ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

May 6-8, 2026

Aalborg University, Denmark

The Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Aalborg Universitet

Welcome to Re-imagining organizational socialization: The work of communication

Description:

The field of organizational socialization originates in the social sciences and is concerned with ways in which employees become integrated into organizations to meet corporate goals. This is, therefore, also often constructed as a management-centric endeavour, paying little heed to employee needs and well-being. However, changes in work, organizing, economics and politics in and around the post-modern organization requires new ways of thinking and talking about employees and organizations that address the uncertainties and unpredictability (such as job insecurity, precarity and anxiety) that follow from these changes.

The PhD-course takes a humanities perspective to this discussion, focusing on key concepts such as discourse, communication, identity, affect, power and relationality to understand organizational socialization and practices in the postmodern organization. This entails seeing the organization as a construct emerging through the joint communicative, material and embodied efforts of the people that populate it and hence, acknowledging the special condition of the employee. The PhD-course invites students to join the conversation on these concepts as well as relevant theories and methodologies to consider for their PhD-studies.

Guided by faculty with deep experience in relevant disciplines, the aim will be for students to leave this course with a more robust understanding of the field of organizational socialization set against current developments. Furthermore, students will be encouraged to use the insights from the course in the pursuit of their unique and diverse research interests.

Students must do course readings before the course to become acquainted with the scope of research. In addition, they must read fellow students’ papers to prepare them to engage in conversation about the themes of the course and potential applications.

For additional information, updates, and registration, please refer to AAU PhD Moodle via the link HERE.

Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research (special issue)

Deadline: March 2, 2026

The journal Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research announces a call for abstracts for the special issue on Gender and Imperialisms: Intersectional Research of Oppressions and Resistances.

Editors: Leandro Wallace, Tereza Krobová, and Magali Segovia

This special issue has as its main objective to engage with research being carried across the axis of Imperialisms and Genders from an intersectional and transdisciplinary perspective, paying special attention to the workings of race, class, sex, sexuality, national identities, ableism, among others. At the same time, the call aims to reflect how both key constructions interact across several historical, social, political and cultural backgrounds emerging from and about different contexts.

We understand both Imperialism (Gramsci, 1975; Dussel, 1994; Quijano, 2008; Grosfoguel, 2008) and Gender (Lugones, 2008, Tlostanova, 2008; 2011; Espinoza-Miñoso, 2014; Curiel Pichardo, 2015; O’Sullivan, 2021; Markowitz, 2024) as complex formulation of structures and relations that are closely tied to the circumstance in which they develop but have a regional and global reach at the same time. We propose to think about both Gender and Imperialism as a non-universal, multidimensional and intersectional forces that are not limited to its “traditional” understandings. For example, we aim to emphasize that the concept of Imperialism goes beyond its western perspective and needs to be extended by the context of the Soviet and post-Soviet forces described as colonialist (Lieven 1995; Yusupova, 2022)

To be able to reach complex understanding of the diverse exchanges between all the analytical elements mentioned above, calls for the transdisciplinary practice that we seek to portray in this special issue. This call pursues highlighting the latest research being done in these spaces by researchers who work in these connections between Imperialisms and Genders.

This special issue has as its main aim to showcase the work being developed criticizing the attempts to impose the universal, hegemonic, hierarchical and binary western understanding of gender and its alliance with Imperialist perspectives and actions, as well as the multiple efforts to resist to them. We are interested in contributions that dwell on (but are not limited to) the complex interactions between:

• Theoretical and practical understandings of Gender and Imperialism
  
• Relationships between Gender and Imperialism (in all their forms)
  
• Non-western Imperialism and Gender
  
• Post-colonial, decolonial and anti-colonial approaches to imperialism and its gender(ed) framework
  
• Imperialism in far-right gendered discourses
  
• Imperialist digital practices
  
• Imperialist gendered media practices
  
• Imperialist and anti-imperialist aspects on human health
  
• Environmental projections of Imperialist and anti-Imperialist actions
  
• Environmental justice
  
• Gender aspects in Environmental engagement
  
• Gender and Imperialism as intersectional force: Influence and impacts of race, class, knowledge production, sexuality
  
• Languages and languages revitalizations
  
• Gender aspects of migration and forced migration
  
• Anticolonial practices and Resistances
  

We welcome papers, book reviews and reports. Articles should be in English and between 6,000 and 10,000 words, including footnotes and references. Abstract should be submitted in English and be no longer than 300 words, the title of the article, three keywords, and brief bio about the author. Book reviews (of books not older than 3 years) should be no longer than 1,500 words.

Abstracts should be submitted by 2 March 2026 via email to the special issue editors (wallace.leandro13@gmail.com, tereza.krobova@fsv.cuni.cz, magalibsegovia@gmail.com) and the journal genderteam@soc.cas.cz.

Please include in the heading of the email “Special Issue: Gender and Imperialisms” followed by the reason for contacting (enquiry, abstract submission or paper submission) and the title of paper.

Schedule:

• Deadline for abstracts: 2nd of March 2026.
  
• Decision on abstracts: 6th of April 2026.
  
• Deadline for full paper: 5th of October 2026.
  
• Publication: 2027 (issue no. 1)
  

Marína Urbániková, Klára Smejkal, Iveta Jansová, Lenka Waschková Císařová 

Incorporating perspectives of various key stakeholders, this book critically explores the state and future of public service media (PSM), and maps areas of consensus upon which a renewed social contract for PSM could be built.

Broadening the debate beyond normative frameworks and drawing on perspectives other than elite and expert opinions, this book represents a vital contribution to the discussion over PSM’s present and future. The study uses the Czech Republic as a case study, a representative Central and Eastern European (CEE) country that, following the fall of its Communist regime, successfully transformed its former state-run media propaganda system into PSM. Employing a mixed-methods research design, it provides empirically-based insights from three groups, namely: the general public, PSM’s audience and source of funding; politicians and members of PSM supervisory bodies; and PSM journalists and managers. This book synthesises the perspectives of these three groups, focusing on the common ground in their expectations and evaluations, and exploring where the societal consensus lies in terms of the public service PSM should provide and the public value it should bring. The analysis pays particular attention to the unique position of PSM in smaller countries and within the CEE region.

Reimagining Public Service Media is recommended reading for advanced students and researchers in fields including Media Ownership, Media Regulation, and Media and Politics.

Purchase it HERE.

September 14-17, 2026

School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales

Deadline (EXTENDED): January 30, 2026

Organised by Cardiff University’s Centre for the Creative Economy, the Media Cymru Innovation Conference and Showcase will spotlight research and innovation in the media and creative industries, with a focus on making them greener, fairer, globally connected, and economically sustainable. 

Participants can look forward to an engaging and interdisciplinary programme featuring invited speakers from across academia, industry, and policy, including national and international experts in media and creative industries. A full list of keynote and featured contributors will be announced in due course. 

We invite all researchers and professionals to submit their academic work that explores approaches to and analysis of media and creative industries innovation in ways that can inform future practice and policy. We welcome a broad range of topics. 

Conference Themes and Topics 

Submissions should align with (at least one of) our four themes: Green, Fair, Global, and Growth. These themes reflect Media Cymru’s four strategic pillars, which serve as tracks for submissions:

• Green - Environmental Sustainability: Research on the media’s role in tackling the climate crisis. Topics include the role of media content in responding to the climate crisis, sustainable film/TV production, green broadcasting technologies and practices, energy-efficient infrastructure for creative studios, and case studies on carbon reduction in media and the wider creative industries. 
  
• Fair - Inclusive & Equitable Creative Industries: Research promoting a fair, equitable and diverse media sector. Topics include diversity and inclusion in media content and production, representation and accessibility in film, television and gaming, community media initiatives, minority language media production and consumption, and research that focuses on how to create greater equity in the creative industries. 
  
• Global - International Collaboration & Reach: Research on expanding the global impact and connections of small creative industries companies or regional ecosystems. Topics include international co-productions and partnerships, cross-cultural innovation in media, export of creative content, global audiences and markets, creative tourism, and comparisons of creative economy policies across regions. Work that highlights place-based innovation in the global creative landscape is especially welcome. 
  
• Growth - Creative Economy Development: Research driving economic growth and productivity through media R&D and innovation. Topics include creative entrepreneurship and startups, media business models and monetisation, creative hubs and regional cluster development, skill development and talent pipelines (linking education with industry), impacts of emerging technologies (AI, XR, gaming) on the creative economy, and evaluations of creative industry support programs or policy interventions. 
  

These topics are not exhaustive. We welcome proposals that explore media workforce development, particularly in-work training, upskilling, and professional development models that support fair work across the media and creative industries. The committee also welcomes submissions with a focus on R&D methodologies and practice-based research closely aligned with industry needs and engagement. If you are unsure whether your topic fits, please contact the organisers at mcconf@cardiff.ac.uk  . 

We invite postgraduate and early career researchers to submit papers for a special session on the future of Creative Industries research. We welcome work that explores collaboration with industry, assesses partnership impact, or presents case studies bridging academia and practice. 

Submission Guidelines and Publication 

Submission Format: Authors are invited to submit abstracts of up to 500 words (excluding references) by Friday 30 January 2026. 

Submissions should outline the research and contribution to the field or to creative industry development and policy. Submissions should also indicate the relevant conference theme or themes (Green, Fair, Global, Growth, Postgraduate Researcher session). All submissions will be subject to a peer review process. 

How to Submit: Abstracts must be submitted in PDF format via the Frontiers in Communication submission portal. Frontiers | Media Cymru Innovation Conference and Showcase 2026: Call for Papers https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Fresearch-topics%2F74172%2Fmedia-cymru-innovation-conference-and-showcase-2026-call-for-papers&data=05%7C02%7CRabyJ%40cardiff.ac.uk%7C20f577865a5d4d54d71f08de53784cc2%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1%7C0%7C639039973360280815%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vBZVKdWo332NqydtaW5VY9AgzUKdrCGalAeDwUSUpwM%3D&reserved=0

All abstract submissions for the conference will be managed through the Frontiers in Communication Research Topic platform and should be submitted via this page. Please note that Frontiers refers to abstracts as ‘manuscript summaries.’ To submit your abstract, please click ‘Submit’ > ‘Submit your manuscript summary’ and follow the on-screen instructions. Any reference to manuscripts, manuscript submission, and publication fees on this page or within the submission portal should be ignored.

Conference Proceedings and Publication Opportunities 

Special Issue Opportunity: Selected authors will be invited to submit a full-length version of their research for publication consideration in a peer-reviewed special issue of Frontiers in Communication, within the journal’s Media, Creative and Cultural Industries section. Invitations for full paper submissions will be issued following the conference and will be subject to a separate peer review process.  

Attendance 

Location: Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK (in-person) 

Conference and Showcase Activities: Following the conference, a two-day showcase will highlight the innovations and impact of the Media Cymru programme. Attendees will be invited to explore the latest in sustainable and inclusive media innovation, from immersive storytelling to green production models. The showcase offers valuable opportunities to connect with industry professionals, discover new collaborations, and engage with bold ideas shaping the future of media.

About Media Cymru: Media Cymru is working towards sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Welsh media sector. Backed by £49 million in funding, including £22 million from UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund and significant investment from government and industry, Media Cymru is a collaborative initiative led by 22 partner organisations. Find out more about Media Cymru.

Bursary support: A limited number of registration fee waivers will be available for eligible presenters.  

Important Dates

• 30 January 2026 – Submission deadline 
  
• 14–17 September 2026 – Conference and Showcase take place  
  

All deadlines are 23:59 Anywhere on Earth (AoE). Early submissions are appreciated.

Contact and Organisers 

The conference is organised by Media Cymru and the Centre for the Creative Economy at Cardiff University.  

Contact: mcconf@cardiff.ac.uk 

January 21 - July, 2026

Online (5:00 PM, CET)

Through this series of seminars, we explore the concept of borders from multiple perspectives, including communicative, linguistic, geographical, historical, and political borders.

The seminar series is sponsored by the Faculty of Communication and by the Master’s Programme in Media and Cultural Studies at Üsküdar University. The meetings take place online on Zoom every Wednesday at 5:00 pm (CET).

We also have a website where all updates and information about the seminar series can be found: https://sites.google.com/view/entangledhistories/programme

We hope this initiative may be of interest to you and that it could be included in the weekly digest. Below, please find the programme of the seminar series:

January 21, 2026

Sophie Ling-chia Wei (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Typology Meets the Yijing: Jesuit Figurists' Intralingual Translation and the Sinification of Jesus

January 28, 2026

Jasmine Bria (University of Bari Aldo Moro)

Borderlands and Cultural Identities in Arthurian Narratives

February 4, 2026

Naoko Kato (Corpus Christi College at the University of British Columbia/Independent Scholar)

Double Abandonment: Transpacific Borders of Erasure and Resistance (1942–1965)

February 11, 2026

Dario Capelli (University of Urbino Carlo Bo)

Echoes of the Struggles Against the Beguines in a Poem by Thomas Hoccleve

February 18, 2026

Peppino Ortoleva (University of Turin)

Surreal Frontiers: Decolonisation, Borders, and Never-Ending Wars

February 25, 2026

Anik Nandi (Woxsen University)

Transnational Migration and Language Policies in Northern Ireland, UK: Family Dynamics towards Heritage Language Maintenance

March 4, 2026

Muhammet Enes Akdağ (Üsküdar University)

Transnational Film Networks and Moviegoing Culture in the Jerusalem Mutasarrifate (1874–1917)

March 11, 2026

Karen Pinto (University of Colorado Boulder)

Through the Eye of the Cartographer: The KMMS Islamicate Vision of the Bilad al-Rum Byzantine Frontier with Syria

March 18, 2026

Sonja Brentjes (Max Planck Institute/Independent Scholar)

Formal and Informal Borders: How Much Did They Matter in the Mathematical Sciences in Premodern Islamicate Societies?

March 25, 2026

Eleonora Matarrese  (University of Bari)

Edible Wild Plants: Widespread and Futuristic Knowledge in the Middle Ages (with practical workshop)

April 1, 2026

Pierpaolo De Giosa (National Centre for Scientific Research, Paris), Luigi Andriani (University of Hamburg)

More-than-human Encounters under the Same Roof: Household Spirits and Rituals in Bari

April 8, 2026

Marusca Francini  (University of Pavia)

Beyond Poetry. The Style of the Norwegian 'Tristrams Saga'

April 15, 2026

Gesufrancesco Petrillo & Cristiano Bedin (Istanbul University)

Queer Encounters Across Borders: Adapting Perfect Strangers (2016) into Stranger in My Pocket (2018)

Academic Leave (20-26 April)

April 29, 2026

Elisa Ramazzina (University of Insubria)

Margins, Maps, and Monsters: Negotiating Borders in the “Wonders of the East”

May 6, 2026

Seda Öz (University of Delaware)

Entangled Germanies: Remaking Cinema at the Borders of Cultural Memory

May 13, 2026

Giorgio Ennas (University of Utrecht/Franklin University Switzerland)

Borders and Epidemics: Sanitary Transformation of State Borders in the Ottoman Empire between the Eighteenth and the Nineteenth Centuries

May 20, 2026

Nora Berend (University of Cambridge)

May 27, 2026

Valentina Surace (University of Messina) and Aisling Reid (Queen’s University Belfast)

Divided We Stand: Belfast’s ‘Peace’ Walls and the Logic of Security             

June 3, 2026

Elisa Cugliana (Cologne University)

«Altez Gaschraibach» and New Technologies: Documenting Cimbrian Beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

June 10, 2026

Luigi Andriani (University of Hamburg)

One Language Fits All? The Spectacular Case of Multilingual Italy

June 17, 2026

Betsey Price (York University)

The Mansions of the Visigoths: Self-Definition Through Boundaries

June 24, 2026

Nancy Bruseker (University of Toulouse)

Gender Jetset: The Carrousel Cabaret and Transfemininity on Tour, 1950-1969

July 1, 2026

Feride Zeynep Güder (Üsküdar University)

Borders of Memory: Queen Zenobia as a Connective Turn in the Digital Legacy of Antioch 

April 8-10, 2026

College of Arts, Education and Social Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, UAE 

Deadline: January 30, 2026

Dear Scholars, Researchers, and Industry Experts,

The College of Arts, Education and Social Sciences (CAESS) at Abu Dhabi University invites scholars to submit research papers for its 2026 international conference, ’Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Reimagining Society: Arts, Education & Social Transformation.' This premier platform will foster interdisciplinary dialogue on post-pandemic and Fourth Industrial Revolution challenges.

Important Submission Deadlines:

• Abstract Submission: 30 January 2026
  
• Acceptance Notification: Within 2 weeks
  
• Full Paper Submission: 28 February 2026
  

Submission Guidelines

• Abstracts: 250–300 words (We have started receiving Abstracts - Deadline: 30 January 2026)
  
• Full Papers: 4,000–6,000 words (Deadline: 28 February 2026)
  
• Formats: APA 7th edition (General) / IEEE (Technical)
  
• Submit via: www.adu.ac.ae/mprs

Join us in exploring the Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Reimagining Society: Arts, Education & Social Transformation at Abu Dhabi University’s International Conference.

We look forward to your valuable contributions!

Accepted papers for the "Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Reimagining Society: Arts, Education and Social Transformation" Conference will undergo a rigorous peer-review process; only selected papers will be published in Scopus-Indexed Journals and Books.

For inquiries and submissions visit our conference website: www.adu.ac.ae/mprs

Journal of Health Communication (special issue)

Deadline: February 15, 2026

In recognition of the busy end-of-semester period many colleagues faced in December, followed closely by the holiday break, we have decided to extend the submission deadline to provide additional time for manuscript preparation and submission.

This special issue focuses on the competencies, training models, and institutional supports needed to prepare a responsive, equity-oriented health communication workforce across global and local contexts.

• New submission deadline: February 15, 2026
  
• A rolling peer-review process is underway, and early submissions are encouraged.
  

Full Call for Papers: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/from-competencies-to-capacity-preparing-the-next-generation-of-health-communicators-to-address-persistent-and-emerging-challenges/

We especially welcome solution-oriented, equity-centered contributions that bridge theory and practice, particularly work that moves beyond identifying training gaps to proposing, testing, or evaluating innovative approaches to health communication capacity building.

Guest Editors:

Matthew Matsaganis (Rutgers University)

Itzhak Yanovitzky (Rutgers University)

Iccha Basnyat (George Mason University)

Brian Southwell (RTI International)

We hope you’ll consider submitting and sharing this call with colleagues and networks who may be interested.

Warm regards,

Matthew Matsaganis, Itzhak Yanovitzky, Iccha Basnyat & Brian Southwell

January 29, 2026

Online

The ECREA Ukraine Task Force, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Media and Communication Institute, invites media and communication researchers, as well as scholars from related fields, to a webinar on applying to academic mobility and international fellowship programs.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

•  preparing an English-language academic CV;
  
• differences between European and American CV formats;
  
• key requirements for completing applications for fellowships and international academic mobility programs;
  
• tips on writing a personal statement;
  
• tips on writing a professional statement.
  

The webinar will be led by Kateryna Sirinyok-Dolharova, PhD in Social Communications, Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism, Zaporizhzhia National University (Ukraine); doctoral researcher at the School of Journalism and Advertising, Southern Illinois University; Secretary of the ECREA Ukraine Task Force. She has extensive international experience as a visiting research fellow at the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia at the University of Michigan (USA) and through programs such as UGRAD, Fulbright, IREX, Erasmus+, and others.

Format and Participation

The webinar will take place online (Zoom).

Date and time: January 29, 2026, 4-5:30 pm (EET).

Participation is free and available through registration. Registered participants will receive the Zoom link and other details in advance. 

Working language: Ukrainian.

September 7, 2026

Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria 

Deadline: March 31, 2026

Visual media increasingly shape how harm is produced, circulated, and contested across intimate and public domains. From non-consensual image sharing and online hate to the journalistic circulation of war and atrocities, images raise urgent ethical, political, and regulatory questions. These challenges are intensified by uneven governance across platforms, shifting regimes of visibility, and the growing prevalence of manipulated and AI-generated imagery. This preconference invites critical engagement with harmful visual practices, cultures, and infrastructures in times of social and technological change. We welcome contributions examining visual ethics, regulation, pedagogies, and witnessing across diverse visual and multimodal formats.

Find more information here: https://visualculturesecrea.wordpress.com/harmful-visuals-precon-2026/ 

June 8-11, 2026

Gothenburg, Sweden

Deadline: January 22 (abstract)/January 29 (paper), 2026

Dear Community,

This is a reminder!! 

The Call for Full and Short Papers for UMAP 2026 - the 34th ACM Conference on User Modelling, Adaptation and Personalization is out!

ACM UMAP brings together research in AI and HCI to support effective human-AI collaboration via interactive systems that can model, adapt and personalize to their users. The conference will take place on June 8-11, 2026 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Link to call: https://www.um.org/umap2026/call-for-full-short-papers/

Important Dates

• Abstract submission: January 22, 2026
  
• Paper submission: January 29, 2026
  
• Rebuttal phase: March 2-9, 2026
  
• Notification of acceptance: March 25, 2026
  

Topics of Interest include but are not limited to

• Creativity in User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization
  
• Intelligent and personalized user interfaces
  
• Data mining techniques for user modeling, adaptation, and personalization
  
• Application of user modeling and personalization to well-being and health
  
• Personalized behavior change and persuasive applications
  
• Human-agent interaction
  
• Long-term personalization and lifelong learning
  
• Intelligent and personalized e-learning applications and educational games
  
• Generative AI techniques for user modeling, adaptation, and personalization
  
• Personalized user interaction with agents
  
• Large Language Models and Natural Language Processing methods for user modeling, adaptation and personalization
  
• Knowledge graphs, Linked data, and semantics for user modeling, adaptation, and personalization
  
• Modeling and adapting to human affective states
  
• Virtual assistants, conversational agents, and personalization in augmented reality
  
• Group modeling and collaborative team formation
  
• Ethical issues of personalization and human-centered AI systems: Privacy, Fairness, Accountability, Transparency
  
• Personalized approaches for preventing eco-chambers, user manipulation, and disinformation
  
• Evaluation methods for human-centered adaptive systems
  

Call for Papers: https://www.um.org/umap2026/call-for-full-short-papers/

ACM UMAP WhatsApp channel: https://tinyurl.com/umapwa   

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

The UMAP 2026 organizing committees