IPPC conference 2026: about

At a moment when public communication is shaped simultaneously by war, platform infrastructures and political spectacle, this two-day conference examines how narratives are constructed, contested and strategically deployed across institutional and digital arenas. It approaches communication not as abstract theory, but as a field of practice in which credibility, ethics and technique intersect under real-world pressure.

A central strand connects crisis communication, conflict reporting and the mediated construction of history. Participants will work through realistic crisis scenarios, developing message frameworks, stakeholder strategies and rapid responses in environments defined by uncertainty and reputational risk. These exercises are placed in dialogue with methodological training in analysing the media output of radical and militant groups during the war in Ukraine, with particular attention to Telegram channels operating at the frontline. 

The screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin deepens this exploration by foregrounding the politics of schooling and historical memory under authoritarian pressure. The film serves as a case study in how education, media and state power converge to shape collective understandings of the past and present. Read alongside crisis simulation and media analysis, it invites reflection on how crises are not only managed but narrativised, and how history itself can become a communicative instrument.

Further sessions address institutional responses to misinformation, examining how information literacy frameworks and internal training structures can strengthen democratic resilience. The programme also engages with the challenge of synthetic identity and large-scale digital deception, analysing how fabricated personas exploit platform logics and cognitive vulnerabilities to erode trust at scale.

Attention is also given to the craft of public engagement beyond moments of crisis. A practice-based workshop explores how complex causes, including environmental and humanitarian issues, can be translated into compelling multi-platform storytelling. Moving from page to podcast, participants will experiment with adapting written material into audio formats, considering voice, structure and narrative pacing as tools for extending reach and deepening audience connection.

Across the two days, participants will combine analytical rigour with applied skill-building: reflecting on how to articulate professional competencies, and experimenting with multimedia techniques to communicate with clarity in contested information environments. The conference thus positions communication as both strategic terrain and professional responsibility in an era defined by mediated conflict and fragile trust.