Amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, the Russian-Ukrainian war and internal conflicts in Syria and Sudan, the third International Conference of the College of Language and Communication at the Arab Academy of Science Technology and Maritime Transport (LANACOM 2025) kicked off in Alexandria under the theme “Intercultural Dialogue and Sustainable Horizons in Media, Language and Literature”.
In two days of heated discussions over media, language and literature, LANACOM 2025 welcomed keynote speakers from across the globe to highlight the importance of intercultural dialogue and sustainable horizons in media, language and literature.
Marking the debates on cultures and clashes of civilisations, the conference, held from 4-5 May, brought together over 50 academic papers and more than 20 keynote speakers, journalists, editors, academics and policymakers from Germany, Canada, Turkey, Portugal, Bangladesh, The Netherlands, and Arab countries as they exchanged and shared experience and research skills on digital media, natural language processing (NLP), digital literature, culture, cinema and filmmaking, and discussed the most recent trends, innovations and practical challenges.
In his opening address, Academy President Ismail Abdel-Ghaffar stressed the “great importance of the conference as a platform for exchanging experiences, exploring new horizons, and examining the challenges and opportunities of the intersection of language, media and culture with technology”. Abdel-Ghaffar reiterated the academy’s support for initiatives that “bring together disciplines, drive innovation, and open windows for scientific and research collaboration”. Abdel-Ghaffar pointed out the importance of the role of language and media as drivers of change and levers for sustainable development in the digital era.
He said the unprecedented development in technology, especially information technology and artificial intelligence, had a great impact on the nature of media, education, language and culture.
“Intercultural dialogue is not just a slogan that we are adhering to but a reflection of our vision and mission as academics who are striving to educate and bring up better future generations who can explore the world with no bias and who can communicate with one another regardless of religion, colour, or race,” said Abeer Refki, dean of the College of Language and Communication and chairperson of the conference.
Secretary-General of the Union of Islamic Universities Sami Al-Sherif said the current dialogue between cultures was not an option. Al-Sherif called for interfaith and interreligious dialogues that inspire cooperative and constructive interaction between people from different faiths. He also stressed the importance of how media can portray constructive journalism by contextualising stories and reporting the world accurately and fairly by adding nuances, context, growth and explanations.
Al-Sherif said the conference was being held at a “sensitive time when the world is witnessing many conflicts and wars of a religious, regional, and ideological nature”. He also pinpointed that the conference “completely aligns with what the heavenly religions, led by Islam, call for in the dialogue between civilisations”.
In its third edition, the LANACOM conference showcases the impact of technology on media, language and culture. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) as set by the United Nations in 2015, the conference also dedicated several sessions to youth and development. Several students presented research papers under the umbrella of the SDG goals to build a sustainable future. The students showcased how linguistics and media can harness the power of digitalisation to build a greener future and help society, always with strict levels of governance oversight that allow the operator to lead by example.
The conference featured a variety of topics and sessions covering media and cultural studies, strategic communication, the role of media in crises and the impact of technology.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 8 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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