the rapid rise of fraud and unethical AI-generated content in the wider copyright industries while encouraging the authorized remix of formerly inaccessible and future creative work. 

About the Speaker:

Brian Yecies is Professor in Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong. He is the lead Chief Investigator of the 2023-26 Australian Research Council Linkage Project: Empowering Australia’s Visual Arts via Creative Blockchain Opportunities and the 2018-22 ARC Discovery Project: Mobile Korean Webtoons: Creative Innovation in a New Digital Economy. Prof Yecies is the author of The Changing Face of Korean Cinema, 1960–2015 (2016) and South Korea’s Webtooniverse and the Digital Comic Revolution (2021) – with Aegyung Shim, and the co-editor of Willing Collaborators: Foreign Partners in Chinese Media (2018). He has published over 100 academic papers and book chapters, which can be found across the following links: 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9296-6651 

https://scholar.google.co.kr/citations?user=9p2zHbMAAAAJ&hl=en

https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/brian_yecies

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/brian-yecies

Notice:

1) The seminar will be conducted primarily in a face-to-face mode; Those who cannot attend the seminar in-person could apply for online participation (via Zoom) with justifications;

2) All those who would like to attend the seminar are required to register online (Click HERE) on a first-come, first-served basis;

3) Email of confirmation will be sent to the registered email addresses and participants have to show the screenshot or print-out version of the email for entry of the seminar venue;

4) Walk-in or late-comers will not be allowed for entry of the seminar venue unless situation allows.

ALL are welcome*

*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is requested.