The perfect graduation gift
Emmanuel Essel, a Ghanaian Postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was awarded a travel grant to present his paper "Vernacular Radio and the Practice of Resistance: Community Radio as a Cultural Tool to Engage on Health and Social Identities among Marginalized Communities in Ghana" to the Community Communication and Alternative Media Section.
In this article he reflects on this experience from an academic perspective:
The Lyon 2023 IAMCR Conference was the first I have attended in person since I joined the association in 2021 through my affiliation with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa as a PhD candidate.
My master’s and PhD research works were focused on community radio in the Ghanaian context. The Lyon IAMCR conference allowed me to connect my work with others in this field, broadening my knowledge and understanding in this study area. My work also encompasses health communication. Although I didn't present my work in that section, the opportunity to listen to other researchers was academically enlightening. Of course, the chance to be a discussant and chair a session in the Health Communication working group (HEC) remains a highlight of my academic journey. What a fantastic way to start my postdoctoral academic journey.
I presented my paper during the afternoon session on Tuesday, July 11th, in the Community Communication and Alternative Media section (CCAM). My paper discussed the essential role of community radio in promoting health in Ghana using entertainment-education strategies. My working paper greatly benefited from the comments and feedback from other participants. I am currently refining my paper and preparing it for submission to a journal for publication.
However, all of this would not have been possible without IAMCR's financial support because I would not have qualified for a full travel grant from my university as a PhD candidate at that time.
Beyond the academic aspect, the conference was rewarding in helping me build my international scholarly network. I cannot forget my deep satisfaction when I first met Prof. Vinod Pavarala, the co-chair of CCAM, in person. He was my international examiner for my PhD thesis, which I successfully completed in May 2023. This grant was a perfect graduation gift for me and an excellent birthday present because the day after the last day of the conference, July 14th, was my birthday. I woke up on that fateful day as a very fulfilled person. All I can say is thank you to IAMCR and all donors who made this trip possible.
I am eager to attend the next IAMCR conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, to share my postdoctoral research work with researchers from around the globe.
Emmanuel Essel
IAMCR travel grants are funded with a percentage of all IAMCR membership payments plus the voluntary contributions of IAMCR members and supporters.