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29th Annual Conference
Talk ASAP: The Africa-Asia Pacific Dialogue
on Communication Issues
Brief Profile of AMIC
The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Inc. (AMIC) is a 51-year-old international non-government organization (INGO) mandated to spearhead communication media development in the Asia Pacific region. It is an accredited UNESCO NGO.
Established as a non-profit NGO in Singapore, AMIC promotes an ethical and socially responsible communication media sector committed to the tenets of freedom and democracy in a socio-culturally diverse region. AMIC transferred its operations to Manila, Philippines in 2015.
AMIC’s regular programmes include the following: (1) Annual International Conference; (2) Publication of Asia’s Leading Academic and Professional Journals (i.e., Asian Journal of Communication and Media Asia); (3) Research and Development; (4) Annual AMIC Asia Communication Award and AMIC Asia Communication Awards for Young Leaders; (5) Online/offline book publications; and (6) Capacity Building for Asian Communication Professionals (e.g., seminars, workshops, and webinars).
AMIC Annual Conference
The Annual Conference is AMIC’s flagship program. It is the premiere learning event on Asian communication media. It attracts eminent international speakers and participants. Over 500 academics, media industry professionals, government information officers, policymakers, regulators, independent consultants, and students from the Asia Pacific region and all over the world attend the annual event.
The annual conference features plenary and parallel sessions on such topics as the impact of information and communication technology (ICT), communication competencies, Asian values and practices, democracy and governance, freedom of expression and access to information, journalism issues and trends, media and sustainable development, etc.
The annual event is hosted in rotation by countries across the Asia Pacific region. Recent annual conferences were held in Vietnam, Thailand, India, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
29th Annual Conference: Talk ASAP: The Africa-Asia Pacific Dialogue on Communication Issues
Why an Africa- Asia Pacific Dialogue and Exchange? The following reasons can be put forward: (1) Majority of the emerging and developing countries are from these two continents (i.e., 29 from Asia and 54 from Africa); (2) Population of these two continents combined represents 77 percent of the global population (as of 2020)[1]; (3) Many countries in both continents tend to use the West as development benchmark; (4) There are many similarities in the socio-political context between Asia and Africa; and (5) There are many common communication, media, and information issues that countries in these two continents are facing.
The pioneering initiative for dialogue between the two continents is the 1955 Asian-African Conference popularly known as the Bandung Conference which was described as “the first significant gathering of independent and soon-to-be independent nations in Asia and Africa.”
Talk ASAP (Africa-Asia Pacific Dialogue on Communication Issues) will serve as a platform for renewed South-South knowledge-sharing and peer-learning mechanism, i.e., to share experiences, perspectives, ideas and lessons, tools, and technologies and to provide opportunities for intra-regional, interregional, and intercontinental cooperation.
Currently, there is no exclusive venue for dialogue and exchange of lessons and experiences between Asia and Africa, particularly in the communication and media sectors.
The 29th Annual Conference will jumpstart a sustained cooperative program among institutions from both continents featuring offline/online forums including seminars/webinars, and training courses; collaborative research and development; joint publications and exchange (e.g., online/offline books and journals); and faculty/scholars/students’ exchange.
Conference Objectives
The Conference has the following specific objectives:
To share and exchange lessons and experiences, especially best practices, in addressing common communication media issues and concerns;
To promote Afro-Asian communication scholarship through collaborative academic initiatives;
To provide a venue for networking among Asian and African communication professionals and institutions for collaborative programs/projects in research, publications, forums, faculty/student exchanges, etc.; and
To explore the feasibility of adopting a mechanism for inter-continental consultation toward consensus-building for current and emerging global communication issues.
Conference Plenary and Parallel Sessions Themes
As in past conferences, sessions are divided into plenary and parallel sessions. Plenary sessions feature experts/resource persons from different countries on specific areas. Parallel sessions consist of paper presentations by conference participants on their selected topics.
Abstracts submitted to the conference secretariat undergo blind peer review by experts in appropriate topics. Full papers of approved abstracts are presented by the authors during the parallel sessions.
The preliminary plenary sessions include the following:
After 70 Years: The Bandung Conference – What we have Achieved, What We Still Need to Achieve
Afrocentricity and Asiacentricity: In Search of Our Own Communication Theories
UNESCO Draft Regulation of Digital Platforms: Voices from Asia and Africa
Inter-continental Studies: Strategies in Pursuing Collaborative Asian and African Scholarships
State of the Art on Communication and Development in Africa: Peer Learning Needs with Asian Scholars, Educators, and Practitioners
Contemporary Challenges to Press Freedom in Asia and Africa: Addressing Commonalities and Differences
Talk Africa, Inside Asia: How Mainstream Media Portrays Asian and African Societies
An initial list of parallel session topics includes the following:
Communication Theories and Research Paradigms
Communication and Journalism Education
Digitally-Enabled Pathways to Communication and Journalism Education
Disinformation Studies
Media and Information Literacy
Community Media and Public Service Media
Science and Health Communication
Environment Communication and Reporting
Agriculture Communication and Reporting
Political Communication
Culture and Communication
Journalism Issues and Practices
Mobile Technology
Digital Technology and Human Relations
Digital Research, Regulation, and Inter-Platform Relations
Integrated Marketing and Communication
Public (Government) Communication
AMIC Asia Communication Award 2022
One of the highlights of the conference is the conferment of the 2022 AMIC Asia Communication Award to Dr. Ronny Adhikarya. The Award was established in 2006 to recognize outstanding achievements in various fields of communication media. Twenty-two individuals have since received the Award. Dr. Adhikarya has introduced knowledge management systems including information, education, and communication programs in diverse development areas for Asia, Africa, and the Near East.
Post-Conference Publications and Other Outputs
Approved and presented abstracts during the conference are published online by AMIC in the annual Book of Abstracts. Paper writers are encouraged to submit their full paper for possible publication in AMIC journals, i.e., Asian Journal of Communication (AJC) and Media Asia. These journals are published for AMIC by the prestigious academic publisher Routledge Taylor and Francis.
A distinct conference website will be uploaded at least three months prior to the actual conference dates. The conference website will feature conference program, profile of partners and sponsors, registration details, learning resources from partners and sponsors, among others.
All conference plenary and parallel sessions will be recorded for uploading in the AMIC YouTube Channel.
Among the major conference outputs will be an Africa-Asia Pacific Recommendations which will highlight areas and strategies for cooperation and partnership among communication and journalism professionals from the two continents.
Conference Delivery
The Conference will primarily be in-person. However, online engagement will be allowed for participants from Africa. Plenary sessions convened by partner institutions from Africa may be recorded for streaming during the conference. Parallel session presenters from Africa can present their papers virtually, preferably synchronously.
Conference Schedule
The 29th AMIC Annual Conference will be held on 28-30 September 2023.
Conference Venue
Hotel Savoy Homann Bandung
Jl. Asia Afrika No.112, Cikawao, Lengkong Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40261, Indonesia
Post-Conference Publications and Other Outputs
Approved and presented abstracts during the conference are published online by AMIC in the annual Book of Abstracts. Paper writers are encouraged to submit their full paper for possible publication in AMIC journals, i.e., Asian Journal of Communication (AJC) and Media Asia. These journals are published for AMIC by the prestigious academic publisher Routledge Taylor and Francis.
A distinct conference website will be uploaded prior to the actual conference dates. The conference website will feature conference program, profile of partners and sponsors, registration details, learning resources from partners and sponsors, among others.
All conference plenary and parallel sessions will be recorded for uploading in the AMIC YouTube Channel.
Among the major conference outputs will be an Africa-Asia Pacific Recommendations which will highlight areas and strategies for cooperation and partnership among communication and journalism professionals from the two continents.
Conference Partner Institutions
Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) located in Bandung, Indonesia which is the site of the historic 1955 Asian-African Conference, is the host of the 29th AMIC Annual Conference. UNPAD is part of AMIC history. AMIC emerged from a 1971 travelling seminar that brought 13 Asian communication and journalism educators to 13 cities in Asia in 25 days. The third stop in the 25-day tour was the Facultas Publizistik of Padjajaran University. The study programs of UNPAD’s Faculty of Communication Sciences has been accredited ‘A’, and in 2013-2014, its Master of Communication Science program became the only one with ‘A’ accreditation in Indonesia.
Far Eastern University (FEU) in the Philippines is a co-host. FEU is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1928. It has seven institutes that offer 22 undergraduate programs, and 15 graduate programs, which includes a law school. The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) classifies FEU as autonomous, the highest classification for a university. In 2022, FEU ranked 74th in the World's Universities Real Impact (WURI).
The University of Pretoria in South Africa is the lead partner for Africa. The University recently launched its Centre for Asian Studies in Africa (CASA) – a unique hub for research in the field of Asian studies and studies of historical and contemporary connections between the Asian and African continents. CASA will be introduced to AMIC participants during the Conference.
UNESCO emerges as a potential major conference partner. UNESCO has adopted Africa and Gender Equality as its global priorities. It has just completed its Priority Africa at UNESCO Operational Strategy 2014-2021.
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/237584/distribution-of-the-world-population-by-continent/
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