Panel Proposal:

“International Collaboration among Communication Associations”

International Communication Association Conference 2006

Dresden, Germany

Submitter and Session Facilitator:

Ted Zorn

Department of Management Communication

University of Waikato

Private Bag 3105

Hamilton

NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 7 838 4776

Fax: +64 7 838 4358

Session Presenters/Discussants

Representatives from major international and national communication associations will be invited. These will include the following (with others to be added):

  • Jon Nussbaum, representing the International Communication Association (ICA);
  • Robin Mansell, representing the International Association of Media & Communications Research (IAMCR);
  • Francois Heinderyckx, representing the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA);
  • Betteke Van Ruler, representing the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA)
  • Klaus Krippendorff, representing the International Federation of Communication Associations (IFCA) (
  • Christine Geraghty, representing the (British) Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association;
  • Catherine Loneux, representing La Société Française des Sciences de l'Information et de la Communication (SFSIC, the French communication association);
  • Dan O’Hair, representing the (US) National Communication Association (NCA);
  • Hilik Limor, representing the Israel Communication Association (IsCA);
  • Romy Froehlich, representing the German Communication Association;
  • Ali Alkarni, representing the Saudi Association for Media & Communication
  • Peter Neijens, representing the European Advertising Academy

The session will be facilitated by Ted Zorn, Karen Ross, and Dafna Lemish, all members of the Internationalization Committee for ICA, which is charged with exploring international collaboration among communication associations.

Abstract

This panel follows on a highly successful panel at the November 2005 First European Communication Conference in Amsterdam. At that panel, there was substantial interest in increased collaboration among communication associations. The purpose of the proposed panel is to continue that conversation and, more specifically, to identify specific priorities and action plans for collaboration.

Structure of Proposed Panel

The plan for the panel is:

  1. A brief summary of the conversation at the Amsterdam panel identifying the suggested benefits, barriers, possible forms of collaboration.
  2. Panellists will give brief (1-2 minute) introductions in which they will explain their association’s priorities for collaboration with other communication associations. The question they will address is:
  • What forms of collaboration with other communication associations does my organisation consider most urgent and important?
  1. The facilitator will lead a discussion among the panellists and the audience that will focus on the following questions:
  1. What are the most needed—urgent and important—forms of collaboration among communication associations?
  2. What are some action steps that we will take to facilitate collaboration?
  3. Who will take responsibility for each action step?

The facilitators will capture on flip chart paper the major ideas presented in response to the above questions, so that there will be a record that will enable productive continuation of the discussion.