The Bachelor of Science in Development Communication (BSDC) program of Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) served as a Conference Partner of the 32nd Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) Annual International Conference, held November 5-7, 2026 at the Philippine Women’s University in Manila.
As a conference partner, NwSSU BSDevCom took part in the three-day gathering where five faculty members presented four research papers. The papers presented focused on communication and message framing as a governance tool, health communication through a participatory photovoice approach, the communication of public voice in environmental governance, and the harassment of women journalists in community media. The topics fit this year’s conference theme, “Public Trust, Public Voice: The Role of Communication in Public Governance,” and the current national landscape, in which questions of transparency, accountability, and citizen participation remain prominent.
The conference gathered communication and media scholars and practitioners from various parts of Asia to examine best practices, emerging trends, and challenges in communication and journalism in public governance.
The first day recognized outstanding Asian communicators and featured discussions on public governance and technology platforms. The second day focused on the agenda, relevance, and representation of Asian studies, as well as the role of journalism in promoting good governance. The final day looked at leadership, through a strategic foresight lens, in an age of disruption. It also included book launches by AMIC partners and the signing of agreements between Asian universities.
Speakers included Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali of Jordan, founder of the Jordan Media Institute; Dr. Jack Linchuan Qiu of Nanyang Technological University; Dr. Cherian George of Hong Kong Baptist University; and Mr. Bernard Woods of the Asian Development Bank. Delegates also took part in plenary sessions, parallel sessions, and networking activities.