By Ogochukwu Isioma
Former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, is set to chair the maiden International Conference of the Department of Mass Communication at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, with discussions expected to focus on the growing intersection between media and artificial intelligence.
The four-day conference, scheduled to commence on June 7, will bring together academics, media professionals and stakeholders from Nigeria and beyond to examine the role of communication in national development in the age of emerging technologies.
According to a statement issued by the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Danladi Bako, the event will begin with a pre-conference lecture by Fatma El-Sayed of Cairo University, Egypt.
Muhammad-Bande, a former Vice-Chancellor of the university, is expected to preside over the conference opening ceremony at the institution’s auditorium on June 8.
The conference is themed “Media and National Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
Speaking ahead of the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the university expressed confidence in the institution’s readiness to host participants from across the world.
“We are very ready to host the international academic community,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
The organisers also disclosed that the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Attahiru Jega, alongside other council members, will attend the opening ceremony.
A major highlight of the conference will be the keynote address by Kehbuma Langmia of Howard University, United States, described by organisers as a double Fulbright scholar.
The keynote lecture is expected to set the tone for extensive discussions on the impact of artificial intelligence on media practice, communication, governance and national development.
“The theme of the conference will set the trajectory for robust intellectual discussions by lead paper presenters and panellists drawn from different universities and stakeholders from the Nigerian society,” the organisers stated.
Another major feature of the event will be the unveiling of the maiden edition of the Department of Mass Communication’s academic publication, ALKALAMI Journal of Communication and Media Studies.
Organisers said the conference promises to provide a platform for scholarly exchange, innovation and collaboration among participants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
