INET Singapore 2012: THE SOCIAL INTERNET
The Internet Society of Singapore together with the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre organised “The Social Internet” conference focusing on “SoLoMo” at the Orchard Parade Hotel from November 16 – 17. The two-day conference saw an attendance of 71 people.

The Internet Society Singapore Chapter was apt to focus on SoLoMo as consumers today are constantly accessing their mobile devices to look for deals, search for friends and to play games. The use of SoLoMo is becoming increasingly prevalent in Singapore and all over the world.

Delivering the keynote address at this event was Mr Loo Cheng Chuan, Head of Local Life, a division of SingTel’s Group Digital Life business. He shared “Ten Shocking Truths about the Digital Business — What I Learnt from Silicon Valley” in his presentation. His advice to tech start-ups was to be realistic, make the product simple and above all be passionate about the venture. Mr Loo also told the audience that the before one succeeds in the business they have to be prepared for failure, even several times over. However, the silver-lining is that small companies have the edge over the bigger ones in this business.

 

Apart from business, social and educational opportunities in SoLoMo, the conference also had sessions which focused on the challenges and conflicts in SoLoMo, and law and disorder in SoLoMo on the first day. The first session focused on how consumers should protect their data online and employ adequate security measures while the second session informed the audience of cases where information posted online was used for defamation lawsuits. On the second day of the conference, there was a session on how Asian start-ups use SoLoMo to build their business. Speakers in this session spoke of their experience and challenges in having a start-up and they shared many ideas as to how a company can engage its consumers.

For tweets for the event please click here.

 

CeDEM-Asia-2012

The University of Danube, Austria in partnership with AMIC launched the international Conference on e-Democracy and Open Government or CeDEM-Asia-2012, in a move to bring to the forefront the role of social and mobile media in fostering democracy and good governance in Asia and elsewhere. The two-day conference was held from November 14 -15 at the Orchard Parade Hotel in Singapore with some 40 people from around the globe.
The conference had the opportunity to have two distinguished speakers from Singapore and the US to deliver keynote speeches.

Focusing on “New Media & Good Governance: What Goes, What Stays” was Mr Janadas Devan, Director of the Institute of Policy Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Mr Devan is also the Chief of Government Communications at the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, Singapore.

Mr Nojin Kwak, Director of the Nam Center for Korean Studies and Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Michigan, USA, addressed the audience about social media, the characteristics of users, and its influence in politics.

The conference also featured panel sessions where researchers from Europe and Asia alike show-cased their findings. Some of the topics covered were:
  • E-campaigning and government-to-citizen interaction via social media (e.g. the use of Twitter)
  • Social media and democratisation in Asia
  • Political discourse and information provision through modern ICTs
  • ICTs for developing countries and ICTs for the inclusion of fringe groups
  • Cybercrime

International Communication Association 2013: Call for Papers

New Media, Old Media, Social Media: Changing South Asian Communications Scholarship
The workshop will be held at the Khalili Lecture Theatre (Russell Square), School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London on June 16 and 17, 2013.

The workshop is co-sponsored by the ICA Communication Law and Policy Division, the University of Pennsylvania, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shiv Nadar University, the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and Florida State University.

Registration cost will be $75 USD per person, which covers breaks, lunches, and a reception.

For more information about the workshop, please click here.

AMIC Get-Together at the International House of Japan, October 26, 2012
A get-together with some of the past participants from previous AMIC conferences was held in Tokyo on October 26, 2012 at the International House of Japan. This get-together was made possible by the generous support of Dr. Hidetoshi Kato. Over ten people were able to participate in discussions about how to increase participation from Japan and possibilities of joint research with other nations.

Asian Publishing Convention 2012

Discount for AMIC members at Asian Publishing Convention 2012

The Asian Publishing Convention (APC) is offering a 10% discount to AMIC members who wish to attend the 2-day Conference that will be held from November 30 to December 1, 2012 at Crowne Plaza, Mutiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For more information about the convention, please click here.