Faculty, researchers, students, and academic leaders from Northwestern University in Qatar (NUQ) participated in the 76th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference, held from June 4 to 8 in Cape Town, South Africa. The event convened communication scholars worldwide to discuss the theme “Communication and Inequalities in Context,” focusing on how communication both mirrors and influences inequalities within social, political, economic, cultural, and technological domains.
NUQ’s involvement spanned nearly 20 sessions, including paper presentations, panel discussions, leadership roles, and collaborative initiatives, underscoring the university’s dedication to advancing research centered on the Global South. Faculty contributions covered a diverse array of topics such as media and technology, journalism studies, digital cultures, political communication, artificial intelligence, migration, identity, and social change, highlighting the institution’s expanding role in global communication and media studies.
Marwan M Kraidy, dean and CEO of NUQ, emphasized the significance of the conference as a platform for scholarly exchange. He noted that ICA provides an opportunity to disseminate research and engage with international colleagues on urgent societal and institutional issues. Kraidy also served as a featured speaker at the conference’s opening plenary session, titled “Inequalities and Knowledge Production in Communication: Inroads and Challenges Ahead.” This session addressed systemic inequities in communication research, including the underrepresentation of Global South perspectives, challenges in academic publishing, and emerging digital divides.
The 2026 conference marked the first time ICA was hosted on the African continent, highlighting efforts to expand global participation in knowledge production and promote inclusive approaches to communication scholarship. These priorities align closely with NUQ’s mission and Kraidy’s scholarly focus.
An important component of NUQ’s presence was the involvement of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ), which facilitates interdisciplinary and cross-regional dialogue. Through its Arab Information and Media Studies (AIMS) initiative, supported by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, #IAS_NUQ co-organized a pre-conference titled “Echoes and Overlaps in Arab and African Thought on Media and Culture: Forging New Directions for Research.” This event convened scholars from Africa, the Arab world, and beyond to explore intellectual traditions that have historically been examined separately despite shared histories and concerns. Discussions focused on how Arab and African perspectives on media, communication, and cultural studies can inform each other and offer fresh insights for the broader field.