News

Scientists from FMK UCM on a trip to Canada

During their visit, the scientists from FMK UCM visited 3 universities, the Red Bull Gaming Hub, attended the prestigious scientific conference ICA, which included a meeting of the H2020 project consortium, and conducted an interview on Rogers TV, as well as a meeting with Slovaks living abroad.

ICA Conference

The main purpose of the trip to Canada was the participation in the prestigious global conference organized by the International Communication Association (ICA), of which FMK UCM is a member. The conference took place in Toronto, and the theme was "Reclaiming Authenticity in Communication." Communication experts from around the world gathered to discuss and present their scientific findings on authenticity as a concept in public discourse and popular culture. The conference was attended by more than 4,000 participants from all over the world. As part of the conference, there was a panel dedicated to discussing the results of the research from the large European project H2020, MEDIADELCOM, in which FMK UCM in Trnava is also involved. The main goal of this project is to create a diagnostic tool that allows policymakers, media experts, journalists, and other public actors to identify risks and opportunities for deliberative communication brought about by media transformation. The conference presented the first results of the project. Based on the monitoring and meta-analysis results, scientists could compare how 14 European countries involved in this project analyzed the development of their media environments. More information about the research can be found here.

Meeting of the World of Journalism Project Team

Another item on the agenda was a meeting of the World of Journalism project team. This meeting brought together researchers studying the journalism profession in more than 60 countries around the world. Slovakia was represented by Professor Slavomír Gálik and Associate Professor Ján Višňovský. During the meeting, they discussed the data they had collected and the further steps in their research.

"During our visit to Toronto, we also took the opportunity to visit the largest university in Canada, the University of Toronto, with over 90,000 students. It was founded in 1852 and is ranked as the best university in Canada. Students gave us a tour of the campus, showed us the teaching facilities, and told us about the education system and the functioning of the university. It is inspiring to see how other universities operate," revealed Vice-Rector Andrej Brník.

Visit to the RedBull Gaming Hub

Currently, there are only two Red Bull Gaming Hubs in the world. One is at FMK UCM in Trnava, and the other is at the Metropolitan University of Toronto. Our colleagues wanted to see how this creative hub is utilized in Canada, how player training and development work. Therefore, as part of the university visit, they also took the opportunity to visit this special space. The room is not only used for game studies but also functions as an animation studio for visual effects, fashion design, and architectural design. In addition to regular training in the gaming hub, student-players also undergo physical training and participate in psychological counseling. The university expressed interest in a friendly match with our students in the field of digital game theory.

Visit to Ottawa

In the capital city of Canada, our staff members also took the opportunity to visit the first Department of Slovak History and Culture in the world outside Slovakia, where they were welcomed by its founding professor, Mark Stolárik. He is a significant figure in the Slovak community in Canada and the current president of the Canadian Slovak League. Professor Stolárik introduced the activities of his department and showed them around the university campus.

"During our visit to Ottawa, we took the opportunity to meet with the Slovak community living there, and we also accepted an invitation to the Slovak Spectrum program, which is broadcast on the community cable television Rogers.tv. We talked about the purpose of our visit to Canada, about the faculty and the university," Vice-Rector Brník described their visit to Ottawa.

Submitted by: Kristína Kameníková
Responsible person: Bc. Kristína Kameníková
Source: Faculty of Mass Media Communication
Inserted: 6.6.2023
Updated: 20.6.2023