| Dear Colleague, The Final Submission Deadline for The Asian Conference on Media, Communication and Film (MediAsia) is July 24. Submit your abstract today and attend as a presenter, or register as an audience member, and join us in Tokyo, Japan from October 9-11, for this incredible event. ***Conference Theme: "Fearful Futures" We have reached a moment in international history that is one of potential paradigm shift. It is a moment when a problematic, but at least blandly progressivist, pro-multiculturalist movement toward "cosmopolitanism" (as Kwame Anthony Appiah might use the term) is being threatened by a far more destructive and potentially genocidal ethno-nationalism, the ferocity of which is fuelled by economic disparity, religious intolerance and retrograde ideologies regarding gender, race and sexuality. The possible global futures we face are fearful, indeed, and in an era of information and disinformation, fake news, cultural misrepresentations and hysterical polemic, are sometimes made out to be inevitable. In this context, the arts, humanities, media and cultural studies play an important role in tracing the genealogy of the present moment, documenting it, and charting different paths forward, inviting such questions as how does culture replicate itself (or critically engage itself) in the classroom, in literature, in social media, in film, in the visual and theatrical arts, in the family, and among peer groups? How do we rise to the challenge of articulating a notion of human rights that also respects cultural difference? How do cultural representations of the environment abet or challenge the forces driving climate change? What are the roles and responsibilities of the individual activist as teacher, writer, artist, social scientist and community member? What are the responsibilities of both traditional and non-traditional media? How do we make sense of the ideologies driving hatred and intolerance, and posit different models of social engagement and organisation? Looking to the past, what do we learn about the challenges of today? This international and interdisciplinary conference will bring together a range of academics, independent researchers, artists and activists to explore the challenges that we face in the twenty-first century. In the hackneyed While we have every right to fear the future, we also have agency in creating that future: can we commit to a cosmopolitanism that celebrates difference and that challenges social inequity? On our ability to answer to that question affirmatively likely hangs our very survival. The organisers encourage submissions that approach the conference theme from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions within and across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Join us in 2018 in Tokyo to consider how we as educators do not only survive, but also positively thrive, in these uncertain and changing times. **The Local Context: Tokyo and Japan We are very excited to welcome you to The Asian Conference on Media, Communication and Film (MediAsia), held this year in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, the capital of Japan, and the centre of the most populous metropolitan area on earth. Tokyo is a breathtaking place of remarkable architecture, light and colour, where hypermodern and tradition meet in a unique juxtaposition. Our beautiful conference venue is situated in the very centre of the city, near the parliament, and between the sedate grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace, and the towering skyscrapers of Shinjuku. Japan is a country with a hugely rich and influential media tradition going back a thousand years and is characterised by constant and brilliant conversations between popular and high culture and media in various forms; from the popular themed romance and action of the world’s first novel (Tales of Genji) a thousand years ago, through the mass produced works of Hokusai and Hiroshige, and to the manga which developed over many centuries to now become a globally popular phenomenon. From the page to the screen, anime such as Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z have been widely appreciated, and their creators and directors enjoy great respect; Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away remains Japan's biggest box office hit; underlining its immense crossover appeal. Tokyo is also the home of a strong domestic film industry that has counted some of the world's most important and influential directors, from Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi and Ichikawa, through to Yamada and more recently Kitano and Miike. The country also has a strong and eclectic music industry, often eclipsed in the international imagination by J-pop, manufactured groups, and the associated "tarento" and "idol" industries, which hint at the darker and exploitative side of show business. While Japan has has a strong journalistic tradition, press and media freedom has been declining recently (according to various sources such as Reporters without Borders), and censorship and self-censorship has been increasingly documented in a context of a rising domestic political nationalism. In a country where media and political powers have enjoyed a cosy and much criticised relationship, there remain questions about the media's ability to hold power to account, and uncomfortable comparisons with the past. Regardless of your field of study or areas of interest, Tokyo offers a great and exciting stage for IAFOR to hold its ninth MediAsia Conference, and we look forward to welcoming you in the autumn! – The MediAsia2018 Organising Committee Dr Ana Adi, Quadriga University, Germany Dr Joseph Haldane, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan Dr Virgil Hawkins, Osaka University, Japan Timothy W. Pollock, Osaka Kyoiku University and Hagoromo University of International Studies, Japan Dr James Rowlins, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Dr Paul Spicer, Hiroshima Jogakuin University, Japan Professor Gary E. Swanson, University of Northern Colorado, USA (fmr.) Dr Eva Rose B. Washburn-Repollo, Chaminade University, USA ---------- ***Key Information – Venue & Location: Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo, Japan – Dates: Tuesday, October 09, 2018 to Thursday, October 11, 2018 – Conference Theme: "Fearful Futures" – Final Abstract Submission Deadline: July 24, 2018 – Registration Deadline for Presenters: August 24, 2018 ---------- ***Invited Speakers Keynote, Featured and Spotlight Speakers will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. For details of presentations and other programming, please visit the Speakers page - https://mediasia.iafor.org/speakers/ Dr Ana Adi, Quadriga University, Germany Professor Georg Adlmaier-Herbst, Berlin University of the Arts, Germany Stuart Galbraith IV, Film Historian, Japan Professor Kaori Hayashi, The University of Tokyo, Japan Professor Yutaka Kubo, Waseda University, Japan Professor Chie Niita, Waseda University, Japan Professor Gary E. Swanson, University of Northern Colorado, USA (fmr.) Professor Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, Waseda University, Japan ---------- ***Conference Theme: "Fearful Futures" The conference theme for MediAsia is "Fearful Futures", and the organisers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Submissions are organised into the following thematic streams: – Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations – Digital Media and Use of New Technology in News gathering – Communication Theory and Methodology – Critical and Cultural Studies, Gender and Communication – Media Disaster Coverage – Media History – International Communication – Law, Policy and Media Ethics – Newspapers and Magazines as Print/Digital Media – Mass Communication – Broadcast Media and Globalization – Journalism – Education and Scholastic Journalism – Sports, Media and Globalization – Media Management and Economics – Political Communication and Satire – Visual Communication – Media and Education: Training journalists – Social Media and Communication Technology – Film Direction and Production – Film Criticism and Theory – Film and Literature: Artistic Correspondence – Biography – Film History – Documentary History – Archive-Based Studies – Films and Digital Distribution (use of the internet and video sharing) SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT: mediasia.iafor.org/call-for-papers/ To find out about registration packages, presentation options, conference events and more, please visit the conference website: mediasia.iafor.org/registration/ ------------- ***IAFOR Publishing Opportunities **Peer-Reviewed Journal: IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication and Film The IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication and Film (ijmcf.iafor.org) is an editorially independent journal associated with IAFOR's conferences on education. The editor of the journal will select the strongest papers from associated Conference Proceedings and open call for consideration. This Open Access journal, which conforms to the highest academic standards, reflects the interdisciplinary and international nature of our conferences. **Conference Proceedings After having your abstract accepted and presenting your research at the conference, you are encouraged to submit a full paper for inclusion in the official Conference Proceedings. Our Conference Proceedings are Open Access research repositories that act as permanent records of the research generated by IAFOR conferences. Further details are available here: mediasia.iafor.org/final-paper-submission **THINK THINK (think.iafor.org), The Academic Platform, is IAFOR's online magazine, publishing the latest in interdisciplinary research and ideas from some of the world's foremost academics, many of whom have presented at IAFOR conferences. Content is varied in both subject and form, with everything from full research papers to shorter opinion pieces, interviews and media-themed articles. ------------- ***Join IAFOR at MediAsia2018 to: – Present to a global audience – Have your work published in the Conference Proceedings and considered for peer-reviewed, Open Access journals – Hear about the latest interdisciplinary research in Media, Communication and Film – Participate in a truly international, interdisciplinary and intercultural event – Take part in interactive audience sessions – Network with international colleagues Please see the registration page for details: mediasia.iafor.org/registration/ *If you have attended an IAFOR conference within the past year, or belong to an affiliated university or institution, we offer additional discounts in appreciation of your support. Please contact us at mediasia@iafor.org for details. ------------- ***About IAFOR The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is a research organisation, conference organiser and publisher dedicated to encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, facilitating intercultural awareness and promoting international exchange, principally through educational exchange and academic research. To learn more about IAFOR, please visit https://iafor.org/ |
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