IAMCR conferences enjoy a very warm and informal atmosphere, providing the opportunity for researchers to talk and discuss with emerging scholars, professors and experienced academics.
Subba Rao GM -an IAMCR travel grant recipient in 2010- tells us about his first experience with an IAMCR conference, both from the human and academic perspectives.
This was my first IAMCR Conference. The experience was indeed memorable. As a Scientist in Nutrition & Health Communication, I attended many ‘science’ conferences and of course a few social science conferences too. On many occasions, I came back with a feeling that the ‘science’ conferences lacked human element, while the scientific rigour was missing in the ‘social science’ conferences. But my experience at IAMCR Conference 2010 was different. Here I saw a balance of both human/social element as well as scientific rigour in almost all the sessions I attended. Considering the changes that new technologies and globalization have brought about in the, socio-economic-political and cultural milieu of citizens across the globe, the conference’s sessions have tried to cast new perspectives into media & communication research and praxis by critically examining how they intersect with diverse areas such as politics, policy, people’s participation, health, religion, sports, gender and so on.
Some plenary sessions attempted to analyse new innovative connections between theory and practice. My working group on health communication and change has successfully evaluated and critically examined the use of original methodologies, different media, protocols, instruments and indicators to promote health in different parts of the word. The medley of perceptions, findings, experiences and inferences provided by fellow researchers from different countries, cultures and contexts helped gain newer insights into the field.
The conference seemed to have consciously encouraged young researchers and practioners. In hardly any other conference I have seen young researcher scholars sharing forum or presenting alongside seasoned professionals.
Thank you IAMCR for awarding me the prestigious Travel Grant to help me be a part of this amazing experience.
Subba Rao GM, India