Institute for Media and Creative Industries Director receives academic contribution award

During a recent trip to Brazil for the Intercom Conference, Professor Thomas Tufte was awarded an academic contribution award recognising his ‘contribution to the advancements of communication research not only in Brazil, but also in other countries in Latin America, Africa and Europe’.

Professor Thomas Tufte, Director of the Institute for Media and Creative Industries has been collaborating with Brazilian and Latin American colleagues over the past 27 years, developing internationally leading research in the field of communication for social change.

Professor Tufte also presented at the Intercom Conference on the topic of Dramaturgy of Social Change – Exploring Acts of Citizenship and Digital Opportunities in times of Shrinking Political Space. The annual event took place earlier this month (2-7 September 2019) and brought together over 2,700 researchers and students from across Brazil to explore the theme ‘Communication Flows and the Crisis of Democracy.’

Commenting on the award, Professor Tufte said:

"I am honoured and grateful for having been awarded this recognition of my research contribution. I hope it can help us at Loughborough University in our efforts to strengthen research collaboration with and student recruitment from Brazil and Latin America more broadly."

Alongside the Intercom Conference, Professor Tufte’s trip to Brazil has included a number of visits to Brazilian universities promoting the Institute for Media and Creative Industries' postgraduate programmes: MA Global Communication and Cultural Policy, MA Media and Creative Industries, and PhDs in Media and Creative Industries.

Professor Tufte's trip concluded with an inaugural lecture at Federal University of Rio (UFRJ). The inaugural lecture at UFRJ discussed Continuity and change in the Latin American Experience with Communication for Social Change: from the Radios Mineras to Midia Ninja and was delivered to students and staff at the University’s School of Communication.

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