CfP: New Media and Knowledge Economy in Africa

School of Media and Communication, Pan-African University Conference
New media and the knowledge economy in Africa
Conference,  August 11-13, 2010*
2nd Call for Papers

The concept of the knowledge economy is more than that of an economy based
on knowledge. It even goes beyond the notion of the (economic) management of
knowledge and knowledge production in culture and society.  The conceptual
shift resides in the re-evaluation of production value away from the
traditional combination of raw materials-machinery-capital, and towards
greater emphasis on human capital, its development and its contribution to
the value chain.

For us in the cultural industries, the commanding role that ICT plays in the
value chain demands that we focus on new media as the platform of the
knowledge economy. In real times, media are not merely channels of
communication, not mere tools, but prime assets in the (re)production of
knowledge. Thus they raise questions of skill-sets, competence even of
skilled producers and the future direction of African economies and
polities.

Against this background, this conference will address the place of new media
and ICT in general in the production and reproduction of knowledge in
Africa. How well are the universities and training institutions in Africa
leveraging on the new media in knowledge production? What is the state of
library and information systems in our institutions in this regard?  What
are the policy options being pursued or implementation strategies adopted by
national governments to push forward the empowerment of citizens through the
new media platforms? How do the new media advance democracy in Africa? What
impacts do the new media have on industrial production, service delivery and
workflow practices?

In 2010 the sub-themes have been organized along the lines below. The themes
are provided only as suggestions. Scholars, industry experts and
practitioners, policy makers and others who wish to organize special panels
along themes other than those below should make proposals to the organizers.
However, extra topics must be hinged on the central theme of the conference.

Paper proposals should be one page, and should list the author's name,
address, university affiliations, telephone, fax, and e-mail, followed by
the paper's title and an abstract of not more than 300 words. The abstract
should specify the subject, questions asked, methodology and findings.

*Conference Sub-themes:

a)     Theoretical and conceptual issues on new media and knowledge economy

·        Definitions

·        Theories

·        Methodologies

·        Research paradigms and traditions

b)    Culture and the (re)production of knowledge in Africa

·        Endogenous/indigenous knowledge systems

·        New media and archiving of cultural knowledge

·        Cultural interfaces and dissonances in knowledge production

·        Knowledge production in central and peripheral societies

      c)  Citizen empowerment and new media

·        E-Governance and democracy: framework for social and economic empowerment

·        Political and public communications and the new media

·        New media and public policy in Africa

·        Social media, social enterprises  and social critiques in the new media

·        ICT  and professionalism in public service delivery

     d) Business and economic strategies/ philosophies and practices

·        Market economies and moral economies in the  new media age

·        Marketing communications and the new media (e-commerce strategies)

·        Business and financial intelligence in new media contexts

·        Research and development in the ICT age

·        Intellectual property issues in the new media

·        Virtual business communities

(e) Tools and technologies in the knowledge economy: Educational networks,
virtual universities

·        Infrastructure of knowledge production: Research and the new media

·        Education and e-competence: Preparing employable youths

·        Library and information services in Africa today

·        On virtual universities in Africa

Abstracts should be forwarded to aagina At smc.edu.ng Exhibition issues to
takinyede AT smc.edu.ng Hospitality issues to inwezeh AT smc.edu.ng

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 31 March, 2010. Notification of
acceptance is 30 April, 2010.

Venue: Pan-African University, Lekki Campus

Date:  11 – 13 August, 2010

Conference convener: Prof. E. A. Biakolo

                                  Dean

                                  School of Media and Communication

                                  Pan-African University

                                  Lagos