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This 2024 ICA preconference hosted by the University of Technology Sydney is joint with the 15th International Forum on Public Relations & Advertising (PRAD) Conference, the 8th Public Relations Scholars’ Community (PRSC) Conference, and the 8th Asia Pacific Public Relations Research and Education Network’s (APPRREN) Conference.
The preconference with the theme, “Impacts of Strategic Communication in an Interconnected World,” will take place on June 16-17, 2024 at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
This preconference is organised by School of Communication at UTS, PRAD, PRSC, and APPRREN. The sponsors are: City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Shih Hsin University.
2024 ICA Preconference Theme: Impacts of Strategic Communication in an Interconnected World
We welcome scholars and postgraduate students from around the world to join us to share their original research into how strategic communication creates positive (and sometimes negative) social change and impact across organizational, social, cultural, political, and economic settings.
Our world faces existential threats and challenges in which strategic communication is arguably more important than ever. We face the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, poverty, gender and racial inequality, climate change, unfair workplace practices, public diplomacy challenges such as war and conflict, distrust and polarization in the public sphere, and the list continues. Strategic communication continues to play an integral role in addressing these challenges However, it can also be employed for disruption and manipulation.
In line with this, this ICA preconference invites empirical research, case studies, and critical analyses of both positive and negative impacts of strategic communication as implemented in multiple fields such as corporate and government communication, public relations, health communication, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, activism, digital/social/mobile communication, environmental communication, public diplomacy, development communication, advertising, the environment, science, and the media, among others.
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Conference info
Date
Sunday 16 to Monday 17 June, 2024
Location
UTS Campus, Sydney, AustraliaThe majority of the conference activities will be held at UTS Building 6 (Peter Johnson Building).
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fee
- Academics and industry practitioners:
AUD $140 + Booking Fee + GST Students (postgraduate and undergraduate):
AUD $110+ Booking Fee + GST
Registration fees include lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments for the two-day event, and the Welcome Reception on Day 1.Payments received are non-refundable.
- Academics and industry practitioners:
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Registration
Accepted authors need to register on or before March 31, 2024 to confirm place in the conference schedule. Co-authors should register individually.
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Professor W. Timothy Coombs
W. Timothy Coombs (PhD Purdue University) (USA) is an advisor for the Centre for Crisis and Risk Communications. His primary area of research and consulting is crisis communication. His works include the award-winning book Ongoing Crisis Communication, coediting the Handbook of Crisis Communication, and co-writing Strategic Sport Communication: Traditional and Transmedia Strategies for a Global Sport Market.
His crisis communication research has won multiple awards from professional organizations including the Jackson, Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize. He is a Fellow in the International Communication Association.
Distinguished Professor Jim Macnamara, PhD, FAMI, CPM, FAMEC
Jim Macnamara is an internationally recognised leader in evaluation of public communication and for his ground-breaking studies of organisational listening by and in governments, corporations, and NGOs. Since early 2020, he has led global research for the World Health Organization to evaluate and advise on its communication in relation to COVID-19 and World Health Days.
Jim is the author of 16 books including Evaluating Public Communication: Exploring New Models, Standards, and Best Practice and Organizational Listening II: Expanding the Concept, Theory, and Practice published in 2024. as well as almost 100 book chapters and journal articles.
Program and schedule
Download the ICA Preconference program (PDF, 401kB)
Download the ICA Preconference program in Chinese (PDF, 1MB)
The theme of the special issue is ‘Impacts of Strategic Communication: Beyond Organization-Centric Goals’. This special issue aims at in-depth investigations on how communication addresses varied issues relevant to the society and the world. It is an avenue for the topic to be examined from non-Western contexts, especially the disruptions experienced by countries in the Global South that may challenge or concur with experiences in the Global North.
We welcome papers focusing on one of the areas below to be submitted to the special issue:
- Social impacts of strategic communication
- De-organization-centric scholarship in strategic communication
- Non-Western perspectives on social impact of strategic communication
Submission information
All authors should refer to the author guidelines on the Journal of Communication Management website.
Manuscripts should be between 6000 and 8000 words in length. This includes all text, structured abstract, references, all text in tables, figures, and appendices. Submissions will undergo the blind review process aligned with the journal policies.
Important dates for the special issue:
- Submission window opens: 1st July, 2024
- Submissions closes: 1st October, 2024
- Final acceptance date: 1st May, 2025
- Special issue published: third quarter of 2025
Risk plans and parking information
- UTS Safety and security information (PDF, 120kB)
- UTS Emergency procedures (PDF, 29kB)
- UTS Car park options (PDF, 125kB)
Organisers
The preconference is organized by the UTS School of Communication; the Department of Media and Communication of the City University of Hong Kong; the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University; the School of Journalism and Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Shih Hsin University; PRSC; and APPRREN.
Sponsors
The pre-conference is sponsored by the Department of Media and Communication of the City University of Hong Kong; the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University; the School of Journalism and Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Shih Hsin University
ICA Division and Interest Group Affiliations
The Public Relations Division | The Global Communication and Social Change Division | The Organizational Communication Division | The Public Diplomacy Interest Group
Contact us
If you have any questions, please email us at UTSJointConference@uts.edu.au.
See you in Sydney!
