<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV>Lieber Herr Dietz,</DIV><DIV>Liebe Koleg(Inn)en,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>ich möchte mich gerne an euch vorstellen. Ich bin als Dozent arbeitstätig an die Vrije Universiteit Brussel und unterrichte Fächer in Internationale Kommunikation und Globalisierung und Informationsgesellschaft. Ein teil meiner Forschung befinded sich im Bereich IKT und Entwicklungsproblematik, teilweise auf makro-ebene (policy level) und mit speziefischer fokus auf Sud-Afrika. Ich verfolge schon seit anfang die Fome liste und möchte euch gratulieren mit dieser Initiative. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>By now you have noticed my German is not really fluent. I studied one year in Eichstätt in Bavaria, but never really learned to write your language. So forgive me for changing languages.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I would like to indicate that I am also chair of the Section on International Communication within ECREA (European Communication Research and Education Association). Our section was only recently established, but it might interest you to join both ECREA and more specifically our section (see our website <A href="http://www.ecrea.eu">http://www.ecrea.eu</A>/). Part of the sections content is in line with the interests of the FOME group. ECREA gathers a large group of European scholars in the field of media and communication. It also runs an email distribution list covering the broad field of communication sciences. Over the last months I have submitted some of the FOME mails to this list. I hope you don't object to this. If you agree I will keep doing this. If I find (European and International) material on the ECREA lists, which might be of interest to FOME, I will start distributing it to FOME. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>with kind regards</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Leo Van Audenhove</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>ECREA SECTION ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><H1 style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together">Section Objectives - Mission Statements</H1><DIV class="MsoNormal"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The field of International and Intercultural Communication has changed considerably over the last years. Globalization and its consequences have forced the field to broaden its scope considerably. Furthermore the field is challenged from the outside by other disciplines engaging in the debate on the role of communication in globalization processes. In this section we take a broad view on cross border communication in all its forms. We define cross border communication in terms of communication crossing national or/and cultural borders. We will both focus on mediated and personal forms of communication. </P><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <O:P></O:P></P><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The International and Intercultural Communication Section provides a platform for discussing critical research in the cross border fields of international communication and<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>intercultural communication. The focus of the section is on inter- multi-, and transdisciplinary approaches to cross border communications in professional fields as well as academic fields in all areas of social human change. </P><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <O:P></O:P></P><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To structure the field we propose the following sub themes:</P><DIV class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: auto;"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><I>A. Policy and Production</I></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This sub theme largely covers the traditional field of international communication. It focuses on policy related to cross border communication at the national, regional and international level. It furthermore looks at the production and production structures of cross border communication by local and transnational institutions e.g. national and transnational telecom and media conglomerates. It also entails the globalization processes in fields as journalism, marketing, etc. Comparative analysis of communication policy and production forms part of the field as we define it.</P><DIV class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: auto;"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><I>B. Cross Border Communication Products; Representations and Perceptions</I><I><O:P></O:P></I></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This sub theme focuses on communication products, their representations and perceptions in cross border<I> </I><SPAN style="">public spheres. Traditional media products and formats and their flows around the globe remain an important focus of analysis. Analysis of products distributed over the Internet is an important challenge. The Internet as a de factor global media is often seen as a major innovation challenging existing media and information flows.</SPAN></P><DIV class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: auto;"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><P class="MsoNormal" style=""><I>C. Intercultural Communication</I><I><O:P></O:P></I></P><P class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This sub theme addresses the complex relationships between communications (mass mediated and otherwise) and culture(s). The slipstream of globalization contains an increase in global forms of communication and culture, and intercultural communication is thus becoming a more important topic of research. With regard to this theme, the section gives a platform to theoretical explorations as well as to more practical transdisciplinary studies in the domain of cross border communications in a cultural perspective.</P><DIV class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: auto;"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><I>Main Topics of Interest:</I><I><O:P></O:P></I></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">International Communication Policy and Regulation</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Transnational Media</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">The Global Internet</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Cross Border Theories</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Globalization / Localization</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Cross Cultural Broadcasting</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Development Policies</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Appropriate Technology</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Distance Learning</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal">Local and Community Media</DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"> <O:P></O:P></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ECREA</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Communication researchers and scholars from all parts of Europe and beyond have decided to join forces and form the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). This new association results from the merger of the two main European associations of communication researchers namely: ECA (European Communication Association) and ECCR (European Consortium for Communications Research).</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The announcement of the merger was made on 25 November 2005 during the opening of the memorable First European Communication Conference hosted by the University of Amsterdam's Ascor (co-organised by ECCR and ECA) in front of 550 participants. Their presence and active participation showed a pressing demand for such an initiative in the communication scholars' community.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Although ECREA is committed to organise conferences and workshops, its aims and ambitions reach far beyond. ECREA will provide opportunities to exchange information and collaborate with researchers active in different countries and/or in different disciplines within the field of communication. It will assist members in enriching their work and in finding partners and opportunities for international research projects. ECREA will provide its members with relevant information regarding scientific, institutional and practical aspects of their work and at the different stages of their career. Special attention will be given to the specific needs and expectations of the young scholars (summer schools, network).</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ECREA will also become the link to and from the community of professors and researchers active in communication and information studies. This will include efforts to promote and develop high quality research as well as to encourage and foster the best standards in higher education in the field. All these activities and more will be undertaken with a systematic attention to respect the diversity of approaches, cultures and languages. Thematic sections and networks are already blooming within ECREA as a way to facilitate clustering of members active in a particular domain or sharing interests.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In order to allow as many scholars as possible to join, ECREA is offering a very flexible and affordable membership fee structure for individuals and institutions, with reduced fees for first year membership, for young scholars and for soft-currency countries.</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">_________________________________________________</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Prof. dr. Leo Van Audenhove</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication (SMIT)</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Interdisciplinary institute for BroadBand Technology(IBBT)</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px">Vakgroep Communicatiewetenschap</P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Vrije Universiteit Brussel</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Tel ++32/2/629 24 15</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Mobile ++32/479/75 32 36</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Fax ++32/2/629 28 61</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">e-Mail <A href="mailto:Leo.Van.Audenhove@vub.ac.be">Leo.Van.Audenhove@vub.ac.be</A></FONT></P><BR><SPAN></SPAN><SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><IMG src="cid:0372255B-3220-4297-BB3B-277BC362D765@local"></SPAN><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BR></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">__________________________________________________</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>