Professor Tkach-Kawasaki Leslie, NipCA Fellow academic advisor, attended and presented at the IAMCR (International Association for Media and Communications Research) Annual Conference, held July 13 to 17, 2025 in Singapore.
Professor Tkach-Kawasaki has been an IAMCR member for the past three years, and this is her third IAMCR annual conference. The organization is a leader in international academic research focusing on media and communications, and it is quite diverse in its organization and membership. This year’s conference was the second time in two years to be held in an Asian setting, testifying to this region’s growing academic importance in global scholarship. Their panel, organized by Philippe Maarek, a noted political communication scholar and member of the IAMCR executive board, was situated within the Political Communication Research Section, and was quite international in its panel composition.
The conference theme was “Communicating Environmental Justice: Many Voices, One Planet,” and the conference started on July 13 with the opening welcoming addresses by Jack Qiu and Edson Tandoc, Co-Chairs of the Local Organizing Committee, and a keynote speech from Ang Peng Hwa, a noted Professor from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University.
Professor Tkach-Kawasaki presented her paper entitled “Intersections in Campaign Technologies: AI and Media Empowerment in the Japanese Elections in 2024” on Thursday, July 17. The year 2024 was an exciting year in online electioneering in Japan. Not only did the re-creation and online re-posting of political campaign videos by individuals on social media channels draw attention, but also, the traditional use of election media resources such as election posters were also challenged by individuals. Japanese political parties and candidates also became increasingly savvy in terms of online campaigning, making 2024 an exceptional period in the evolution of online campaigning in Japan.
The closing ceremonies, which included a closing panel, were held on July 17. Professor Tkach-Kawasaki was able to personally meet and discuss IAMCR’s membership and diversity with the organization’s President, Professor Daya Thussu.
Professor Tkach-Kawasaki is grateful for the NipCA Project’s support for her research. By attending this conference, she was able to connect with other academicians both through her panel and through attendance at other panels and conference events.
