Networking project funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in the framework of the program "Higher Education Dialogue with the Muslim World" 2014 - 2016 and 2020-2022.

Please visit our main website: www.areacore.org

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Partners

The project consists of a network of communication studies scholars of the most relevant institutes in eleven Arab countries and the Institute of Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. The partners are:

• Bayan College, Oman
• Faculty of Mass Communication, Ahram Canadian University, Cairo, Egypt
• Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l'Information, Université La Manouba, Tunisia
• Media and Development Center, Birzeit University, Palestine
• Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University, Qatar
• College of Mass Communication, San’a University, Yemen
• Departement of Communication Arts, Lebanese American University, Lebanon (previouslly Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Media Studies, American University in Beirut)
• Jordan Media Institute, Amman, Jordan
• Faculty of Media, Al-Iraqiyah University, Iraq
• Faculté de l’Information et de la Communication, Université Alger 3, Algeria

• School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al-Akhawayn University, Morocco

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Aim

The aim of this network is to establish a scientific exchange, founded on regional expertise which allows to understand media change and transformation of communicative practices in their specific local context and in globally intersecting hierarchies of power. By means of discussions and studies we will try to understand media in their trans-regional and cross-cultural dimensions taking into account global inequalities powerfully manifested in our communication infrastructure. Recognizing global hierarchies and inequalities in a postcolonial world, we commit to actively promote scientific cooperation to enhance dialogue and shed light on marginalized positions and positionalities in the field.

In addition, it is also important to actively include media change in our teaching. The network also explores how a specific, context-bound understanding of media change can be implemented in the teaching of communication studies. Thus, over the past years, students and faculty from different countries and universities were trained in digital media literacy in Beirut, Lebanon (MDLAB). For more information, including exercises, lectures and syllabi visit: https://mdlab.lau.edu.lb/home-2/