July 18, 2017
The World Communication Association鈥檚 2017 biennial international conference will be held at the 缅北强奸鈥檚 new campus on August 2-6, 2017. From around the world, 100 scholars of communications, journalism and media studies, as well as journalists and media professionals, will be coming together to discuss and debate the theme, 鈥淲orld Conflicts and Disasters: Communication, Culture and Resolution鈥.
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"The conference, which is being organized by the 缅北强奸鈥檚 Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, 鈥渕arks the first time to our knowledge that an academic event of this scale dedicated to communications, journalism and media studies has been held in Central Asia. It is a wonderful opportunity for our region to contribute intellectually, as well. We have a very unique media context that can provide many important insights for scholars and professionals around the world,鈥 says department chairwoman, Dr. Elira Turdubaeva.
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鈥The World Communication Association is the world鈥檚 second-largest communication studies organization. Its membership comes from across North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, but until this August, all of its biennial conferences had been in 鈥榙eveloped鈥 societies. Kyrgyzstan and the American University will be breaking new ground,鈥 explains Christopher Schwartz, a lecturer with the department.
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Prestigious guests include Dr. Seon-gi Baek, president of the World Communication Association and chair of the Department of Journalism and Communication Studies at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea鈥檚 oldest and foremost institution of higher learner, and Dr. Stephen Hartnett, president of the United States鈥 National Communication Association and director of the Puksta Fellows Program of the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado-Denver.
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鈥I am very happy that this kind of worldwide conference will be held in a Central Asial country. Communication is the best way to resolve worldwide conflict and disaster. Even though [conference participants will] start from academic perspectives, we will try to apply these perspective to real-world situations,鈥 says Dr. Baek.
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Indeed, the plenary session scheduled for August 3rd is dedicated to 鈥淲orld Conflicts, Discontents and Discourses鈥, and presentation topics include, 鈥淐risis in the Korean peninsula: North Korea鈥檚 threats, media coverage and frame, and international implications: A Comparative study on news coverage of South Korea, North Korea, China and the US鈥 by Dr. Baek, and 鈥淒iscourse analysis of media coverage of July conflict 2012 in Khorog, Tajikistan鈥 by Gulazor Gulmamadova from the American university of Central Asia.
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For press accreditation and interviews, journalists may contact Christopher Schwartz: schwartz_c@auca.kg
听For more information, including how you can to attend the conference, please visit the conference website: http://wcaweb.org/conference/2017-wca-conference/