Director of outreach in the United Nations Department of Global Communications to deliver opening keynote address
Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information will host the 11th annual South Asian Media and Cultural Studies (SAMCS) conference Thursday, Jan. 30, and Friday, Jan. 31.
Through the theme of “Celebrating Voices,” the conference will delve into the intersection of communication and innovations in empowering communities and amplifying underrepresented and indigenous voices in South Asia and worldwide.
The conference will feature two keynote speakers in collaboration with the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Ruth K. and Shepard Broad International Lecture Series and the Center for Global Engagement’s Engage Your World Speaker Series.
Maher Nasser, director of outreach in the United Nations Department of Global Communications, will deliver the talk “The Power of Voice as a Tool for Change” at 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 30, at The Globe Auditorium, (110 S. Woodward Ave.). A pre-lecture reception will take place at 5 p.m. Those unable to attend the lecture in-person can livestream it here.
Nasser brings over 35 years of experience in the United Nations System, previously serving as Acting Undersecretary-General for Global Communications in charge of the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) in 2017 and Commissioner General of the United Nations at Expo 2020 in Dubai. In addition to his current position, he also serves as the Commissioner-General of the United Nations at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. In 2018, he was a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and last year, Nasser was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from De Montfort University in the UK for his lifelong dedication to human rights, sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), will deliver the talk “Unlocking South Asia’s Potential: Diplomacy, Development, and Diversity” at 1 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 31, at The Globe Auditorium, (110 S. Woodward Ave.). Those unable to attend the lecture in-person can livestream it here.
In her role at ASPI, Aamer oversees the institute’s policy work and projects in South Asia. Aamer previously worked as a research analyst at the Stimson Center, a nonprofit that analyzes issues related to global peace. Through her work, Aamer has organized and convened high-level Track II dialogues and discussions designed to facilitate greater inter-and intra-regional cooperation on issues and opportunities concerning water, energy, climate action and sustainable development in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Central Asia.
The main conference panels will take place from 7 a.m. to 11:55 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 30, and Friday, Jan. 31, livestreamed both days on the SAMCS YouTube channel. An informal networking session will take place between panels from 9 to 9:55 a.m. Friday. Attendees are invited to a complimentary lunch in the cafeteria of the Center for Global Engagement before the closing keynote address.
The SAMCS conference is a leading global platform for the researchers, academicians and practitioners who actively contribute to the advancements of South Asian media and cultural research, policies and practices in the subcontinent. This year’s theme “Celebrating Voices” seeks to foster a sustainable and responsive partnership in the region, uniting research, practitioners, and community experts to help chart the course in the media and cultural studies and practices in South Asia.
Presenters will join the conference from around the world to speak on topics including digital transformation of the South Asian mediascape, digital individuals, culture and data, digital knowledge and digital media for an inclusive and sustainable South Asia.
Registration for the SAMCS conference is free and open to the public. To register and view the full conference program, visit bit.ly/samcs25program. For more information about SAMCS at FSU, visit comm.cci.fsu.edu/faculty-research/south-asian-media-studies/.