NAIROBI OCTOBER 21, 2016 (CISA) – Daystar University hosted the first ever International Communication Association (ICA) Africa Regional Conference in Africa at its Valley Road campus in Nairobi.
The three-day conference October 19 – 21 whose theme is Growing communication scholarship-Looking to the past with gratitude, the present with passion, the future with hope, has brought together professional communication scholars from over thirty different nationalities.
While welcoming the delegates, Dr Timothy Wachira, the Daystar University Vice Chancellor recognised the appointment of Prof Sr Lucy Agnes Lando, Assistant Head of Department in School of Communication at Daystar University as a member of the next ICA Board of Directors.
The VC also acknowledged that the growth of the university has centred on communication, even with the introduction of other programs.
Prof Amy Jordan, the Immediate Past President of the Association in her opening remarks noted that such conferences offer an effective and efficient way to facilitate intellectual discussions, foster collaboration, socialise and train the next generation of researchers.
“ICA is the premier academic association for scholars engaged in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication,” she said.
The introduction of the keynote speaker was done by East African Communication Association President, Monica Chibita.
Prof Audrey Gadzekpo, from the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, while giving the keynote address speaker provoked scholars in African and on Africa to “provoke us to locate ourselves more boldly in Africa’s third wave of democracy.”
“As teachers as researchers in the field of communication and in doing this encourage us further the agenda of de-westernizing research by bringing our uniquely African perspectives into academic discourses on political communication,” she said.
The topics under discussion at the conference include: Research and Media Ethics headed by John Ayodele Alonge, from the University of Nairobi, Journalism by Sylvia Tulkong from Daystar University, Peace Journalism by Mel Bunce from the City University of London, and Environment, Climate change, and Risk Communication chaired by Michael Bowen from Daystar University.
The forum is expected to generate new ideas and recommendations that will influence the growth and impact of communications research field, drawing on the wealth of expertise of participants drawn from various universities and communication research institutions.
