Three-D Issue 23: MeCCSA Postgraduate Network report

Yupei Zhao
Univeristy of Leeds

The Chair Yupei Zhao and Vice-chair Seema Hussain had meetings in Coventry with the organizers from Coventry University to discuss the progress for the MeCCSA PGN 2015 Conference. The conference will be held on the 2 and 3 July 2015 in Ellen Terry building, Coventry University. It is a very welcoming building and also introduces delegates to one of the most beautiful and striking locations in the town of Coventry, as it sits opposite the cathedrals which stand side by side, old and new.

Considering the ways in which the multidisciplinary studies of media, communication and culture respond to the changing landscape provided by the rise in digital and open media we would like to take this opportunity to invite new and upcoming researchers to contribute to our conference. Our conference focuses on innovative approaches to review the way pre-existing notions, ideas and practices in research can be reimagined. We want to promote how the use of creative and original ways of research enables the reframing of traditional ideas to fit with the needs of today. Therefore, the theme of PGN annual conference will be Transformative Practice and Theory: Where We Stand Today

The organizers in Coventry University approached the Associate Dean of Applied Research in Coventry School of Art and Design about procuring some funding for the conference and they were allocated £3,500 for this. Since then, they have continued to seek funding opportunities and have been successful in obtaining a further £3,500 from the Digital Media Grand Challenge Initiative at the university in support of the conference, thus providing a more attractive and stimulating conference which will be of benefit to delegates.

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The organising committee will prepare a brief in order to invite the students of the Media Department to design the conference website. This brief will include the aims and objectives of launching the website and using social media tools in order to enable communication with delegates. There are ideas for integrating a Real-Life Event App Game, PAX Primepp, in order to offer a more interactive experience to our delegates, so the organising committee will investigate costs and possibilities. This application can be combined with creating forums to get the conversation started before the actual conference, as well as other discussion platforms. Additionally, we will create a documentary on the actual conference and the process of preparation to promote MeCCSA and the network as well. Here lies another opportunity for involving the students of the Media Department. As for the call for papers: the organising committee will encourage delegates to submit video papers and abstracts, thus supporting alternative forms of presentation.

As for regional events of PGN, we hope to do this by having a more physical and local presence at universities. We are currently co-organizing two regional events with PGN regional representatives at a number of institutions across the UK. In Spring, we will be launching our new regional seminar series titled ‘Boundaries and Borders in…’ Boundaries and Borders in Chinese Media and Cultural Studies: Consumption, Content and Crisis. (organized by University of Cardiff, UK-China Media and Cultural Studies Association); Boundaries and Borders in Exploring Ethical Issues in Media and Communication Research (organized by University of Sussex); Boundaries and Borders in Research Methods- a special training on ‘online big data and digital research’ (organized by University of Leicester).

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