Lahore, Pakistan – The ICA 2025 Regional Hub at Forman Christian College University (FCCU), Lahore, kicked off today with a vibrant beginning to a two-day affair for the communication fraternity to relish the state-of-the-art communication research and the individuals who are subject to influence its future. The event, organized by the Department of Mass Communication, FCCU, is a part of the worldwide organized effort by International Communication Association (ICA) under the name ICA25HUBS.
The opening session saw the address of key academic administrative FCCU officials namely, Dr. Firasat Jabeen, Chairperson Mass Communication; Dr. Altaf Khan, Dean Humanities; Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik, Dean Postgraduate Studies; Dr. Douglas E. Trimble, Vice Rector; and Dr. Jonathan S. Addleton, Rector, who collectively threw light on the importance of communication research in contemporary fast changing media environment.
The day was introduced by a keynote talk by journalist RazaRumi on “Consolidating Trust: The Importance of Communication Research in a Changing Media Landscape”, who discussed the importance of evidence-based journalism in building public trust.
An engaging panel session, which bore the title of “Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Research: Voices of Pakistan,” was organized with prominent scholars, such as, Dr. Altaf Ullah Khan, Dr. Bushra H. Rehman, Dr. Anjum Zia, and Dr. Serhish Mushtaq, under the moderation of Dr. FirasatJabeen. The panel discussed the issues and possibilities of Pakistani researchers within the framework of the global communication research community.
The afternoon sessions consisted of a virtual lecture by distinguished communication theorist Prof. Mohan Dutta of Massey University, New Zealand, who lectured on “The Significance of Global South voices in Communication Studies” which aligned with the decolonized and inclusive character of the event.
On subsequent sessions, Dr. Altaf Ullah Khan described the implications of the communication theory to journalism in a talk titled, “From Theory to Practice, and then, Dr. QurratLiaqatcaptivated the audience with her talk titled, Theory in Motion: The Role of Animation in Disrupting and Consolidating Communication Narratives.
The day ended with lively debates amidst snacks and this summed up the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness that marked the events of the day.
ICA 2025 Regional Hub in Lahore proceeds tomorrow with the second day in a row of presentations, discussions, and collaborative sessions that will help to redesign the borders of communication research in the world.