Charting New Frontier for Media and Communication in Digital World

More than 160 academics, educational experts and professionals gathered in Jakarta today to discuss current issues and challenges for media and communication in the digital world.

“Communication is central to good understanding between our two nations and I welcome the exchange of knowledge between Indonesian and Australian academics and communication experts here today,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer.

Two senior representatives from the University of Western Sydney, Professor Lynette Sheridan Burns and Ms Rachel Bentley, addressed the seminar.

“Audiences are no longer satisfied to simply receive information. They want to interact with it and to do this in real time using mobile technology,” said Professor Burns who is Head of School and Communication Arts.

“This transformation means that we are moving from an era of one-way transmission to a new era of two way conversation, and this changes the nature and goal of communication itself,” she said.

Meanwhile Associate Head of School Development Rachel Bentley said the constantly changing frontier in communication and media industries would require schools to prepare competent graduates able to tackle these changes.
“The education sector is being challenged to integrate traditional academic areas of study with real life internship programs in partnership with media industries,” she said.

The seminar was organised by Australian Education International as part of a regular seminar series presented throughout the year at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

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