The department of Arts and media has taken a great the initiative to organize the second international hybrid conference on the subject of Media and Communication studies on 7th May 2024. The theme of this conference was “Navigating the digital age: Opportunities, trends and challenges in regional connectivity and integration through media and communication studies”.

Guest of Honor

Guest of Honor was Ambassador of Republic of Tajikistan, His excellency Shafiev Saidjon Ismoil.

Key Note Speaker

Key note speaker was Senator Mushahid Hussain an elected Senator/Member of Pakistan’s Parliament. He was Chairman, Senate Defence Committee, plus member of Human Rights, Climate Change & Foreign Affairs Committees of Parliament. Senator Mushahid Hussain has been awarded the prestigious Practitioner-in-Residence at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, USA, for the academic year 2023-24 where he lectures/mentors senior students on International Relations.

Chief Guest

Chief guest was Major General Muhammad Kaleem Asif, Hilal e Imtiaz (Retired). He is a graduate of Command and Staff College Quetta and National Defense University management from National Defence University Islamabad and Arts and Sciences of Warfare (Strategic Studies) from Command and Staff College Quetta.

Themes

Navigating the Digital Age: Opportunities, Trends and Challenges in Regional Connectivity and Integration through Media and Communication Studies

Media Uses and Effects

• Perceptions, Attitudes and Media Uses
• Media Effects on Health and Well-being
• Cross-platform Media Effects
• Pro Social and Developmental Effects of Media
• Applied Research in the Field of Media; Emerging Trends
• Persuasion, Public Opinion and New Media
• Media Psychology and Media Addiction

Digital Media

• Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity
• Digital Media and SDG Communication
• Social Media and Cross-Cultural Communication
• Digital Storytelling and Regional Narratives
• Economic Integration and Digital Trade
• Consumption Behaviors and Practices in Digital Space
• Identity Construction in the Digital Space

Conflict and Crisis Communication

• Peace and War Journalism
• Communication in Humanitarian Interventions
• Media and Violence
• Communication and Crisis Management
• Media Engagement towards Regional & Global Issues
• Media and International Politics
• How to Counter Islamophobia
• Global Media Challenges and Prospects

Art, Culture and Society

• Cultural Representation and Identities
• Gandhara Civilization in South Asian Art and Culture
• Popular Culture and Post-Modernism
• Art and Cultural Symbiosis/Semiotics
• Gandhara Cultural Heritage and Local Artist Representation
• Representation of marginalized Communities in Art and Media
• Utilizing Art & Cultural Exchange in Cultural & Public Diplomacy
• Cross-Cultural Influences in Art and Cultural Production

Artificial Intelligence and Media

• AI in Journalism and News Reporting
• Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR) in Media
• Creative AI and Artistic Expression
• AI and Media Industry Trends
• Fake News and Fact-Checking
• AI: Opportunities and Challenges for Academia
• Trends in AI-Driven Visual Communication Technologies

Regional Connectivity and Integration through Media

• Regional Media Markets and Content Distribution
• Cultural Exchange and Regional Broadcasting
• Infrastructure Development (Transportation, Telecommunications and Energy infrastructure)
• Regional Trade and Economic Integration through Media
• Role of Media in Cultural Exchanges and Festivals
• Heritage Preservation and Sustainable Tourism Practice
• Bilateral & Multilateral initiatives in Public & Cultural Diplomacy

Media Education and Literacy

• Emerging Trends in Media Education & Convergence
• Media Literacy and Media Production Skills
• Media Literacy in the Digital Space
• Media Education and New Technology
• Professionalism and Ethics in the Classrooms
• Media partnerships for the SDGs

Media Management and Entrepreneurship

• Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations
• Socio-political Instability and Digital Activism
• Media and Disaster Management
• Censorship and Media Regulation
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Change

Sessions

• First session was chaired by Dr. Mohsin Hassan Khan, Bahria University Islamabad. Theme for this session was Media Uses and Effects.
• Second parallel session was chaired by Dr. Tanveer Hussain, Department of Communication and Media Research, School of Communication Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore. Theme: Artificial Intelligence, Media Education and Literacy, Digital Media.
• Third parallel session was chaired by Dr. Mehboob Hussain, Chairman, Department of History and Pakistan Studies. Theme: Art, Culture and Society, Media Management and Entrepreneurship.
• Fourth parallel session was in Video Conference room chaired by Lt Col (Retd) Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Communication with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad. Theme: Conflict and Crisis Communication, Regional Connectivity, and Integration through Media.
• Professional session chaired by Ambassador of Republic of Tajikistan, His excellency Shafiev Saidjon Ismoil.

Poster presentation was also arranged for the conference.

Workshops

• Master the art of Writing by Mr. Asad Jawaid, Senior Editor.
• Script and Screen Play by Mr. Asad Abbas Hussain, Writer, Director, Advisor of Karavaan Peace Project at Prism Media and Entertainment Company.
• Digital Printing for Entrepreneurship by Ms. Amber Fatima, Entrepreneur and CEO Amber Creation.
• Media Effects Paradigm in the Digital Age by Dr. Khalid Sultan, Dean Social Sciences, NUML.