International conference on media and culture concludes at IUB

A two-day international conference titled “The Nation & Its Imaginations” has concluded at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

The conference was organised by the Department of Media and Communication under the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, says a press release.

Academics, researchers, students and practitioners from Bangladesh and abroad took part in the event.

The inaugural session on April 9 was attended by Prof. Dr. M. Tamim, vice chancellor of IUB; Prof. Dr. Daniel W. Lund, pro vice chancellor; and Professor Dr. Bokhtiar Ahmed, dean of SLASS.

The opening keynote was delivered by Prof. Craig Batty from the University of Adelaide, focusing on creative practice and research.

On the second day, Prof. Daniel W. Lund delivered a keynote on media, audience perception and cognitive dissonance.

The conference featured four parallel sessions with 36 research paper presentations.

Topics included digital economy, media globalisation, gender representation, youth identity, folk culture, film, urban subcultures and political communication.

Three panel discussions were held on technology and creative industries, cultural sector changes, and the future of Bangladeshi cinema.

A workshop on creative practice research and a screening of the film “Delupi (2025)” were also part of the programme.

A conference dinner was held on the first day, where the Bangladesh Cultural and Creative Industries Research Group was launched.

Participants included academics from universities including the University of Dhaka, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, United International University, American International University-Bangladesh, Daffodil International University, Stamford University Bangladesh and BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology.

Organisers said the conference provided a platform for discussion on media, culture and creative industries in Bangladesh.