Speakers

DR. CRISPIN C. MASLOG

A journalism practitioner and academician, started as a full-time journalist with the Manila Bureau of Agence France-Presse before he went to the University of Minnesota on a Fulbright-Smith Mundt scholarship. After getting his M.A. and Ph.D. there in 1967, he returned to the Philippines to take on the job as first permanent director of the School of Communication, Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines. He served as director for for 15 years. He was editor of the Silliman Journal from 1970 to 1980.

He later moved on to become professor, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños, from where he retired in 1998. While at UPLB, he co-founded and became president of LIFE foundation, an environmental NGO that worked to save Laguna Lake. After “retiring” from UPLB, he was invited to be Senior Vice President and Dean, Graduate School, Asian Institute of Journalism, in Manila. After retirement he has been visiting mass communication professor in the United States, Norway, and Singapore.

Among his many areas of expertise is science and agriculture journalism which he taught at UP Los Baños for many years. Among his 37 published books are Science and Science Writing, a Manual on Ethnic Reporting, both published by the Philippine Press Institute; Genes are Gems: Reporting Agribiotechnology (2006), Hyderabad, India: ICRISAT and ISAAA; Science Writing and Climate Change (2019).

Other books he published recently are: PACE Turning 50: A History of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators. (2023); AMIC @ 50: Turning Gold A History of Asian Media and Information and Communication Centre (AMIC, 2022); Never Again! (To Martial Law) A Sequel to Martial Law Jokes Atbp (self-published, 2019) and Jokes Only: A Book on Duterteisms (self-published, 2022).

PROF. (DR.) UJWALA CHAKRADEO

Dr. Chakradeo is an architect and urban planner and completed MTech and Ph.D. from VNIT in 1989 and 2006, respectively.

She has been teaching architecture since 1985. She is deeply involved in exploring methods and means of teaching architecture and other related subjects. Design processes have been her area of interest.

She was chairperson of a committee constituted by Government of Maharashtra for implementation of National Education Policy in Maharashtra (2022). Currently, she is a member to the Steering Committee to recommend measures regarding the difficulties faced in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the State of Maharashtra.

DR. BAMBANG BRODJONEGORO

Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, an Indonesian national, is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Before joining ADBI in April 2025, he was Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Economic Affairs and National Development. He served the Government of Indonesia in several senior leadership roles: Indonesia’s Minister of Finance (2014–2016), Minister of National Development Planning (2016–2019), and Minister of Research and Technology (2019-2021). He also served as Director General of Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (2009-2010).

Dean Brodjonegoro holds a doctorate and master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, where he was full Professor and Dean in 2005-2009.

MR. GUILHERME CANELA

Mr. Guilherme Canela is the Director of the Division for Digital Inclusion and Policies and Digital Transformation, and Secretary of the Information for All Programme (IFAP) at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, He is a former Chief of the Section for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists for 2020-2025, where he was responsible for World Press Freedom Day, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, and the Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.

Between 2012 and 2020, he held the position of Communication and Information Regional Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNESCO Montevideo Office.

In 2000-2008, Guilherme coordinated the media and journalism research area of the News Agency for Children’s Rights (ANDI), responsible for several studies on news media coverage on issues such as children’s education, rights, health, sexual abuse, human and social development, among others. He is co-author of 10 books on various topics, including human rights, children’s rights, and development and democracies.

He has a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Brasília (UNB) and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of São Paulo (USP).

RON JABAL, DBA, APR

Dr. Ron Jabal, APR, is a senior communications executive for more than three decades, managing teams in the Philippines, Europe, North America, South Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania.

Recognized for his contribution and leadership in the practice of international public relations and corporate affairs, Dr. Jabal is the first recipient of “Global PR Practitioner of the Year” by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (GA). He is also recognized as a global thought leader by the Global and APAC Stevie Awards and the ASEAN PR Excellence Awards.

Dr. Jabal is advisor and senior consultant to funded projects of USAID, ADB, WB, UN, and the EU.

Dr. Jabal is the Chairman and CEO of PAGEONE Group, one of the most awarded communications consulting agencies in Asia Pacific. Dr. Jabal has a doctorate in business administration from Swiss School of Management (Switzerland) and is currently writing his dissertation for his PhD in Sociology in De La Salle University, Manila.

MR. KRISHNAN SUBRAMANIAN

Krishnan Subramanian has invested nearly 40 years helping clients understand consumer behavior and equipping them with strategies and frameworks that make their communications purposeful and attractive.

This has helped consumers connect better with brands as diverse as American Express, Apple, Blackrock Mutual, Coca Cola, Ikea, Standard Chartered Bank, and Unilever, among others.

He has worked across 15 cities in Asia, has published multiple articles on diverse topics, and has lectured at various forums and institutes in India, France, UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

MR. BHARATENDU KABI

Bharatendu Kabi is one of India’s senior communication professionals, with over 30 years of global experience in brand building, reputation management, product launches, and crisis communication across Asia, Africa, US, Europe, Middle East and South & Central America.

He is Executive Vice President and Group Head – Media & Communication at the US$ 23 billion JSW Group – one of India’s fastest growing conglomerates with presence in steel, energy, infrastructure, paints, cement, automobiles, defense, B2B e-commerce, venture capital, realty and sports.

Prior to joining JSW Group in August 2024, Bharatendu spent nearly two decades with Hero MotoCorp (formerly Hero Honda) – the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles. Bharatendu spent nearly six years with PepsiCo in India, during a time that saw the peak of the cola wars, and the pesticide in soft drinks crisis.

A post-graduate in Political Science from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Bharatendu started his career as a journalist with Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s premier news wire. He won multiple awards, including the ‘Communication Personality of the Year’ in 2020 at the ET Brand Equity Kaleido Awards and the Corporate Communication Professional of 2021 at the India PR and Corporate Communication Awards.

DR. SUNITHA CHITRAPU

Dr. Sunitha Chitrapu is an independent media researcher based in Mumbai, India. She has a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Indiana University Bloomington. Her research interests include the economics of international media trade, political economy of media, media labour, Indian language media markets, and modernities. Dr. Chitrapu has co-authored the book Media Economics and Management and has contributed to various scholarly works examining the dynamics of media industries in India. She was formerly the Head of the Social Communications Media Department at Sophia Polytechnic where she is now a visiting faculty member. She is currently on the advisory boards of the Department of Communication & Media Studies, SNDT University and the Symbiosis Centre for Research in Media and Creative Industries.

DR. CHRISTOPHE GAUTHIER

Christophe Gauthier co-founded and co-chairs the I4T Knowledge Global Network, a worldwide trusted bridge between Civil Society / Research / Administrations about digital platform regulation. The I4T Knowledge Network brings together 50+ Academia and CSO from the 5 continents to provide field evidence and science-based recommendations and steer regulation of digital platforms towards information integrity and SDG improvements.

Christophe is also Lead Coordinator of the Digital Enlightenment activities at the French Think Tank #Leplusimportant where he is contributing to new Ways of Working, especially AI at work. The recent work about the Responsible AI Periodic Table has received warm comments as it suggests a new way of implementing AI within organizations.

He is co-founder of the French & European Chapter of the Radical xChange Movement.with contributions in collective deliberation and data commons. This includes advocacy and hope dissemination about the Plurality initiative by Audrey Tang & Glen Weyl.

Christophe is a French National, a father of three and he holds a Telecom Engineering degree from IMT Atlantique (France), MSC from UCL (UK), MSC in Audit & Controlling from Caen University (France).

DR. CHANDRABHANU PATTANAYAK

Dr. Pattanayak is the Director of the Institute of Knowledge Societies, an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to research and education on the interface between modern technologies and traditional knowledge systems. It incorporates UNESCO’s recommendations that are contained in the “Toward Knowledge Societies” report (2005).

Pattanayak served as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean, and later Vice Chancellor i/c, of the Himgiri ZEE University in Dahradun, India, and also as Director of the University of Hawaii Manoa India programs. He served as Consultant for Community Media with the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the National Skill Development Corporation, Government of India. He was also Senior Consultant, South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation; Consultant on Education and Communication, Government of Norway; and India Representative for AMIC. He also worked as an academic in the US. His early training was in Theater, Film, Ritual Studies, English Literature and Communications. He studied for a doctorate at the McGill University, Montreal.

DR. WIJAYANTO

Wijayanto is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Government, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia, where he also acts as Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Collaboration, and Public Communication. He also serves as the Director of the Centre for Media and Democracy at Social Economic Institute of Research, Education and Information (LP3ES), one of the oldest and most influential think tanks in Indonesia. He has contributed significantly to the discourse on Indonesian democracy through a comprehensive book series published by LP3ES. His articles have appeared in scholarly journals such as Contemporary Southeast Asia, International Journal of Press/Politics, Indonesia, and Media Asia. His areas of interest include journalism and media freedom, digital activism, cyber terror, cyber troops and influence operation, gendered disinformation, and the rise of digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia.

MS. MA'ALY HAZZAZ

Ms. Maaly Hazzaz began her career as a journalist, gaining extensive experience across media platforms. In 2009, she transitioned to the United Nations system. She coordinated the UNESCO Multi Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists, providing support to 38 countries across five regions.

She was appointed Advisor for Communication and Information for South Asia at the UNESCO Regional Office in New Delhi. Her mandate includes supporting programs related to freedom of expression, access to information, media development, and the safety of journalists.

DR. PENG HWA ANG

Chairman d’Honneur, AMIC
Editor, Asian Journal of Communication
Professor, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

DR. KARLYGA MYSSAYEVA

Dr. Myssayeva holds a PhD in Journalism from al-Farabi Kazakh National University. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Ohio University, a Research Scholar at George Washington University and Oklahoma State University, and a post-doctorate program (IFEAC) scholar at Strasbourg University in France. Her research interests focus on new media and social media, as well as media education development in Central Asia. She is AMIC representative for Kazakstan.

DR. PASCAL GUENEE

After studying Political Science, Pascal GUENEE became a journalist in the 1980s. In 2000, he transitioned to journalism education by joining the Institut Pratique du Journalisme (Université Paris Dauphine–PSL), which he has directed since 2001, strengthening its position as a key institution for journalism training in France. A former President of the Global Network of French-speaking Journalism Schools, he has been leading since 2020 the Conference of Journalism Schools in France, which represents the country’s accredited journalism programs.

In 2019, he played a central role in organizing the 5th World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC 2019) in Paris, and in August 2025 he was elected Chair of the World Journalism Education Council (WJEC). In 2009, he was part of the expert group tasked with drafting the new code of ethics for French journalists.

His research interests include the impact of trauma on journalists, and he is a member of the Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group (JETREG). For his contribution to journalism and journalism education, he has been named Knight in the French National Order of Merit.

DR. MA. DIOSA V. LABISTE

Ma. Diosa Labiste, PhD, is the new Dean of the College of Media and Communication of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Dr. Labiste's program of action focuses on Husay, Tapang, at Unawa (ensuring excellence, courage, and deep understanding in media and communication education). She is an Associate Professor at the Journalism Department of the UP-CMC. She earned her doctorate from the University of Birmingham in the U.K. Dean Labiste has supported AMIC by presenting a paper at its international conference in Bandung, Indonesia, in 2023.

(Excerpts from https://web.facebook.com/photofbid=1051254443697117&set=a.451013260387908 and https://www.plarideljournal.org/may-akda/labiste-ma-diosa/)

PHOTO SOURCE: https://web.facebook.com/photo/fbid=122117223950794700&set=a.122098680104794700

DR. NOZIMA MURATOVA

Dr. Nozima Muratova is AMIC's Representative for Uzbekistan.

She is Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation of the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan and Co-Founder of “MediaDataLab” Media Research Think Tank. She also serves as the Country Ambassador for Uzbekistan of IAMCR, and founder of the scientific journal, Media and Communication in Central Asia.

PROF. MIRA K. DESAI

Prof. Mira K. Desai is currently heading University Department of Extension & Communication and has additional charge of Department of Food Science & Nutrition as well as RUSA Centre for Food Product Development at SNDTWU Juhu campus, Mumbai. With graduation in commerce and two postgraduate degrees in Development Communication (Gujarat University) and Distance Education (IGNOU), her PhD is in Home Science Extension (SNDTWU) with work in the area of cultural imperialism guided by American trained Anthropologist Dr. Binod C Agrawal. She has professional experience of over three decades across multiple academic disciplines- journalism mass communication, Home Science Extension, Gender studies and distance education. Her core areas of competences are teaching, content creation, curriculum design, training design and research. Having government of India award for her book manuscript for neo-literates, she has nine books, 23 book chapters, 22 journal papers, SLM materials, reports and 50+ popular articles to her credit. She writes in Gujarati, English and Hindi. She is associated with multiple professional associations of media and communication locally as well as globally. Currently she is on Board of directors of ORBICOM- Unesco Chair in Communications Montreal, Country Representative AMIC Manila and Coordinator AMIC India Fund at SNDTWU, Vice President of GCRA Paraguay and Founding Member of MEAM Maharashtra and SNDT Alumnae Association. Her research interest are audiences, Indian television, women’s studies/gender, development, and sociology of technology.

PROF. BIPLAP LOHO-CHOUDHURY

Prof.(Dr.) Biplab Loho Choudhury

Center For Journalism & Mass Communication

Visva - Bharati, Santiniketan West Bengal, India & Country Director (India), Asian Congress for Media & Communication (ACMC)Asian Congress for Media & Communication (ACMC)

Author: Media Organization Management (Unique, 2008), Indian Paradigm of Development: Man Standard & Communication (Sampark, 2011), Nabomadhyamer Rooprekha (Bengali Outline of New Media),(West Bengal State Book Board, 2013) Editor (Jt): Media & Communication Issues & Practices (CBEP, 2014); Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Peace, Education and Development; Joint author, Natyasastra: A Study of Continuity and Progress of Indian Communication Theorising and Praxis.

PROF. K.G SURESH

Prof.(Dr.) K G Suresh is a journalist, educator, and communication strategist. He is the Founder President, Global Media Education Council, an international academic platform, and Vice-President, Indian Communication Congress. He was the former Director General of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, India's premier media training institute under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, and former Vice Chancellor of Asia's first and India's largest state-run media university, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal.

He also serves as Professor Emeritus at the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, and Professor (Hony) at Apeejay Stya University, Gurugram, India’s first liberal Arts University.

He has served as Senior Consulting Editor, Doordashan News; Editorial Consultant, Asianet News Network and Chief Political Correspondent, Press Trust of India.

DR. PADMA RANI

Professor
Manipal Institute of Communication
Manipal Academy of Higher Education

DR. PEIXIN CAO

Dr. Peixin Cao is a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Journalism at the Communication University of China. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. He is recognized as a Beijing Outstanding Young Teacher and leads a national first-class undergraduate course. Dr. Cao serves as China’s country representative to AMIC and as a news commentator for China National Radio. His research focuses on political economy of communication and visual communication. He teaches courses such as communication research methods, communication theory, and news commentary writing. He has published over 50 academic articles and contributes media and art commentary to outlets including Global Times, China Art Weekly, and China National Radio.

PROF. JI LI

Dr. JI Li is a Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Wuhan University, China, and serves as the Dean of Broadcasting at the same school. She is currently

the Director of the Environmental and Science Communication Institute of the Center for Studies of Media Development at Wuhan University.

Wang Xiangwei

Wang Xiangwei is a distinguished journalist with over 30 years of experience in media. A leading commentator on China and its international relations, he writes an influential column, China Briefing, in the South China Morning Post—Asia’s premier English-language newspaper. He contributes regularly to prominent international and regional outlets, including CNA in Singapore and Ming Pao in Hong Kong, and shares his insights through his personal publishing platform at wangxiangwei.substack.com.

Xiangwei is an Associate Professor of Practice at Hong Kong Baptist University. He was Editorial Advisor at the South China Morning Post from 2016 to 2022. From 2012 to 2016, he led the newspaper as Editor-in-Chief, managing a newsroom of over 300 journalists and shaping its editorial direction and transformation into a dynamic, digital-first media organization, greatly enhancing its global reach and impact.

DR. KALINGA SENEVIRATNE

Dr. Kalinga Seneviratne, is a journalist, podcaster, author and an international communications scholar. He is currently a consultant to the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and also a Research Fellow at the Shinawatra International University in Thailand. He is a former Head of Research at AMIC. He has authored 4 books on international communications: Global News Media: Countering Western Hegemony in International News (Atlantic, 2025), GeoPolitics and the media in Asia and the Pacific: Pulling in Different Directions (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2024), Myth of ‘Free Media’ and Fake News in the Post-Truth Era (SAGE, 2020), and Countering MTV Influence in Indonesia and Malaysia (ISEAS, 2012). He has also edited numerous other books on communications issues such as ‘Mindful Communication for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from Asia’ (SAGE, 2018). He has been a prolific feature writer for news agencies and publications, especially in Asia, for the past 30 years. Kalinga is currently a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. He has also taught at tertiary level in Australia, Singapore, Thailand, India and Central Asia. He is a recipient of an UN Media Peace Award in 1987 for his work on Australian community radio.

MS. URVASHI KAPOOR

Urvashi is the Senior Editor and Assistant General Manager at Jagran New Media. Additionally, she serves as a trainer for the Google News Initiative India training network. Urvashi is widely recognized for her expertise in fact-checking, and media literacy training. Her contributions to journalism have been acknowledged with numerous accolades, including the prestigious '40 Under 40 in Journalism', which was conferred upon her by the Governor of Kerala in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the industry. Under her leadership, media literacy projects have reached an audience of 60 million and have been honored with multiple awards, including a gold award in the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards.

DR. DANILO A. ARAO

He is a professor in the Journalism Department, College of Media and Communication, University of the Philippines (UP CMC) in Diliman, Quezon City. He is also a faculty affiliate of the Center for International Studies (CIS) at UP Diliman, special lecturer of the Department of Journalism, College of Communication, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Manila, and editor of Media Asia, a journal published by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

He was associate dean of UP CMC; assistant vice-president for public affairs and director, System Information Office (SIO) of UP; associate editor of the UP-based refereed journal Social Science Diliman; visiting professor at Hannam University in Daejeon, South Korea; editor-in-chief and head of research at IBON Foundation, a research think-tank. He taught Political Science at De La Salle University (DLSU)-Manila.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication (major in Journalism), cum laude, from UP Diliman, Master of Arts (MA) in Philippine Studies, with High Distinction, at DLSU-Manila, and Doctor philosophiae (Dr. phil.) at Technische Universität (TU) Ilmenau (Germany).

DR. JESSADA SALATHONG

Dr. Jessada Salathong is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Communication Arts, Editor of the Journal of Communication Arts, and former Assistant to the President of International Affairs at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He is also a veteran international news commentator, news anchor, radio host, and bi-lingual MC. He holds master's and doctoral degrees in international studies
from Waseda University, Japan (under Japanese Government's MEXT Scholarship) and his first environmental science degree from Thammasat University, Thailand. His research focuses on communication and sustainable development, communication and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), soft power, creative industry, and fact-checking.

Dr. V. Vijay Kumar

Dr. V. Vijay Kumar is Dean of the School of Communications at XIM University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. He is a ed communication professional and educator, with many years of industry experience in audiovisual content development, supervision, and management. He produced television reality shows, non-fiction live broadcasts, television commercials, and feature films. He worked with Sun TV Network, Chennai; Shop CJ TV Network, Mumbai; Frames Entertainment, Chennai, India, in senior roles, and he was a creative head and show director of an award-winning Tamil reality talent hunt show Naalaya Iyakunar (transl. Future Director) and South India’s first reality television show for identical twins Iruvar (transl. Twins). His research interests are television studies, film studies, leisure studies, Tamil cinema, social media, interactive digital communication, positive psychology, public relations, corporate social responsibility and educational media. He co-edited two books, Media and Marginalized Voices: Women and LGBTQIA+ Community; Media and Marginality: Inclusion, Exclusion and Representation, published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers in 2025.

MR. LAXMAN DATT PANT

Mr. Pant is an advocate for the independent media, known for his commitment and actions to media development and press freedom globally. In 2015, Pant founded Media Action Nepal. Under his leadership, the organization joined the leading global media development and press freedom alliances, including the Media Freedom Coalition-Consultative Network (MFC-CN), the Civil Society Coalition of the Forum on Information & Democracy, ACOS Alliance, and the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). An Adjunct Professor at the Tbilisi State University, he also serves as the Country Representative for Nepal at the AMIC. He taught development journalism at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and media studies at Kathmandu University, Nepal. A former UN Programme Specialist, Pant began his career over two decades ago as a journalist. He has co-edited major international research publications, contributing works focused on the safety of journalists.

DR. JUDE WILLIAM GENILO

Prof. Jude William Genilo is the Pro Vice Chancellor of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB). He earned his Doctor of Philosophy and Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He also has undergraduate degrees in Economics and Management from De La Salle University Manila. Before joining ULAB, he headed the postgraduate program of the LSPR Communication and Business Institute in Jakarta, Indonesia, and served as a research fellow at the Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI) in Bangkok, Thailand. His notable works include authoring the book Community-Based Communication: A New Approach to Development Communication. He co-edited (with Brian Shoesmith) the anthology, Bangladesh’s Changing Mediascape: From State Control to Market Forces.

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