[Commlist] Call for Abstracts: European Communication Research: What, whence, and whither?

Call for Abstracts
 European Communication Research: What, whence, and whither?
50th Anniversary Conference of Communications:
The European Journal of Communication Research
 Leipzig University, Germany
29–30 September 2025
 Please submit abstracts to (stefanie.averbeck-lietz /at/ uni-greifswald.de) 
by 15 April 2025.
For more information, go to: 
https://www.sozphil.uni-leipzig.de/institut-fuer-kommunikations-und-medienwissenschaft/professuren/professur-fuer-medien-und-kommunikationswissenschaft/european-communication-research-what-whence-and-whither
 In its 50th year, Communications: The European Journal of 
Communication Research invites to reconsider what European communication 
research is – and what it can be. From its start in 1975, the journal’s 
mission has been to serve as a forum for scholarship and academic debate 
in the field of communication science and research from a European 
perspective. But what is in fact a European perspective?   The jubilee 
conference invites us to rethink what constitutes European communication 
research. This opens up a range of questions like: What are particular 
European preoccupations and key contributions to the wider debates? On 
which theoretical and methodological fundaments does European 
communication research rest that set it apart from other inquiries? Is 
there a unique European contribution to global communication theories? 
How do assumedly European values of diversity, solidarity, or democracy 
shape communication research? How can European communication research 
explore the concept of a ‘digital Europe’? Where does European 
communication research lead us, and what can or shall we expect from it 
that is different from work drawn out in other parts of the globe? How 
do we deal with linguistic barriers and the diversity of research 
traditions? And can we think of a European communication research beyond 
exceptionalism and essentialism?
 These and similar questions had been around since the journal was 
launched, and they are still relevant today. They become virulent again 
in a context where Eurocentrism in research has been widely and rightly 
criticized while Europe’s identity, its boundaries, its legacies, and 
values face increasing contestation. This ties questions of media and 
communication to Europe’s political, legal, social, and economic 
formation that is in no way isolated, uniform, or static. Indeed, the 
attribute ‘European’ carries geopolitical as much as intellectual 
connotations with far-reaching consequences for the journal’s scope, 
composition, and purpose.
 The conference offers a moment to rethink what a European perspective 
could mean for scholarship and what kind of Europe is in fact evoked 
here. These reflections urge us to rethink the journal’s role in 
fostering scholarship that is both inclusive and critically engaged with 
Europe’s complexities. What kinds of questions can usefully be asked? 
What forms of critique are pertinent? What sorts of research should be 
drawn out? Which pathways should Communications follow to reaffirm its 
relevance and leadership in fostering impactful scholarship? Possible 
answers can come from a variety of areas given that the journal seeks to 
encompass the entire field of communication science as its domain of 
interest and the contributions published cover a wide range of subfields 
in communications.
 The conference is open to theoretical and empirical approaches. It 
invites emerging and junior scholars as well as senior faculty to 
contemplate the peculiar character of European communication research.
 Contributions can address, but are not limited to, the following aspects:
·       Diversity and commonalties of European research traditions
·       Legacies and foundations of European communication research
·       Agendas and approaches in comparative research within Europe and 
beyond
·       Regional and transborder communication
·       Global dimensions, connections, and reverberations of European 
communication research
·       Gaps and deficits of European communication research
·       Pathways and pitfalls for European communication research
·       Values and norms for European communication research
 The conference will take place at the Department for Communication and 
Media Studies at Leipzig University, Germany. It is supported by de 
Gruyter publishers, the German Society for Communication Research 
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kommunikationsforschung – DGKF), and the 
University of Greifswald.
 Submission Guidelines
Abstracts must be submitted via email 
((stefanie.averbeck-lietz /at/ uni-greifswald.de)) by 15 April 2025. 
Submissions must contain a front page with all information about the 
author(s) as well as an anonymized extended abstract (max. 500 words 
excl. front page and bibliographical references).
 General Information
The conference will begin on Monday, 29 September 2025, and end on 
Tuesday, 30 September 2025. For updated information concerning the 
program, registration, accommodation, and travel, please visit our website
The registration fee is 150 Euro and includes lunch catering and coffee 
& tea breaks.
 Key Dates
15 April 2025: deadline for abstract submissions
1 June 2025: notification of acceptance
1 July 2025: preliminary program online
15 August 2025: deadline for registration to the conference
29 to 30 September 2025: conference
 Organizers and Contact
Prof Christian Pentzold, Leipzig University, Germany
Prof Stefanie Averbeck-Lietz, University of Greifswald, Germany
Prof Leen d’Haenens, Leuven University, Belgium
 Email: (stefanie.averbeck-lietz /at/ uni-greifswald.de)
Web: 
https://www.sozphil.uni-leipzig.de/institut-fuer-kommunikations-und-medienwissenschaft/professuren/professur-fuer-medien-und-kommunikationswissenschaft/european-communication-research-what-whence-and-whither
  Conference Venue
Department of Communication and Media Studies, Leipzig University, 
Nikolaistrasse 27-29, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------