Month: October 2019

The CMMi Press: A New Initiative

“Publication

The CMMi Press will become the publishing arm of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution.
CMMi Press

The Institute is committed to making better social worlds through paying particular attention to the quality of the communication patterns in which we participate. The CMMi Press will publish books that promote this approach with the intent of inspiring better communication practices for making social worlds we would all want to live in.

Their first publication, Making Better Social Worlds: Inspirations from the Theory of the Coordinated Management of Meaning, has just been published. Robyn Penman and Arthur Jensen have written this book as a companion volume to the Cosmopolis2045 website and it serves as a fitting flagship for the new press promoting the making of better social worlds. Penman and Jensen are also planning a second volume on A Cosmopolitan Sensibility.

If you have a publishing idea or a manuscript in preparation that you think will fit the aims of the Press, please contact Robyn Penman, commissioning editor.

U Oulu GenZ Visiting Scholar Grants (Finland)

International GenZ visiting scholar programme, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Deadline: 2 December 2019.

The GenZ profiling project introduces a new visitor programme that funds two forms of research mobility. First, its aim is to invite international and established scholars to spend a research period at the University of Oulu and take part in the activities of the GenZ project and the visitor’s host unit. Second, it offers Oulu-based researchers a possibility to visit universities and research institutes abroad.

The applicants’ research profile needs to be based on social sciences and humanities and integrally connected to the core themes in the GenZ project.

The length of the visit – for both incoming and outgoing visits – can be between two weeks and six months. The grants cover travel expenses and accommodation costs, excluding salary.

NOTE: Next deadline is May 31, 2020.

CFP Media Literacy Research Symposium (Portugal)

ConferencesCall for papers: 3rd International Media Literacy Research Symposium, Universidade Lusofona do Porto, Portugal. Deadline: 15 November 2019.

Media literacy is a growing field with a need for developing and increasing the research within it.   With each conference, we hope to shorten the present gap by filling it with works from current scholars, new researchers, graduate students, educators and others who have a vested interest in opening this field and moving it forward from all over the world.

Strand 1: Critical Media Literacy

Papers/Presentations in this strand will explore the growth of critical media literacy from various perspectives.

Strand 2: Disinformation/Civic Media Literacy

Papers/Presentations in this strand will explore the opportunities that media literacy provides for lifelong education in politics, public & private spaces exploring the notion of the active citizen and outcomes.

Strand 3: Digital Citizenship/Policy and Training

Papers/Presentations in this strand will explore creating media literacy policy in the area of digital citizenship, social media, Internet safety, cyberbullying and cybersecurity.

Kamali-Chirani: Does Intercultural Dialogue Matter?

“BookKamali-Chirani, Fatemeh. (2019).  Does intercultural dialogue matter? The role of intercultural dialogue in the foreign cultural policy of Iran and Germany. Berlin: Lit Verlag.

Fatemeh Hippler (birth name: Kamali-Chirani) examines intercultural dialogue as part of the foreign relations between Germany and Iran. She asks: “What role has intercultural dialogue played with regard to the foreign cultural policy of Iran and Germany towards each other, and why?” (p. 18).

Perhaps the most important quote from the book is this, from page 158, because it applies to all contexts, not just Iran-Germany exchanges:

It is necessary but not sufficient to offer dialogue; it is also necessary that the other side accepts to join the dialogue.

Kamali-Chirani first describes the foreign cultural policy of each country, and then presents details of a series of specific organizations and projects intended to further intercultural dialogue. In Iran, the most typical terms are “interfaith dialogue” and “dialogue among civilizations,” whereas Germany often uses “European-Islamic cultural dialogue.” This section is arranged by organization attempting dialogue, populated with quotes from the main actors. She gained remarkable access, up to and including the separate forewords by Mohammad Khatami (former President of Iran, known for promoting dialogue among civilizations as a goal) and Kurt-Jurgen Maas (former Secretary General, Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations).

In the end, Kamali-Chirani concludes that “Intercultural dialogue was an instrument of political goals, not a goal by itself” (p. 198). Her final thought: “participants mostly agree that it was worth the effort, and that they should continue. This author, after spending five years of research on the topic, tends to agree.”

Georgetown U in Qatar: Director, Center for International/Regional Studies (Qatar)

“JobDirector of the Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. Deadline: November 1, 2019 or until filled.

Georgetown University in Qatar invites applications for the position of Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS). Established at GU-Q in 2005 CIRS is dedicated to the academic study of regional and international issues through promoting dialogue and the exchange of ideas, research and scholarship, and engagement with national and international scholars, practitioners, opinion-makers, activists, and the wider community. To date CIRS has launched over 40 major research initiatives, published numerous books with university presses, and has established itself as a leading academic research center working in and on the Gulf region and the greater Middle East.

This is a senior administrative position at GU-Q. Candidates should be established scholars with outstanding academic credentials suitable for appointment as a senior core faculty member at GU-Q, including a distinguished record of scholarship and teaching, and a background in political science, international affairs, history, or a relevant social science discipline. In addition to full time directorship of CIRS, the candidate will have a reduced teaching load of 1 course per semester. Candidates must also demonstrate familiarity with the history and politics of the Gulf and the larger Middle East. Candidates with broad understanding of American Higher Education, and previous administrative experience as a department chair or as the director of a research program, institute, or center are particularly encouraged to apply.

U Missouri: Asst Prof in Identity, Diversity & Communication (USA)

“Job

Assistant Professor of Identity, Diversity and Communication, Department of Communication, University of Missouri, Colombia, MO. Deadline: November 11, 2019.

The Department of Communication at the University of Missouri invites applications to fill a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level beginning August 2020. The Department is interested in candidates who can contribute to and help build our Identity, Diversity, and Communication area. Applicants may have research and teaching interests in identity and communication, diversity and communication, intercultural or multicultural communication, communication and culture, intergroup communication, difference and disparities in communication, and/or other related areas. The Department is particularly interested in candidates with research interests that intersect with additional areas in the department: political communication, interpersonal and family communication, organizational communication, health and crisis communication, and/or mediated communication.

CU Denver: EnvironmentalComm/Social Justice (USA)

“JobAssistant Professor of Environmental Communication and Social Justice, Department of Communication, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO. Deadline: October 15, 2019 or until filled.

The Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in Environmental Communication and Social Justice at the Assistant Professor level. The position begins in August of 2020.

Tenure-track faculty members perform research and service consistent with peer research universities and teach on a 2/2 load.

The primary research and teaching focus of this position will fall within environmental communication and social justice. The successful candidate will show clear and sustained connections in research, teaching, and service to the Department’s mission: “to cultivate the knowledge and ability to use communication to create a more equitable and humane world.” This means we seek a colleague with expertise and experience in using environmental communication to work toward social justice, ideally in collaboration with community partners.

Preference will be given to candidates whose work in environmental communication and justice studies (climate, environmental and social) centrally addresses issues related to the Global South, indigenous communities, marginalized voices, and/or intersectional identities (including but not limited to class, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and ability).

Tampere U: Communication Studies (Finland)

“JobAssistant Professor/Associate Professor/Full Professor of Communication Studies, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Finland. Deadline: 30 October 2019.

Tampere University is seeking an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or full Professor in Communication Studies. The position will be placed in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University. The Communication Sciences Unit of the faculty conducts research that delves into our increasingly digital media landscape and the role of communication technologies in reshaping not only our thoughts and sensibilities but also our relations with others. Three research centres (COMET, TRIM and T7) create new knowledge of the impact of publicity, gamification and theatre on our society and culture. Students admitted to the multidisciplinary degree programme in communication acquire a broad base of knowledge and go on to pursue careers in journalism, media research, information research and (communication. The degree programme in theatre arts brings together artistic, professional and societal perspectives.

UNESCO Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads Photo Contest

Photo ContestYouth Eyes on the Silk Roads Photo Contest, UNESCO, Paris, France. Deadline: 6 January 2020.

The visual arts, and in particular photography, are increasingly being used by today’s youth as a powerful tool for communication and self-expression. As such, they have the potential to play a significant role in raising awareness of the key issues facing our contemporary globalizing world. The annual Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads International Photo Contest offers an exciting opportunity for young people from all over the world to capture their understanding of the common heritage of the Silk Roads through the lens of their camera.

Organized within the framework of the UNESCO Silk Roads Programme, UNESCO Youth Programme and the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), the 2019 edition of the contest is open for entries from 19 September 2019 to 6 January 2020.

The Silk Roads are an expansive region composed of a network of maritime and land routes. Originating in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia the Silk Roads cross the Central Asian sub-continent, the Russian steppe, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula. They also stretch through North Africa and Northeast Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco. Additionally, they pass through Eastern and Southern Europe, before reaching France and Spain. Please see the map here

The Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads Photo Contest is an opportunity for young people living or travelling within these regions to share their perceptions and further their understanding of the common cultural heritage and pluralistic identities emerging from the interactions and exchanges taking place along the Silk Roads. The contest encourages the use of photography to extend these cultural interactions and encounters in the contemporary world, to foster mutual understanding and promote peace amongst the diverse populations encompassed by the Silk Roads.

The photographs must accurately reflect the theme, “Reveal the Silk Roads”, through representations of Gastronomy and Food Production, Music and Dance, and Traditional Sports and Games.

The photography contest is open to everyone between 14 and 25 years old, regardless of his or her country of residence, except employees of UNESCO and the donor, China World Peace Foundation, and their family members (parents, children, siblings and spouses). There will be two categories: 14 to 17 years old, and 18 to 25 years old.

You can have a look at the 2018 winners gallery here. From this contest, the “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” travelling photo exhibition presenting the 57 best photos was set up. The photo album “Youth Lens on the Silk Roads” aims to reflect the diversity of youth’s perspectives and impressions on the shared heritage of the Silk Roads.

Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Postdoc (Italy)

PostdocsPostdoctoral Research Fellow, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Deadline: 18 October 2019.

The EUI has a vacancy for a Research Fellow in the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Migration Policy Centre (MPC), Florence, Italy. The position will be full-time, two years, starting 01/01/20 or as soon as possible after this date. Subject to the availability of future funding, the contract can be further renewed several times up to a total of 5 years (including the first contract period).

The Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) conducts new research on some of the most pressing public policy issues related to asylum, migration and mobility in the European Union. To support MPC’s work on the MEDAM project, they are seeking to recruit a post-doctoral researcher with strong quantitative skills and experience in cross-country analysis of public attitudes to migration and/or public preferences for migration policies.

The Research Fellow will work with Professor Martin Ruhs (Deputy Director of the MPC) to analyse public attitudes and preferences for migration policies in selected countries in Europe and Africa. The Research Fellow will help design, commission, and analyse data from new surveys of public policy attitudes (incl. conjoint survey experiments). The work will also involve a number of in-depth interviews with policymakers. Project outputs will include academic publications, blog posts, and policy briefs.