ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

ECREA has become a member of the Advisory Committee of the European Audiovisual Observatory, a decision which was greenlighted by the Observatory’s Executive Council in its Tbilisi meeting on 13 June this year.

ECREA represents a community of media and communication scholars across Europe, bringing together researchers and educators from a broad spectrum of universities, research, and educational institutions throughout various European regions. A significant portion of ECREA’s membership is devoted to exploring the audiovisual communication sector, including television, radio, film, post-broadcast television, video streaming platforms and podcasts, for example. This focus is particularly relevant to the work conducted by members of several ECREA sections, including Audience and Reception Studies, Digital Culture and Communication, Film Studies, Media Industries and Cultural Production, Radio and Sound, Television Studies, and Visual Cultures.

The Strasbourg-based Observatory is part of the Council of Europe. It functions as a clearing house for information about the audiovisual sector in Europe, covering film, television and on demand services from an economic and legal point of view. The information it produces is available in the form of publications, on-line reports, databases, and newsletters, almost all available free-of-charge at: www.obs.coe.int. The Observatory also shares its information via numerous conferences and conference presentations throughout the year. The Observatory’s Advisory Committee currently brings together 41 different European and international professional organisations representing the various branches of the audiovisual industries. Sectors such as film production, distribution, exhibition, public and private broadcasting, and the press are represented within this body. The Advisory Committee meets twice a year in order to inform the Observatory on the information needs and concerns of the various different branches of the audiovisual industries.

John Downey, ECREA president, stated that “an enriching and mutually beneficial exchange of academic data and research would now be possible between the members of ECREA and the Observatory.”

The European Audiovisual Observatory expressed enthusiasm about ECREA’s membership. "We welcome ECREA to our community," said Susanne Nikoltchev, Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory. "ECREA’s membership of our Advisory Committee is in line with the Observatory increased efforts to reach out to academic communities working within the audiovisual sphere.” She added that future exchanges could potentially “support our work to understand and make more transparent the general legislative and market structures that frame the European audiovisual sector."

Read the original post here: https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/-/ecrea-joins-the-advisory-committee-of-the-european-audiovisual-observatory 

Moment

Deadline: September 15, 2024

Three concepts/ three disciplines have been chosen for Moment’s upcoming December 2024 issue. The Triptych is no longer only a painting in which three paintings connected to each other and the painting in the middle is taken as the central. Instead of paintings/panels, Moment, follows around the “different” writings which make and/or destroy the connection of this trilogy while the art is forming an inseparable completeness in between philosophy and communication in this issue. 

What kind of study /work comes out when academic study/studies is/are written in an interdisciplinary style and make use of the concepts, questions, and accumulations of the fields of Philosophy-Art-Communication? In terms of theoretical and methodological point of view how these studies effect each field? Should creativity be considered only for or in the art? Could scientific study literally be “creative”? Is philosophy always difficult? Is art unreachable and Is communication always be/stay connected? How could be possible to consider these fields all together and construct new thoughts which remind us of the triptych? If you are willing to answer all these questions as well as the other questions which give rise to these questions, we invite you to contribute to the Triptych: Philosophy-Art-Communication in order to find out how these three fields be considered as side by side through togetherness and/or disjunctions of Philosophy-Art-Communication and show the results to everyone. 

The suggested themes below are given in order to give you an idea on how to contribute to this issue. Provided that you study each theme with the concepts that make this triptych, we would like you to remind that you are not limited with these. You are only and only limited with the Triptych.   

-Philosophy of Communication    -Old / New            -Same/Different        -Visual Communication

-Philosophy of Art                         -Traditional               -Digital Art              -Digital Game

-Theories of Art and Aesthetics      -Historical                -Modern                   -Good/Bad                         

-History of Art                                 -Everyday               -Postmodern              -Beautiful/Ugly                  

- Art Movements                           -Conceptual                -Face / Body              -Intertextuality      

-History of Communication          -Reflective                   -Silence                    - Experience

- Theories of Communication        -Self-Reflective          -Interdisciplinary      -Play

-History of Philosophy                 -Contemporary Philosophy   -Pop Philosophy -Hermeneutics           

You may submit your writings/studies/works to our upcoming issue, in which we cannot accept those that are not related to the theme, until September 15, 2024 to the following link: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/journal/2305/submission/step/manuscript/new 

Theme Editors: Burcu Canar,   Evren Sertalp

University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

The Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg (Switzer- land) invites applications for the full-time open-rank position of Professor in “Digital Journalism" (Assistant Professor with tenure track or Full Professor). The professorship is with the Department of Communication and Media Research (DCM) and comes with one fully funded PhD position. The ap- pointment begins in fall 2025.

Profile:

The professorship requires a specialization in digital journalism research from a social sci- entific perspective. In their research, candidates should critically explore how digitalization reshapes the production and dissemination of news. They may focus, for instance, on the transformation of journalistic practices and routines, newsroom structures, business models and editorial strategies, and/or the interrelationship between journalism and society. Candidates have to be familiar with social scientific research methods (both qualitative and quantitative). Additional research experience in media economics is not mandatory but would be of particular interest.

Language:

Teaching will be in French and English. Ideally, candidates should also be able to teach in German. The University of Freiburg is bilingual (French/German). Knowledge of German (level B1 oral) is expected. If this is not the case, it must be acquired within two years of taking the position.

Requirements:

Candidates must have completed a Ph.D. in communication studies or a closely related discipline (with proven experience in media and communication). They need a high-quality publication record, as well as positively evaluated teaching experience in the required specializa- tion. Moreover, experience in acquiring competitive third-party research grants is advantageous.

Teaching:

The teaching load is 6-7 hours per week and includes courses on (digital) journalism re- search (bachelor level), on media economics (bachelor level) as well as on social science research methods (master level), and on topics within the candidate’s research specialization (master level).

The University of Fribourg offers excellent working conditions and a competitive salary. Seeking to promote an equitable representation of women and men, the University strongly encourages applica- tions from women. Having signed the DORA declaration, the University of Fribourg emphasizes qual- itative assessment of academic achievement.

Candidates should send their complete application in a single PDF file that includes

• a cover letter describing their motivation and qualifications for the position;

• a CV including lists of their publications, presentations, teaching experience, research projects/grants, and contribution to academic service (administrative duties);

• teaching evaluations;

• a one-page statement of current and future research interests (research statement);

• a one-page statement with the candidate’s teaching philosophy (teaching statement);

• the names of three professional references;

• three academic papers recently published, forthcoming, or under revision

to Ms. Jolanda Wehrli (jolanda.wehrli@unifr.ch), secretary at the DCM, until September 22, 2024.

October 28-31, 2024

Lisbon (Portugal)

Deadline: September 13, 2024

The Media Literacy and Civic Cultures Lab – MeLCi Lab (Lusófona University, CICANT) is organising its IV Autumn School on 28-31 October 2024 in the form of a bootcamp to boost research hands-on skills. The school is designed to provide PhD students and postdocs with practical knowledge of classical and cutting-edge research methods. To this end, the school embraces an interdisciplinary approach by welcoming debate from different theories and methodological integration (qualitative and quantitative). The School will bring together a group of international scholars for workshops and keynotes. 

The upcoming MeLCi Lab Autumn School 2024 specifically aims to introduce PhD students and early research fellows in communication science, social science and related fields to the transformative influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their field. The focus is on the intersection of AI, media literacy, and civic cultures. Notable scientists such as Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web and a leading advocate for data rights, and Yoshua Bengio, a pioneer of Deep Learning, emphasise the criticality of understanding AI in our ever-more digital society.

For example, as social media platforms increasingly use AI and machine learning algorithms to curate content, it is fundamental to understand how these algorithms work and influence online interactions. Authors such as Safiya Noble (2018), author of "Algorithms of Oppression", and Eli Pariser (2011), who coined the term "filter bubble", have shed light on this issue. They highlight the importance of comprehending the biases and assumptions built into these algorithms and how they can inadvertently perpetuate harmful stereotypes or misinformation. Thus, Algorithmic literacy is crucial for future researchers in our field to understand how AI can empower and challenge democratic communication.

Understanding AI is no longer an option; it is necessary, particularly for communication science students. Inspired by works from scholars such as Nick Bostrom and Stuart Russell, this school will provide students with a non-technical understanding of AI, its implications, and its applications in communication science. We aim to demystify AI and illuminate its role in the future of communication.

The school will be held in English.

Call for proposals deadline

Deadline: 13 September 2024

See details about “how to apply”  a proposal at the bottom of this page.

Format: Online

Themes:

1.1. Introduction to AI: a non-technical overview

1.2. Role of AI in media: from media production to consumption

1.3. AI and information disorder: understanding AI's role in the spread and detection of the so-called “fake news”

1.4. Algorithms: understanding how to study the roles and effects of algorithmic literacy

1.5. AI in civic cultures: how AI is transforming civic participation

1.6. Ethical considerations: discussing the ethical implications of using AI in media and communication

Sub-themes:

2.1. Innovative Methodologies

2.2. Linking big and small data methods

2.3. Qualitative and participatory research

2.4. Social Platforms for Research

2.5. Communication research: scientific writing and dissemination

2.6. Arts-based dissemination

Dates

28 to 31 October 2024 – IV MeLCi Lab Autumn School

Schedule

Check here for details.

How to apply

Interested graduate students and postdocs must send their application  (in English) by 13 September 2024, including,

1. Updated Curriculum Vitae (máx. 3 pages);

2. Candidate’s research statement that includes a description of their doctoral dissertation, research questions and methods (máx. 2 pages);

3. Motivation letter specifying what you bring and expect from the School (indicating explicitly what themes and sub-themes are of your particular interest) máx. 1-2 pages;

Send your application as a ZIP file to [melci.lab@ulusofona.pt] with the subject “Application for the IV MeLCi Lab Autumn School”

Call for Proposals Deadline: 13 September 2024

Notification of Acceptance: 30 September 2024

Target-group

PhD Students

Early Career Researchers (with PhD obtained in the last three years)

Maximum number of participants

20 students

Fee *

Lusófona University, CICANT PhD Students 70 euros

PhD students from other Institutions 100 euros

Other 150 euros

*The best participant will not pay the fee; one Equity Scholarship to support the fee will also be awarded.

October 25, 2024

Venezia-Mestre (Italy)

Deadline: July 30, 2024

Dear ECREA mailing list subscribers, 

we are pleased to share with you an academic initiative on the topic of Communication.

"COMUNICAZIONE TRA SAPERI E SAPER-FARE" is a day of studies promoted by the Salesian University Institute of Venice - IUSVE. It will take place on 25 october 2024 in Venezia-Mestre.

Scholars who, from different disciplinary approaches, address their research interests to communication issues are invited to participate with a contribution of both a theoretical and empirical nature.  

THE LANGUAGE OF THE CONFERENCE IS ITALIAN BUT ALSO PROPOSALS IN ENGLISH WILL BE WELCOME.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PANELS IS AVAILABLE HERE (https://www.iusve.it/call-for-abstract-comunicazione-tra-saperi-e-saper-fare/#:~:text=IUSVE%20organizza%20una%20giornata%20di,alcuni%20importanti%20temi%20di%20riflessione).

Please send your abstract proposal (max 600 words), indicating your first name, last name, affiliation, proposal title and the panel you would like to take part in, to the email: ricerca.comunicazione@iusve.it.

- The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30/07/2024

- Notification of acceptance is expected by 10/09/2024

- There is no fee to participate, but you must register by 30 August 15/09/2025

- The detailed programme, with logistical information, will be circulated from 30/09/2024

Wishing that this could be an opportunity to discuss important issues, we will look forward to your proposals.

The organising committee

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Noah Mozes Department of Communication and Journalism at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem invites outstanding candidates in communication to apply for an open-rank tenure-track position starting July, 2025.

The department is particularly interested in candidates specializing in research areas in media and communication that can relate to and complement the work currently done at the department, which focuses on digital and social media; political communication and conflict; journalism studies; social psychological processes; language, discourse and communication; visual media; as well as theory, history, and philosophy of communication and media.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree at the time of hire, and demonstrate an active research program including peer-reviewed international publications in the relevant area. The person hired will teach introductory and advanced courses in communications in their areas of specialization. They will also be expected to supervise Masters and Ph.D. students and to contribute to departmental and university service. Courses can be taught in English.

The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2024.

Full application details can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2p92fs77

Inquiries should be directed to Professor Amit Pinchevski, Chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism: amitpi@mail.huji.ac.il.

October 8-11, 2024

Doblerstr. 33, 72074 Tübingen, Germany

Deadline: July 15, 2024

https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/263562

Organized by: Michael Herrmann (Tübingen Forum for Science and Humanities, University of Tübingen) and Dr. Helena Atteneder (Institute of Media Studies, University of Tübingen)

Human societies constantly change at many levels, from individuals to communities and nation states. Historically and at present societies have become more or less polarized, more or less cooperative, more or less integrated. 

To understand and perhaps even predict these trends and their consequences, there is a complex interaction between the individual, the social and the structural. Network as a basic principle structuring society, as a metaphor for human interaction, is a relevant subject for various research disciplines, long before Castells developed the "network society" as a relevant label for a certain form of social organisation.

Complex networks – ranging from the Internet to different (online) social networks – influence our lives. From communication networks, social networks, biological systems, neural networks, to technological networks such as the internet: many of these networks are similar in the sense that they share basic properties.

It is thus important to understand these real-world networks themselves and the factors which influence its dynamics. Computer-intensive mathematical modelling approaches quantify and infer potential regularities and patterns in order to uncover a correspondence to the real world target system.

How can we use networks as a tool for both theoretical and empirical investigations?

Questions we raise:

1) What are suitable application areas?

2) How can graphs/dynamical systems/agent-based models/visualization methods be used as a tool to understand (unexpected) collective behavior?

3) To what extent do the formal properties of (computational) networks influence the emergence of biases (and inequality)?

4) What social implications can arise from the application of a commercialized network logic and how can these be critically analyzed?

5) What are the challenges involved and what are the methodological limitations?

Invited Speakers (confirmed):

Luis F. Alvarez Léon, Geography, Darthmouth College, USA, https://geography.dartmouth.edu/people/luis-f-alvarez-leon

Fariba Karimi, Computational Social Science, Graz University of Technology, Austria, https://csh.ac.at/fariba-karimi/

Daniel Kostic, Philosophy, Leiden University, Netherlands, http://daniel-kostic.weebly.com/

Melanie Nagel, Political Science, University of Tübingen, Germany, https://fatk-tuebingen.de/das-team/melanie-nagel/

Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat, Media and Communication Science, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/joan-rodriguez-amat

Poster/Presentation sessions for participants

During the Autumn School there will be two 90 min slots for poster/presentation sessions. In addition to the presentations by our invited speakers and intensive workshop sessions, participants will have the opportunity to present their own research here and receive valuable feedback. Participants can present and discuss their current research projects (dissertations, projects, paper drafts, etc.) that should be thematically connected to the overall topic of the Autumn School. Please indicate in your application whether you wish to present and, if applicable, submit an abstract (max. 300 words, excluding literature). The selection of contributions will be made by the program committee.

Application & Deadlines

The Call for Applications is distributed internationally. We welcome submissions from master students, PhD students and early career researchers from all disciplines. Please submit the following

● Your CV

● A short motivation letter (half to one page)

● An abstract of max. 300 words (exc. literature) in case you want to present in the poster/presentation session

to: info@tfw.uni-tuebingen.de

Deadline: July 15th, 2024

Applicants will be notified latest by July 31st, 2024. 

If you have any questions, please contact info@tfw.uni-tuebingen.de.

About us:

The Tübingen Forum for Science is a central institution of the University of Tübingen. The "Forum" aims to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue, by crossing institutional and disciplinary boundaries. It connects international students and (young) researchers through Summer & Winter schools and organizes academic conferences on interdisciplinary timely and fundamental questions. Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research may help tackle social problems which cannot be addressed by individual disciplines in isolation. We are funded by Udo Keller Stiftung Forum Humanum and Tübingen University.

You can find further information here: https://uni-tuebingen.de/tfw

Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity

European Audiovisual Observatory

External recruitment competition

Grade A1/A2

Location: Strasbourg

Are you familiar with the topical issues of media law in Europe? Do you have the potential to contribute to extensive legal reports in areas of relevance for the audiovisual industry with a pool of experts and in three languages (English, German and French)? Do you enjoy writing, editing, and speaking in public? If so, our job advertisement may be the right opportunity for you.

Who we are

With over 2500 staff members coming from all its 46 member States, the Council of Europe is a multicultural Organisation. We all strive towards protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law and our three core values - professionalism, integrity and respect - guide the way we work.

The European Audiovisual Observatory, an enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, was created in 1992 in order to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe. By making this information available, the Observatory aims at promoting greater transparency and a clearer understanding of the ways in which the audiovisual industries in Europe function, both from an economic and legal point of view.

The Observatory provides information on the various audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing and analyses the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry. It publishes reports, maintains several databases, and organises professional events. The Observatory offers the combination of a well-established system for continuous data collection assisted by a thoroughly built-up international network, 30 years of experience in analysing information, unique in- house expertise in the relevant subject matters and related methodological questions, a multi-national setting and strict commitment to offer solely neutral and objective information.

The work of the Observatory involves collecting, checking, processing and analysing data and information from a variety of sources, for the preparation of reports or to feed its databases. Examples of projects can be found on the Observatory website.

The Council of Europe has its headquarters in Strasbourg (France) and has external presence in more than twenty countries. See here for more information about the Council of Europe external presence.

Your role

 As a Legal Advisor, your role will focus on:

• elaborating legal studies, analysing necessary information and monitoring relevant legal developments to prepare Observatory reports and presentations, notably:
  

- concept development and drawing up of legal publications;

- contribution to and project management of reports commissioned by external donors;

- editing and co-ordination of experts’ contributions to Observatory publications;

- organisation of workshops and delivery of presentations at conferences.

• providing advice with regard to content-related questions concerning the IRIS newsletter and IRIS Merlin database;
  
• coaching of team members;
  
• establishing and maintaining internal and external contacts relevant for the area of work, including with partner institutions of the Observatory;
  
• contributing, in close co-operation with the Head of Department, to the Observatory’s general products and services;
  
• representing the Department for Legal Information in public events (e.g. by presenting its work results).
  

What we are looking for

You must:

• hold a higher education degree or qualification equivalent to a master’s degree (2nd cycle of the Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area) in law.
• have a minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience in the analysis of regulatory developments in the media field;
• have a very good knowledge of English and good knowledge of French (English and French are the two official languages of the Council of Europe).
• have a very good knowledge of German (German is the third working language of the Observatory);
• be a citizen of one of the member States of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• be under the age of 65 years.

Demonstrate to us that you have the following competencies:

• Professional and technical expertise:
  

- experience in conducting legal research in European law and comparative analysis of legal concepts under different regulatory frameworks and in different languages;

- proven editing and drafting skills (e.g., editorial work in publisher's team, master's thesis, end-of-course dissertation, or equivalent);

- solid understanding of the legal framework for the audiovisual industry in Europe.

• Drafting skills
  
• Concern for quality
  
• Analysis and problem solving
• Planning and work organisation
• Teamwork and co-operation  Initiative
• Communication

These would be an asset:

• Professional and technical expertise:
  

- knowledge of other European languages.

• Creativity and innovation
• Learning and development
• Organisational and contextual awareness

What we offer

If successful, you may be offered employment based on an initial fixed-term period of at least one year, corresponding to the probationary period, at grade A1/A2 depending on your previous professional experience. After successful completion of a one-year probationary period, which may be extended if needed, the initial contract may be renewed one or several times for a total duration of service not exceeding four years. A fixed-term appointment shall be converted into an open-ended appointment at the end of four years’ continuous service subject to the fulfilment of the conditions established by the Secretary General.

In Strasbourg, you will receive a basic monthly gross salary of €5 536 (grade A1) or €7 074 (grade A2) which is exempt from national income tax. Different salary scales are applied at our external offices according to the cost-of-living conditions. This salary may be supplemented by other allowances depending on your personal situation. You will benefit from the Council of Europe pension scheme, and also from private medical insurance, annual leave and other advantages (including flexible working hours, training and development, possibility of teleworking, etc.).

This competition is carried out in accordance with Article 490 of the Staff Rules. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance, etc.) on our recruitment website. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process are updated on this site and will apply at the time of the job offer.

Applications and selection procedure

The deadline for applications is 18 July 2024 (midnight Central European Time). Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe online application system. You can create and submit your online application on our website (www.coe.int/jobs). Please fill out the online application form providing all requested details and explain how your competencies make your profile the best for this role. It usually takes a few hours to fill in an application form, so please take this information into consideration while applying.

Only applications that best meet the criteria set out in the Staff Rules and in this vacancy notice, and that demonstrate the best profile in terms of qualifications, experience, and motivation, shall be considered for the next stages of the recruitment evaluation process, which may consist of different types of assessment. The tentative dates for each stage of the recruitment process will be published on our website.

People who perform best in the evaluation process shall be placed on a pre-selection list, valid for four years. Being on a pre-selection list does not give a right to appointment. People on the pre-selection list with the most suitable profile may be invited to an interview to assess their suitability for a specific job and may, if successful, be recommended for the appointment.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs. During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures shall be taken to facilitate access for people with disabilities.

October 16-18, 2024

Berlin, Germany

Deadline: July 7, 2024

Global conflicts and challenges to international security are among the most pressing issues of our time. Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping the ways in which warfare is conducted, adding both complications and urgency to the issues caused by the current major geopolitical shifts. AI is one of the driving factors of technological change in warfare in general, with its major effects mainly related to new degrees of complexity in automation and new forms of human-machine interaction. On the one hand, this change introduces new capabilities in weapons systems, in particular in the fields of processing information, generating knowledge and the automation of decision-making. Most prominently, this results in a decreasing level of human intervention and control, thereby reshaping the relationship between human operators and autonomous weapons systems. On the other hand, AI-related developments do not only concern the kinetic dimension of warfare but also expand into what military theory calls the ‘information domain’. Shaping and controlling narratives has been an integral part of conflicts and warfare for a long time, with disinformation and propaganda campaigns utilising the most recent (media) technologies for this purpose. The functionality of AI applications will increasingly be integrated in these efforts, as can already be observed with the dissemination of manipulated content on social media. AI-based technologies are also deployed in cyber warfare, which is not limited to the singular hacking of a system, but rather targeted to directly affect whole digital military infrastructures or civilian entities in politics, the economy or research.

The objective of the conference is to explore these domains of modern warfare in order to develop a more accurate picture of the various effects of AI in military contexts. Another goal is to broaden the perspective of the military deployment of AI beyond questions of weapon systems and their control, by particularly looking at adversarial uses of AI in hybrid forms of warfare in the information domain. The conference particularly aims to develop and establish a dialogue between the research on these two domains that are often explored separately. 

Against this background and in this spirit, we invite contributions along the following lines of inquiry:

(1) AI in military technologies and the relationship between humans and machines

The developments of machine learning and automated decision-making in networked and data-rich environments do not simply change weapons systems but rather have to be modelled as elements in complex systems of humans and machines. Military applications of AI, for example, pose various kinds of problems at the level of human control over these systems which can exert potentially lethal effects. They are also at the core of networked information processing (for example to select targets) and decision-making based on complex forms of synthesising data. Information superiority, situational awareness and electronic warfare are crucial issues for an understanding of the contemporary forms of military applications of AI-based weapons systems.

Talks in this section may address historical or contemporary examples for AI-based information processing in military systems and decision making such as target selection, including various forms of cyber liabilities of military networks and infrastructures (for example communication infrastructure as well as logistics or energy supply). It may also explore current technologies based on concepts of human-machine interaction, with questions on the role of interfaces, including battlefield management systems, or human-machine teaming in the interactions between manned and unmanned systems. Relevant contributions in this section may also analyse how research and development of military technologies are informed by larger cultural narratives of AI-enabled weapons.

(2) AI and the relationship between political processes and information warfare

Automated and autonomous forms of information generation and processing also extend deeply into the media systems of societies, its respective militaries, civil institutions and political systems. Corresponding questions concern various forms of automated manipulation of public opinion, via bots or targeted misinformation (including deep fakes) on social media platforms. This domain particularly addresses the political decision-making processes in an information and media environment that is increasingly influenced by AI technologies. 

Talks in this section may address topics such as the use of AI in efforts to manipulate public opinion or political processes as part of hybrid attacks or warfare in the information domain. Besides the use of generative AI in producing manipulated content, phenomena also include AI-enabled mass surveillance, as well as the targeting, profiling and tracing of individuals in exerting power or with manipulative intentions (particularly evoking emotional responses). Other issues concern the question of how these developments challenge the idea of democratic legitimacy or mechanisms of regulation and accountability (e.g. democratic control of autonomous decision-making in military contexts). 

We welcome contributions from scholars of diverse disciplines such as computer science, cultural studies, political science, international relations & security studies, media and communication studies, military studies, psychology, sociology and science and technology studies. Interdisciplinary approaches as well as perspectives from practitioners and developers are also encouraged.

Submission process

Abstracts of approximately 2,500 characters in length (excl. references) should be submitted no later than 7 July, 2024 to ai-warfare@hiig.de.

Speakers will be notified at the latest by 31 July, 2024.

More information is also available at www.hiig.de/events/ai-warfare/.

October 7 -11, 2024

CES | Alta (Coimbra, Portugal)

Deadline: July 31, 2024

The ‘Media and Sexual Violence’ School is an opportunity to reflect on how we understand sexual violence from its representations in different media, from different disciplinary perspectives and from the work of community-based organisations. Its specific aim is to analyse how sexual violence is mediatised in contemporary society, and, in this sense, it will discuss practical and methodological research tools, as well as the ethical dilemmas and challenges that mark cultural productions and journalistic coverage. The School is being held as part of the UnCoveR project, the first comprehensive transdisciplinary study of sexual violence in Portuguese media landscapes. The project studies sexual violence as a phenomenon framed by notions of sexual normativity, masculinity, femininity, and power dynamics, which, in contexts such as Portugal, marked by sexism, social hierarchies and colonial legacies, interact with notions of race, ethnicity, religion, and nationality.

The five-day School includes lectures, seminars, workshops, a cultural programme, a roundtable, a training session and focus groups. The speakers and trainers will be members of the project team and consultants, as well as journalists, activists, and professionals in the field of sexual violence.

Coordination: Júlia Garraio, Sofia José Santos, Inês Amaral, Rita Basílio Simões, Rita Alcaire

Teaching staff: Alexandre Sousa Carvalho (CES), Ana Rita Brito (AKTO), Ângelo Fernandes (Quebrar o Silêncio), Carla Cerqueira (CICANT, Universidade Lusófona), Daniela Sofia Neto (FEUC), Francisco Azevedo Mendes (Universidade do Minho), Gary Barker (Promundo/ CES), Inês Amaral (FLUC/CES), Isabel Ventura (CEMRI), Karen Boyle (University of Strathclyde), Joana Amaral Cardoso (Público), Júlia Garraio (CES), Maria João Faustino (CES), Marta Araújo (CES), Paula Cosme Pinto, Ricardo Higuera Mellado (Men Talks), Rita Alcaire (CES), Rita Almeida Carvalho (ICS), Rita Basílio Simões (FLUC/CES), Rita Santos (CES), Sérgio Pinto (Universidade Católica Portuguesa), Sílvia Roque (Universidade de Évora, CES), Sofia José Santos (FEUC/CES), Tatiana Moura (CES).

Target audience: researchers and students in the areas of Communication Studies, Journalism, Gender Studies, Cultural Studies and other areas that intersect with the School's themes; activists in the struggle against sexual and gender-based violence; journalists and professionals in the areas of communication; cultural producers, managers, and organisers; the general public interested in these themes.

Working language: Portuguese (and Keynote 1 in English)

Important dates:

• Deadline for applications: 31 July 2024
  
• Announcement of application results: 3 September 2024
  
• Formalisation and payment of registration: until 15 September 2024
  

More information: https://ces.uc.pt/summerwinterschools/?lang=2&id=45184

Email: uncover@ces.uc.pt