University of Rwanda (UR) is set to host the seventh East African Communication Association Conference (EACA) this Friday.

The three-day conference will run from August 25-27, at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village under the theme, "The economics of media business in the 21st century.”

The 7th edition of the annual conference aims to interrogate media and communication developments, challenges and models in the digital age especially in an increasingly market-oriented environment.

The meet intends to provide a forum for free exchange of ideas on the key issues and challenges affecting the media and communication industry in the region and beyond in relation to the above theme, the organizers said in a statement.

Over 100 delegates from East Africa, and beyond are expected.

It will be hosted by the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) in partnership with the Fojo Media Institute Linnaeus University of Sweden.

The annual event gives opportunity to media and communication scholars, educators, trainers, researchers and practitioners from across East Africa, and beyond to deliberate on issues related to media practice, scholarship and development.

Dr Margret Jjuuko, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda and convenor of the conference told The New Times that the conference aims to examine media and communication development in the digital era and in an increasingly market-oriented environment.

"The conference will allow participants to discuss all challenges and opportunities related to media business, locally and globally, and come up with solutions to some burning issues. It will also give opportunity to the University of Rwanda and Rwandan academicians to showcase their research findings and publications in the region as well as create networks with local, regional and global scholars,” Jjuuko said.

She expects that the conference will benefit students in developing papers, and help teachers to improve pedagogic approaches. Whatever knowledge the teachers will get, it will be shared with the students, she said.

The organisers expect that the event will build bridges between media researchers, academics, practitioners, policy-makers and regulators worldwide, and provide a platform for delegates to debate on these issues.

At the same time, the papers presented will create a knowledge base, laying foundations for advocacy work, building capacity and enhancing further debate.

Festus Ndungutse, a final year student at the School of Journalism and Communication, believes that the conference will equip lecturers with new skills as well as media owners which will finally impact j0urnalism students and graduates.

Key speakers include Prof. Anastase Shyaka, chief executive officer at Rwanda Governance Board, Prof. Tawana Kupe, Vice Principal of the University of Witwatersrand,South Africa, and Annette Novak, Vice president Fojo Media Institute Board of Directors, Sweden, among others.

Other topics to be discussed include the growth of new media platforms as sources of news, the economics of media businesses in the digital era, the switchover from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting, serving the public interest in a market-oriented media environment and convergence of traditional broadcasting with telecommunications.

Over 100 research papers are expected to be presented by delegates drawn locally, regionally and internationally.

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