Practitioner to Academic: A Journey of Growth and Gratitude with IAMCR
Soumya Jha from Bennett University, India, was awarded a travel grant to present her paper in Christchurch: "Reshaping Media and Building Resilience: Appan Samachar, A Women-Led Community News Channel in a Conflict Zone" to the Community Communication and Alternative Media Section.
In the article below, she reflects about the conference and how it enriched her academic life beyond borders:
"I express my heartfelt gratitude to IAMCR for enabling me to attend the first IAMCR’24 conference in person through the travel grant award. As an emerging scholar and an independent community radio consultant, receiving this travel grant was truly a boost. The financial support has been invaluable, enabling me to connect with fellow researchers and professionals in the beautiful setting of Christchurch.
Ten years ago, I became part of IAMCR as a practitioner in a pre-conference on community media, where I delivered my talk on "Community Radio and Migration" held at the University of Hyderabad, India, it was a memorable moment. It was inspiring to see researchers and scholars from around the world come together and interact. Since that time, I have been following IAMCR.
I have been a community radio practitioner for the last 15 years, providing training to practitioners and participating in various workshops as a trainer and professional. Transitioning from a practitioner to a trainer and then to an academic researcher has been a significant turning point in my career. IAMCR played a crucial role in this transition, especially in how it encourages emerging scholars through its webinars, awards, timely newsletters, and other activities like book launches. These resources have been invaluable to me.
IAMCR's welcoming approach towards academic research, mainly towards emerging scholars inspiring for me. After spending 15-16 years as a community radio professional, demonstrates the importance of bringing practitioners and researchers together. This collaboration creates an environment conducive to better research. I have been a member of IAMCR for the past one and a half years and have been following its activities. I have learned a lot.
The IAMCR 2024 conference was particularly memorable for me, I am thankful to the Community and Alternative Media (CAM) section as my research paper got selected. Reshaping Media and Building Resilience: Appan Samachar, A Women-Led Community News Channel in a Conflict Zone
Engaging in interactive sessions with senior scholars who specialize in the same field provides an immense amount of encouragement and inspiration to expand one's efforts. IAMCR lays the groundwork and provides a solid foundation for fostering this kind of understanding. IAMCR fosters an inclusive environment for early career researchers like me, valuing diversity and multiculturalism. This democratic organization values diversity and incorporates these values into all aspects of its operations.
I am grateful to the members of the PCR (Participation Communication Research) section for their support and knowledge sharing. I look forward to contributing more to IAMCR in the coming days and hope to make meaningful contributions to the field of community communication and community media.
Thank you, IAMCR 2024 Conference for this amazing opportunity and for recognizing the significance of my work. This experience has reinforced my commitment to advancing community radio and media research.
The IAMCR conference in 2024 was not only impressive but also truly eco-friendly. It used reusable dishes and glasses, and the conference venue was mostly within walking distance from the hotel. Water jugs and glasses were available outside every session room, and the event was paperless, which was the best part. Thank you, IAMCR, for being a cornerstone in my academic journey and for fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for all."
Soumya Jha