NADA ŠVOB-ĐOKIĆ

Transforming Cultural Industries: From consumerism to socialization Social media are impacting the cultural production and particularly cultural industries in many different ways that are not yet analyzed in detail. It is nevertheless visible that the drive to increase cultural consumption is ever more connected with the increased communication and socialization among consumers. The intention of this paper is to trace such developments in the Southeast European post-socialist countries and see whether they may impact the cultural links in the region. Short biography Dr. Nada Švob-Đokić is senior researcher/Scientific Adviser at the Institute for International Relations, Zagreb. Her research areas include cultural globalization, cultural and creative industries, and public policies related to cultural, scientific and technological development. Her bibliography encompasses about 300 of published books, monographs, studies, research reports, articles and reviews. Dr. Švob-Đokić has directed courses on Redefining Cultural Identities and on Cultural Transitions in Southeastern Europe at the Inter-University Center in Dubrovnik since 1999. Her current research project in the Institute for International Relations, Zagreb is entitled “Global Influences and Local Cultural Changes”.

KEVIN ROBINS

Things I Stumbled Upon In this presentation, I will develop a critique of 'conventional' approaches to European media and cultural studies. The main point concerns their abstract approach, and also their reduction to what are now formulaic mantras. I will try to develop an alternative perspective based on a more substantive approach to forms of European cultural expression. What might European media and cultural studies be - and in such a way that it is not now? Short biography Kevin Robins is Visiting Fellow at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he is working on a project on European media policy. He lives in Istanbul, where he also has an attachment to Istanbul Bilgi University. He has worked for the Council of Europe in recent years, producing the report "The Challenge of Transcultural Diversities".

PAUL BRADSHAW

Paul is going to talk about his latest project named Help Me Investigate (HMI). HMI is a platform for crowdsourcing investigative journalism. It allows anyone to submit a question they want to investigate - “How much does my hospital make from parking charges?” “What happened to the money that was allocated to my local area?” “Why was that supermarket allowed to be built opposite another supermarket?” More importantly, it then enables users to mobilise support behind that question; and to pursue it. Short biography Paul Bradshaw is Course Director of the MA Online Journalism at Birmingham City University’s (UK) School of Media, his background is in magazine editing and editorial website management. He has contributed to several books about the internet and journalism, and is currently writing a book on online journalism. This explanation of how he uses this blog and other social media is spot on.

NIELS HENDRIKS & LIESBETH HUYBRECHTS

Human Media: a critical reflection on social and participatory media In their paper they will focus on the critical view on social media. Cases in media design for the elderly or the blind will serve as examples of both paths to come to more participation. Short biography Niels was born in 1979 in the oldest town of Belgium and became a proud citizen of the World Wide Wonder called the internet since 1997. He is currently working at the Media & Design Academy in Genk, Belgium & the XIOS university college in Hasselt, Belgium. Niels can be found on most of the usual social media suspects: Linkedin - Twitter - Scribd - Facebook - Delicious - Slideshare - Flickr. His areas of interest include networked sociality, mediated content creation & the hybridity of the virtual and the physical. Niels is part of the Social Space research cell for which he has done research projects on social media, online citizen journalism and hybrid spaces in art. He currently works on a EU-project on social media and the way they can empower people in the design and the production of clothing. Niels blogs at http://www.socialtextiles.be & http://www.e-cultuur.be. Liesbeth Huybrechts is doing a Phd research in Cultural Studies on the use of new media as critical things in participatory design and art projects. She is a researcher and a lecturer in higher art education at the Media & Design Academy in Genk (Belgium). Liesbeth is active as editor of the e-culture blog of the Flemish Government. She is part of a research group Interface-Our-Space, focusing on the role of new media in an artistic and museal context. In 2008 she edited Cross-Over, a collection of essays focussing on crossing borders between art, technology and media.

OLIVER T. HELLRIEGEL

Oliver is going to talk about “Changes in the media landscape and the resulting influences on society and consumer behavior” His presentation will highlight aspects of the changing media landscape, especially through the proliferation of digital media (Internet/IPTV) and increasing communication on Social Media platforms. Both societal issues as well as communication policy issues will be covered and a critical outlook on the long-term changes in these trends given. Short biography Oliver is Associate Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Economics and Management (FOM) in Munich and Nuremberg. He's lecturing Marketing, International Marketing and Strategic Management in English, furthermore he is teaching and coaching as visiting professor at University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt in „Online-Communications“ and at “Academy for Executives”, Überlingen, in „Online-Marketing“ and “International Marketing”.  Oliver is a speaker on various events and conferences on Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Online Marketing. Read more on his blog: digi:Marketing

IVAYLO DITCHEV

Ivaylo is going to speak about the digital mahala or "How the effort to be global makes the youths in Sofia even more local" New communications technologies seem to radically transform the way in which we experience space, as far away events and images are invading the privacy of our lives. Nevertheless, field observations of the cultural practices of youths in Sofia show that the web largely privilege the establishment of closed networks of friends, provincial thinking, ethnic nationalism. Short biography Ivaylo Ditchev is professor of Cultural anthropology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridsky”, Faculty of Philosophy. He has acquired a PhD in France and thought as associate professor in this country, as well as the USA. Among his research interests are political culture, media studies, urban anthropology. His last book is entitled “Citizens beyond places? New mobilities, new borders, new forms of belonging” (Sofia 2009). Read more on personal web page