Conference Committee

Conference Committee at the Media and Mass Communication Conference 2027

The 12th World Conference on Media and Mass Communication (MEDCOM 2027) is a leading international media and communication conference that brings together researchers, journalists, academics, policymakers, and industry professionals shaping global communication landscapes.
The Conference Committee forms the academic and strategic backbone of MEDCOM 2027. As a globally recognized communication conference and journalism conference, MEDCOM relies on the committee’s expertise to oversee conference tracks, review emerging research priorities, and curate a high quality scholarly program aligned with the 2027 theme: “Signals Beyond the Algorithm: Humanity, Trust & Freedom in an AI Driven Media World.”
The committee plays a central role in shaping key focus areas such as artificial intelligence and media, press freedom, digital trust, crisis communication, civic information, strategic communication, and cultural representation. By prioritizing interdisciplinary research and diverse regional perspectives, the Conference Committee ensures that MEDCOM remains a truly global media and communication conference where scholarly insights translate into practical impact.
As MEDCOM enters its 12th edition, the Conference Committee reaffirms a shared mission, which is to advance ethical media practices, strengthen global academic collaboration, and support research that shapes the future of media and mass communication worldwide.

Conference Co-Chairs

Prof. Andrea Volterrani

Director of Master
Social Comm. | Social Farming
University of Rome Tor Vergata

Italy

Dr. Andrea Volterrani is a Sociologist of Cultural and Communication Processes at Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata. After graduating from the Faculty of Political Science Cesare Alfieri of the University of Florence, he is a fellow student at the Italian Foundation for Volunteering.
He was then assigned research from 1999 to 2005 at the Department of Sociology and Political Science of the University of Florence. From 1997 to 2003 he is also a professor of sociology of cultural processes, theory and technique of social communication, territorial communication and marketing at the Faculty of Political Science Cesare Alfieri of Florence.
From 2005 to 2008 he is a contractor and research grant at the Department of Historical, Legal and Political Sciences and Social Sciences at Siena University and a social contractor and family sociology lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Siena. At the same time, he is a professor of social studies contract at the Faculty of Communication Sciences of La Sapienza University of Rome (2004-2008) and of sociology of communication at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Florence (2004-2006). Since 2008 is a researcher at Department of Enterprise Engineering, Tor Vergata University, Rome.
Prof. Volterrani is engaged in research, teaching and consulting on social communication, the third sector, integrated social politics and assessment processes, resilience community and prevention communication related on natural disaster.

Dr. Tülây Atay

Hatay Mustafa Kemal University
Faculty of Communication
Journalism Department

Türkiye

Dr Tülây ATAY currently teaches at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University (HMKU), Antakya, Hatay, Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism as a faculty member (Assistant Professor) and a researcher. She is a Turkish Citizen. She was born and bred in Istanbul, Turkey and graduated from Istanbul University. She holds BA degree in Mass-Media Communication, Journalism & PR. She has her Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology (Gender & Women’s Studies). She is a co-author of the book called “Gender & Sex and Taboo in the Contemporary Primitive & Traditional Societies” in the Turkish Language based on her MA thesis. The book is written from the perspective of women’s and gender studies. She was one of the co-founders of the Centre for Women’s Studies of Mustafa Kemal University. She served and was in charge as one of the deputy directors of the Centre for Women’s Studies of Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey. She previously worked as a “business developer” for many SMEs in the various fields such as automotive, textile etc. She worked as an Assistant Producer for Turkish Radio Television State Company (TRT) between 1995-1996.
She earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Agriculture Economics and Extensions at Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey in October 2013. She produced her Ph.D. thesis on the division of labour amongst ethnically different two villages near Hatay province (Southern Turkey bordering Syria) in the context of changing social life and Women’s & Gender Studies. Dr Atay’s areas of interests are women empowerment and women’s studies using the other disciplines e.g. communication studies, journalism studies and immigration & refugee studies. She is holding sociology BA degree obtained from Open Faculty, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey. She is a Ph.D. in Journalism from İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey. She was a temporary National Gender Consultant for Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO).
She lived in the UK and USA for a while. She has been in Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, Scotland, Romania, Holland, Italy, Spain, Estonia, UAE, Malaysia, Poland, Czech Republic and France for academic purposes. She was a “scientist-in-residence” at Paris Lodron University of Salzburg financially supported by GendUp and Salzburg Stadt (Municipality), Salzburg, Austria. She chaired the MEDCOM 2017, KL, Malaysia. She is also currently engaging with the FoTRRIS-H2020 project and RAISD-H2020 project (women and immigration) run by Complutense University of Madrid. Dr Atay has been actively carrying out her research on immigration and refugee studies mostly last 10 years. She was one of the researchers for the Prof Dr Steven Youngblood’s project on 2015-2016 in various Turkish provinces Antakya, Hatay, Malatya, Adana. The research group visited many refugee camps together. Dr Atay and her colleagues also produced an article entitled “The long journey from Syria to Malatya, Turkey” which was published by the Peace Journalist magazine of Park University, Parkville, MO, USA.

Dr. Chris Fenner

Public Relations Faculty
Dept. of Communication
University of West Florida

USA

Dr. Fenner is an experienced communicator who has led the UWF team to top finishes at regional and national tournaments. Participating in collegiate speech and debate provides students with the advanced critical thinking and communication skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Before coming to UWF in 2014, he established a competitive speech team at Florida Southern College, where he coached students to 32 national titles.
In his classes, Dr. Fenner teaches undergraduate courses in public relations and persuasion. He relies on high impact practices and hands-on activities to prepare students to meet the demands of the public relations industry. His students have provided public relations and communication advice to a variety of non-profit organizations in the community. At the graduate level, his coursework focuses on strategic communication, mass communication theory, and he works to train students as professional communication consultants.
Dr. Fenner’s research focuses on public relations crisis and image management, and pedagogy. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and is an article reviewer for the National Forensic Journal. He also serves as the vice president of the Florida Intercollegiate Forensic Association, and is the president of the Novice National Forensic Association.

Steering Committee Members

Prof. Kevin Naidoo

Steering Committee Lead – Community Engagement
Deputy Dean, Research Innovation
University of Zululand
South Africa

South Africa

Prof. Naidoo is a Full Professor and the Deputy Dean of Research, Innovation, and Community Engagement in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zululand. A Chartered Public Relations Practitioner (CPRP), he is an active member of several scientific conference committees, chairperson for the organising committee for HASSIC. He serves as a contributor to several international journals’ editorial boards. Additionally, he serves as the chief editor of Inkanyiso: Journal for African Thought. His research interests include digital communication, electronic communication, artificial intelligence, ICTs in teaching and learning, strategic public relations and postgraduate education.

Dr. Sara Gabai

Steering Committee Lead – Professional Engagement
Strategic Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Expert

Thailand

Dr. Sara Gabai is a communication and media scholar-practitioner with over a decade of experience across the Asia-Pacific region, working with UN agencies, EU institutions, academic partners, the private sector, NGOs, and local communities. Her expertise spans communication for development (C4D), human rights, media development and freedom of expression, gender and women’s economic empowerment, and environmental and sustainability communication. She has published on sustainability communication, digital media activism, media literacy, representation and identity, and intercultural dialogue. For over seven years, she has led strategic communication for the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, designing its overall visibility and outreach strategy across countries in Asia-Pacific. Her work advances policy dialogue and public engagement on circular economy, sustainable consumption and production, and sustainability issues through high-impact campaigns, knowledge products, and capacity-building initiatives.

Prof. Francesco Pira

Steering Committee Lead – Strategic Visibility and Positioning
Associate Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes
Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations
University of Messina

Italy

Prof. Francesco Pira is Associate Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at the Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations, University of Messina. He holds a PhD in Social Communication Sciences (magna cum laude) from the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome. Since 1999, his research has focused on the interactions between young people, new technologies, and digital platforms. His current research interests include social media dynamics, the proliferation of fake news and disinformation, and their impact on social relationships and public opinion formation processes. He is the author of over 70 scholarly publications, including monographs, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. He has held prominent institutional and scientific roles and served as Scientific Coordinator for numerous international research projects (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, MSCA). He is a member of scientific and editorial boards for national and international journals and book series, as well as of international conference committees.

Prof. Spencer Striker

Steering Committee Lead – Professional Engagement

Professor of Digital Media Design
Northwestern University
Qatar

Qatar

Spencer Striker, PhD is Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern University | Qatar, where he creates digital media for learning across serious games, interactive history, immersive media, and AI-powered storytelling. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council, and the Doha Film Institute, and recognized with Anthem, Reimagine Education, and Webby Awards. His current project, Legacy of Light: House of Wisdom, is an AI-animated docudrama on Al-Khwarizmi and the Islamic Golden Age of science. Working at the intersection of AI, storytelling, history, and education, he builds public-facing media that makes complex subjects vivid, engaging, and memorable.

CONFERENCE CONVENER

Mr. Isanka P. Gamage

Co-Founder & Managing Director
The International Institute of Knowledge Management

Sri Lanka

Isanka P. Gamage is a Global South Knowledge Diplomat, global collaborator, and entrepreneur, and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM).

Through TIIKM, he has been at the forefront of elevating Global South voices onto global academic and policy platforms, fostering meaningful collaboration between the Global South and the Global North. His leadership spans education, knowledge management, research and development, and international conference management.

Isanka has convened over 375 international conferences, founded three international journals, and built global knowledge platforms supporting sustainable development and interdisciplinary research. His work has connected Nobel Laureates, ministries, diplomats, industry leaders, and an academic network of over 450 universities and 2,000 scholars worldwide.

He serves on the Board of Studies of the Institute of Management Sri Lanka, is a certified NLP practitioner, and delivers mindfulness-based leadership and wellbeing programs internationally.

Currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration at the University of Kelaniya, his mission is clear:
to transform conferences into platforms for lifelong collaboration and real global impact—especially for the Global South.