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Communication Studies Scholars from Six Arab Countries Visit Freie Universität

Communication Studies Scholars Attend Workshop from June 29 to July 7 to Address Challenges in Doing Research or Teaching in Their Field

№ 184/2013 from Jun 26, 2013

Arab communication scholars from six Arab countries are visiting Freie Universität Berlin from June 29 to July 7. The 24 scholars are attending a workshop organized by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) that addresses developments in research and teaching in communication studies from an international perspective. The “Workshop on Communication Studies in Interregional Perspectives: Developments and Challenges in Research and Teaching” is being organized by the Institute for Media and Communication Studies and the International Center for Journalism under the direction of Junior Professor Dr. Carola Richter.

The representatives of the various communication studies institutes come from the transition countries Egypt and Tunisia, from Oman, Qatar, and Yemen, as well as from the occupied Palestinian territories. They will be talking with professors and early-career researchers from German institutions about the challenges in research and teaching in the discipline. Particularly in light of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia and the social transformation processes in other countries, the participants want to promote networking among each other as well as to intensify cooperation between Freie Universität and Egyptian universities and the universities of other countries. The aim is to contribute to the development of the participating institutes and universities through the exchange of research projects and experiences in teaching and research, while strengthening transnational perspectives of the discipline as a whole.

The week-long program is intended to facilitate an intensive discussion about the self-understanding of the subject with regard to the status quo. Additionally, there should be opportunities to debate the challenges of the discipline in the various Arab countries and Germany. Another topic of discussion will be innovative forms of communication in teaching. The participants also wish to exchange information about current research projects, the exchange of early career researchers, good governance in universities, and the issue of the normativity of research.

The workshop will be accompanied by two public lectures on Thursday, July 4, 2013. The first lecture, to be held from 10 a.m. to 12 o'clock, will focus on the role of social media in the Egyptian revolution and the media landscape in Tunisia after the upheavals in the country. The second lecture, from 6 to 8 p.m., will deal with the image of Egyptian women in the media. There is no charge for admission.

The Institute for Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin is organizing the workshop. With nine professors and junior professors, it is one of the largest media and communication institutes in Germany. Since 1999, the International Center for Journalism at  Freie Universität has been offering part-time training programs for journalists and those wishing to go into the field, in particular for individuals from Eastern Europe and the USA.

For further information about the workshop, program, and participants, see:

http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/kommwiss/institut/journalistenkolleg/arab_comm_workshop

Location and Time of the Public Lectures

  • Thursday, July 4, 10 a.m. to 12:00: Heba Ahmed: "Social media in the Egyptian revolution" & Dr. Nouri Lajmi and Dr. Hamida El-Bour: "The Tunisian media landscape after the Tunisian revolution"
    Garystr. 55, Lecture Hall 55-C, 14195 Berlin, subway station: Thielplatz (U3)
  • Thursday, July 4, 6 to 8 p.m.: Dr. Inas Abou Youssef: "Gendering the revolution and beyond: The image of Egyptian women in the media"
    Garystr. 55, Lecture Hall 55-C, 14195 Berlin, subway station: Thielplatz (U3)

Interviews with the Workshop Participants

We will be happy to arrange interviews with the workshop participants. For an appointment, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs, Freie Universität, Tel.: +49 30 838-73180 or Email: presse@fu-berlin.de (Reference: "Kommunikationswissenschaftler")