Baku hosts international conference on "Media and communication studies in the digital age"
Baku, May 15, AZERTAC
The opening ceremony of the international conference on "Media and communication studies in the digital age" marking the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press, co-organized by the Baku State University (BSU) and Üsküdar University of Türkiye, in partnership with the Media Development Agency, the Audiovisual Council and the Press Council, was held Thursday in Baku.
First, the conference participants honored memory of National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, by observing a minute of silence.
The event featured the screening of a video highlighting the 150th anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press.
Addressing the conference, Elchin Babayev, Rector of the Baku State University (BSU), said that “Akinchi,” a newspaper published in the Azerbaijani language by outstanding intellectual and publicist Hasan Bey Zardabi, which laid the foundation of the Azerbaijani National Press, has made an invaluable contribution to educating the people, realizing the national identity and promoting the ideas of statehood.
“During the 44-day Patriotic war, the Azerbaijani media professionals have demonstrated unmatched bravery. Their roles in communicating accurate and timely information to the world community and preventing enemy propaganda has been invaluable,” the rector mentioned.
Highlighting National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s role in the development of the national press, Elchin Babayev underscored that “President Ilham Aliyev’s Order “On the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press” stands as a clear example of the high importance attached to media and journalism in the country. “This anniversary is not only reflecting on our history, but also a great contribution to the formation of a progressive generation of journalists and the inspiration of young writers,” he added.
Hailing the successful cooperation between Üsküdar University of Türkiye and the Baku State University (BSU), Nazife Güngör, Rector of Üsküdar University, said: “We at Üsküdar University attach great importance to cooperation with Baku State University (BSU) and aim to implement a number of joint projects.”
According to Rector Güngör, the cooperation between the two universities is not only rooted in academic partnership but also strengthened by deep cultural and spiritual ties between the peoples of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, built on principles of friendship and mutual trust.
The rector also highlighted the willingness of both Üsküdar University and Baku State University to develop a shared educational model, academic exchange programs, and joint scientific projects.
Rovshan Mammadov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC, described the international conference on “Media and Communication Studies in the Digital Age” as a great platform for discussing topical and strategic issues at the local and global levels.
Rashad Majid, Chairman of the Press Council, underscored that during the Soviet period, the Azerbaijani national press played a significant role in preserving the native language.
Mirshahin Aghayev, General Director of the “REAL Analysis Information Center” LLC, mentioned that media is not just an information tool, but also a mindset. “Looking back at our history, we are proud of the “Akinchi” newspaper and pay tribute to Hasan bey Zardabi as the founder of our national press. This is not only respect for our history, but also our responsibility for the future,” he noted.
Speaking at the event, MP Vugar Rahimzade mentioned that in response to the global challenges, we must approach the topics to be discussed from the perspective of national interests and take sufficient steps to ensure national interests.
Natig Mammadli, Deputy Executive Director of the Media Development Agency, highlighted the key goals and objectives of the conference. He also underscored the role of the media in addressing information security challenges and the efforts undertaken by Azerbaijani journalism in this area.
Jahangir Mammadli, Head of the Department of History of National Press at BSU, and Gulu Maharramli, Head of the Department of Multimedia and Electronic Communications, highlighted the importance of increasing the influence of media.
Then the participants attended the opening of the “National Press History Auditorium” at the Faculty of Journalism of BSU, as well as the presentation of a special issue of the “Baku University” newspaper and the newly established “Media Problems” magazine by the faculty.
The three-day conference aims to open a discussion on the human, social, political, and cultural reflections of the transformation in the production and consumption processes of media with digitalization.
The conference will hear 48 reports in 7 sections on the topics such as “Media and Society in the Digital Age”, “Artificial Intelligence, Media and Society”, “Media and Communication Research in the Digital Age”, “Advertising and Marketing in the Digital Age”, “History of Journalism”, “Artificial Intelligence, Media and Visual Culture”, “Digital Transformation and Media”.
About 300 articles and 100 theses were submitted to the conference. The event is scheduled to hold 19 live and about 24 online panel discussions across various aspects of the media.
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