Keynote Speakers

Prof. dr. Asta Zelenkauskaite

Drexel University, USA; Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania

Prof. A. Zelenkauskaite is an internationally recognized researcher of media and communication science. The area of her research interests involves mass communication, social networks, social media, social technologies, the impact of media on society, personalization of communication contents, digital communication, political communication etc. She is an author of 4 collective monographs and science books, 35 research articles, as well as of over 70 papers presented in national, regional and international conferences. Prof. Zelenkauskaite is also a member of editorial boards of several international research journals and a winner of 14 national and international prizes for research, lecturing and organizational activities.

Prof. dr. Nico Carpentier

Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic); Free University of Brussels (Belgium)


Prof. Nico Carpentier is a world-renown researcher and practitioner of media and communication science. The area of his research interests embraces variegated relationships between communication, politics and culture that could be reduced to five topical fields: media, participation and democracy; media, death and war; journalism and identity; audience and reception; discourse theory. He is an author and co-author of 14 monographs and science books, over 200 research articles, as well as of over 100 papers presented in national, regional and international conferences. Prof. Carpentier is the president of International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and one of founders of European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). Earlier, he was IAMCR Audience Section Chair (2010-2012), ECREA Treasurer (2005-2012) and Vice-President (2008-2012), IAMCR Treasurer (2012-2016) and IAMCR Participatory Communication Section Chair (2016-2020).

Prof. Franz Fishnaller

Albertina Academy of Fine Arts (Italy)

Prof. F. Fischnaller is a content designer, digital media artist and project manager as well as an interdisciplinary researcher operating in the fields of art, design, communication and technology. He has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of digital media, interactive technology, virtual reality, simulation, stereoscopy, visualization systems and immersive technology. He has designed and produced a representative number of works including immersive real time simulations, virtual reality applications (3D stereoscopic content), on-line collaborative shared environments, interactive installations, multi-user systems interfaces, creative interfaces and multi-user interactive installation (VR and Augmented Reality). Prof. Fischnaller is also a winner of about 10 national and international awards for arts projects and educational activities.

Prof. John Howkins

University of Lincoln (UK); Shanghai Theater Academy (China) 


Prof. J. Howkins is one of the most famous researchers, practicians, experts and strategists on creative industries, innovations, media and communication. His research and practice area involves TV, films, digital media, publishing industry, journalism as well as creative economy, creative ecology, creative capital and so on. He is the author of the worldwide bestsellers The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas and Creative Ecologies: Where Thinking is a Proper Job. He has worked and lectured in over 30 countries including UK, Switzerland, Spain, USA, Colombia, Philippines, China, Hong Kong etc. Prof. Howkins a member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on the Creative Economy. He has been Chairman of the London Film School as well as the Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications. He also worked as a journalist for many years on Time Out, The Sunday Times, Harpers & Queen and The Economist, was an editor of InterMedia, Vision and The National Electronics Review.

 Prof. dr. Algis Mickunas

Ohio University, USA

Prof. A. Mickunas is a world-renown philosopher and researcher of communication as well as of world cultures. The area of his research interests involves phenomenology, hermeneutics, existential philosophy, political philosophy, anthropology, comparative analysis of Western and Eastern civilizations, philosophy and theory of communication, intercultural communication, semiotics etc. He is an author of over 30 monographs and science books, over 200 research articles as well as of over 200 papers presented in national, regional and international conferences that took place in North and South America, Japan, India, Europe, Asia, China, Middle East and so on. Prof. Mickunas is also a member of editorial boards of many international research journals and a winner of about 20 national and international prizes for research, lecturing as well as cultural and social activities. Prof. Mickunas as well supervised over 50 doctoral dissertations in humanities and social sciences, he was also a reviewer or a member of over 50 dissertation defense committees. 

Prof. dr. Joseph J. Pilotta

Ohio State University, USA

Prof. J.J.Pillotta is an internationally recognized sociologist and theoretician as well as practitioner of communication science. The area of his research interests includes phenomenological sociology and communication; contemporary USA, European and Chinese social and political theory; cross-cultural communication; social research methodology; communication and technology; economic innovations; contemporary Chinese philosophy, phenomenological philosophy etc. Prof. Pilotta is a disciple of the famous researchers of the 20th century: philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer and the originator of media research Marshall McLuhan. He is an author of over 20 monographs and science books, over 70 research articles, as well as of over 100 papers presented in national, regional and international conferences. Prof. Pilotta is also a Senior editor or member of editorial boards of many international research journals as well as winner of about 10 national and international prizes for research, lecturing and consulting activities.