AMIC mission, goals, direction revisited at BoM meeting

The Board of Management of AMIC recently held its Strategic Planning session to revisit goals and priorities, and chart major directions for the international non-government organization focusing on communication and media development.

The planning session was led by BoM Chairperson Jose Maria G. Carlos, with BoM members Olivia Celeste M. Villafuerte, Maria Margarita Alvina Acosta, PhD, and Marco Polo, and Secretary-General Ramon R. Tuazon attending.

The BoM first reviewed AMIC’s vision statement and expressed the need to make it more Asia-centric, forward-looking, and facilitative especially in terms of learning resource exchange within and outside the Asia Pacific Region.

In addition, the BoM also proposed to better align AMIC’s mission statement to encourage greater dialogue among academe, industry, government, and civil society while developing communication theories and models reflecting Asia Pacific cultures and perspectives.

The BoM also tackled ways and means to ensure the sustainability of AMIC, make the organizational structure more responsive particularly to its primary clientele, and explore partnerships in planning and managing future programs and projects including AMIC Communication Excellence Award, AMIC Youth Leadership Award, AMIC Centers of Excellence, and Accreditation of Communication Schools Using Asian Parameters. (END)

AMIC welcomes FEU as co-host of 29th AMIC Conference

Far Eastern University (FEU), founded in 1928 initially with the Institute of Accounts, Business, and Finance, is one of the leading private universities in the Philippines offering accessible, quality, and future-ready education.  It has established seven institutes covering diverse disciplines in health and social sciences, education, architecture, fine arts, tourism and hotel management, and law.

It placed 74th in the major category of the 2022 World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) Rankings, an international university rankings system that evaluates university programs for their social impact.

Fourteen programs of FEU were recognized by the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) for their strengths, abilities to cope with digital trends in education, and adaptability to the new normal.

FEU has produced globally competitive graduates who possess industry-responsive skills and exhibit the core values of Fortitude, Excellence, and Uprightness.

The FEU Group of Schools includes FEU Alabang, FEU Cavite, FEU Diliman, FEU High School, FEU Manila, FEU Makati, FEU Roosevelt, and FEU Tech.

Photo source: https://www.feu.edu.ph

UNPAD is co-host of 29th AMIC Annual Conference

Universitas Padjadjaran, also known as UNPAD, is a well-respected public university in West Java, Indonesia. It was founded in 1957 in Bandung, a lively city in West Java. The university is named after the Kingdom of Padjajaran, which existed from 1473 to 1513 and was led by Prabu Siliwangi.

UNPAD is highly regarded and has received the highest accreditation as an “Accredited Institution with A Rating” from the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education. It is a popular choice for students applying to public universities in Indonesia. Over the years, UNPAD has grown from having four faculties to its present 16 faculties and postgraduate schools, offering a wide variety of academic programs.

UNPAD has two main campuses: Jatinangor Campus in Sumedang Regency and Iwa Koesoemasoemantri Campus in Dipati Ukur, Bandung. It has also established two additional campuses, known as Program Studi di luar Kampus Utama (PSDKU), in Pangandaran and Garut to offer specific study programs. In April 2023, in an effort to enhance networking and institutional collaboration, it opened a representative office in Jakarta.

The university has a clear vision and mission. It aims to become a globally recognized university that has a positive impact on society, following the Fundamental Scientific Pattern of “Nurturing Noble Law and the Environment in National Development.”  UNPAD believes in being a university that positively impacts society. It emphasizes quality education, equal access to education, support for the legal system and environmental preservation, contributing to economic growth, ensuring social security, and preserving cultural heritage.

By living up to these ideals, UNPAD aims to maintain its reputation as a respected institution internationally while ensuring the quality of teaching, research, and community engagement. With its rich history, diverse academic offerings, and commitment to societal well-being, UNPAD continues to play a significant role in the education landscape of Indonesia.

Dr. Alviola named AMIC Country Rep

Dr. Ulderico B. Alviola, founding head of the University Integrated Media Centre (UIMC) at the Visayas State University (Philippines),  is the newly designated Country Representative for the Visayas of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC). 

As the designated Philippine Representative for the Visayas Cluster, Dr. Alviola is joining two other Country Representatives— Dr. Rowena Capulong Reyes for Luzon and Dr. Christine Faith M. Avila for Mindanao.

Dr. Reyes is the Dean of the Institute of Arts and Sciences (IAS) of the Far Eastern University (FEU) while Dr. Avila is an Associate Professor of the communication program of Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU). 

Dr. Alviola is faculty member at Department of Development Communication at Visayas State University (VSU), President of the Association of Development Communication Educators and Practitioners (ADCEP) Philippines, and Vice President for the Visayas of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE). 

He has also served  in various capacities as communication specialist and consultant in many national and international agencies and organizations, such as the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC), United Nations International Labour Organization (UN-ILO), Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW); ChildFund Philippines, Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (YRRP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). 

Dr. Alviola was  a former Rappler Ambassador, a community journalist, and a regional correspondent in Eastern Visayas for MovePH. 

Of his appointment, Dr. Alviola said: 

“I’m personally grateful to Prof. Ramon R. Tuazon for this designation as the new Country Representative of the Philippines to AMIC. I hope that this assignment will lead me to expand further my network and help me connect our colleagues from the Visayas region to this prestigious international organization…” 

Dr. Alviola completed his undergraduate degree in Development Communication at the former Leyte State University (now VSU), Cum Laude, and his Straight Doctor of Philosophy (PhDS) in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) under a joint scholarship grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

Ronny Adhikarya is 2022 AMIC Asia Communication Laureate

THE Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) announced the selection of Dr. Ronny Adhikarya as recipient of the 2022 AMIC Asia Communication Award for Transformative Leadership. 

It said the award is given to individuals who have made “significant contributions to Asian communication.” 

Dr. Adhikarya has a Master of Professional Studies degree from Cornell University’s Department of Communication Arts, and a PhD from Stanford University’s Institute for Communication Research. He has had a 50-year career in international development assistance, specializing in communication, education and training.

He worked as  Senior Trainer and Manager at the World Bank in Washington D.C., USA, and  as Country Director at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Italy and Islamabad, Pakistan. He also worked for other international organizations worldwide, undertaking official Missions in 52 countries, and visiting 103 countries.

He was associated with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Stanford University, East-West Center, and other universities in many countries.

He is often invited as keynote speaker at international conferences, and has given public lectures in at least 28 countries from 2005 to 2022.  

His wide- ranging topics include challenges of digital disruption, Artificial Intelligence-technology-based applications, and its impact on education, business (including start-ups), shared economy, virtual education and communication, tacit knowledge brokering, edupreneurship, generational conflicts, and societal and cultural cohesion.

Originally from Indonesia, Dr. Adhikarya was an Award-winning Journalist for Daily Indonesia Raya (1968-1971). He has written 8 books on communication, education and training, published in Germany, Italy, England, USA, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and many other publications. These books are available in English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Chinese languages.

He moved in 2021 from the “Silicon Valley” of California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (HICHAM), and the Executive Board of the East-West Center Association (EWCA).

He has served various advisory boards and committees of international development organizations in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,  England, Switzerland, and the USA.

 He established the R-Adhikarya “Niche” Awards (RANA) at the East-West Center (EWC), Stanford University and Cornell University. The annual RANA Program Scholarship rewards and recognizes smart, innovative, and competitive young students who wish to pursue their dreams to learn, explore, and apply disruptive ideas, and “niche” innovative thinking, in their studies and future careers.

The AMIC is an international non-government organization (NGO) committed to communication media development in the Asia Pacific region.   It promotes an ethical and socially responsible communication media sector committed to the tenets of freedom and democracy in a socio‐culturally diverse region.