IAMCR president Nico Carpentier and UC Tumu Whakarae | Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Standing left to right: Corban Te Aika (Ng膩i T奴膩huriri), Prof Natalia Chaban, Prof Donald Matheson, Prof Linda Jean Kenix, Dr Tara Ross, Dr Zita Joyce, Prof Gerard Goggin (IAMCR secretary-general), Dr Elske van de Fliert (IAMCR treasurer), Bruce Girard (IAMCR executive director). Sitting: Prof Cheryl de la Rey, Prof Nico Carpentier (IAMCR president)
For the first time in almost 30 years, major global communication conference, the听听(IAMCR), will take place in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 1000 international and national delegates are expected to come to the annual conference in 艑tautahi Christchurch in July 2024.
Convening at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, the theme is Whiria te tangata | Weave the people together: Communicative projects of decolonising, engaging, and listening. The theme is a whakatauk墨 about the strength that comes through common purpose 鈥 highlighting the challenges of multiculturalism and the crises facing neoliberal globalisation.
More broadly, the theme invites reflection on the terms and models appropriate to describe contemporary communication, including the political and moral goals embedded in them.
IAMCR president Nico Carpentier and UC听Tumu Whakarae | Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey听formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding and UC鈥檚 commitment to supporting this conference.
鈥淯C鈥檚 journey of developing a greater understanding of cultural inclusiveness and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi began a long time ago. Supporting this conference is a unique opportunity for our academics to share their perspectives on Indigenous knowledge with the wider world and perhaps inspire communications research globally,鈥 Professor De la Rey says.
Aotearoa New Zealand's unique bicultural history and position make it an ideal location for this conference. It is also a land of immigrants spanning from the first waka 1000 years ago to recent Pacific and Asian immigration. This history underpins strong connections across the Pacific and a shared legacy of addressing colonial impacts on health, environment and security.
In addition to that, UC鈥檚 position of being the only tertiary institution in Aotearoa to have a formal听Te Tiriti partnership听with local iwi Ng膩i T奴膩huriri also contributed to the successful bid.
School of Language, Social and Political Sciences听Professor Donald Matheson, the lead academic bringing this conference to 艑tautahi Christchurch, says, 鈥淗olding the conference in Aotearoa is a chance to put decolonising communication and Indigenous media at the heart of academic thinking. It鈥檚 also a chance for this country to share our experience of partnership between mana whenua and settler society.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 also about manaaki. Mana whenua and the university are teaming up to welcome our manuhiri and provide an exceptional experience attendees won鈥檛 forget,鈥 Professor Matheson says.
In addition to its close partnership with mana whenua, UC is also home to the country鈥檚 first journalism school and is the only institution in the country to offer a听M膩ori communications major. Media and Communications at the University recently maintained its spot听in the Top 250 as part of the QS World University Rankings by Subject.
The bid for the conference was submitted in partnership with mana whenua, for whom communication is a key pillar of iwi development, and with the support of UC鈥檚 conferencing partners ChristchurchNZ and Tourism New Zealand.
In supporting the event ChristchurchNZ and Tourism New 九州影院shared their excitement about bringing the conference to 艑tautahi and said delegates can expect a warm welcome, a thriving city, and magnificent regions to explore after the conference.
