Announcement of M-B-K 2025

MEDIA – BUSINESS – CULTURE. Pomerania 2025

GDAŃSK, October 16–17, 2025

Media–Business–Culture is a biennial international academic conference organized by the Institute of Media, Journalism and Social Communication at the University of Gdańsk. It is addressed to representatives of the academic community, the business sector, media professionals, and cultural institutions engaged in collaboration with the media.

This year’s 10th anniversary edition is devoted to the theme of inclusivity in media and communication, encompassing both theoretical frameworks and practical challenges.

Inclusivity—understood as equal representation of diverse social groups, open access to information, and active participation in public discourse—constitutes a major challenge within the contemporary media ecosystem. In an era of increasing polarization, rapid technological transformations, and global tensions, inclusive media have become not only an ethical imperative but also a prerequisite for building a society grounded in diversity and social justice.

To address these challenges in a comprehensive and structured manner, the 2025 edition of Media–Business–Culture. Pomerania introduces a new format known as media roundtables. This initiative is intended to foster in-depth discussions on selected topics, stimulate collaborative research efforts, and formulate forward-looking recommendations within clearly defined thematic areas.

Media Roundtables

  • Political communication: threats to the democratic system
    Facilitator: Dr. hab. Jacek Wojsław | jacek.wojslaw@ug.edu.pl
  • Engaged journalism – ethics, emotions, agency
    Facilitator: Dr. Dominika Rafalska | dominika.rafalska@ug.edu.pl
  • How inclusive are social media?
    Facilitator: Dr. Michalina Ahmad & Dr. Grzegorz Kapuściński | michalina.ahmad@ug.edu.pl, grzegorz.kapuscinski@ug.edu.pl
  • Media and sustainable development – experiences, challenges, and future competencies
    Facilitator: Dr. Beata Czechowska Derkacz | beata.derkacz@ug.edu.pl
  • Inclusive discourse on history, culture, and art
    Facilitator: Dr. hab. Konrad Knoch | konrad.knoch@ug.edu.pl
  • The battle for inclusivity: what is the future of public service media?
    Facilitator: Dr. Monika Białek | monika.bialek@ug.edu.pl
  • Media education as a tool to counteract exclusion
    Facilitator: Dr. hab. Klaudia Cymanow-Sosin, Prof. UPJPII | klaudia.cymanow_sosin@upjp2.edu.pl

Application Form

In the application form, please indicate your interest in participating in only one media roundtable and propose specific topics for discussion, research questions to be addressed, or theoretical frameworks to be explored in greater depth. Following registration, each facilitator will collaborate with participants to determine the format and thematic scope of their respective roundtable.
Registration link: [HERE]

Additional Conference Events

As part of this year’s conference, the 7th National Seminar of the Young Media Scholars and Communicologists Forum (PTKS) will be held. The seminar will feature thematic presentations by emerging scholars – doctoral candidates and students.
Registration link: https://forms.office.com/e/rYiQSHJN5k

Furthermore, awards will be presented as part of the Medi@stery competition for the best MA thesis in media studies. The competition is organized biennially by the Institute of Media, Journalism and Social Communication at the University of Gdańsk.

We cordially invite you to participate in the discussion and to engage in the joint pursuit of solutions for a more inclusive, sustainable, and transparent media environment.

Important Dates

  • May 31, 2025 – Deadline for registration via the website: www.mediabizneskultura.ug.edu.pl/rejestracja
  • June 15, 2025 – Notification of accepted submissions and information regarding the organizational meeting with roundtable facilitators
  • October 31, 2025 – Deadline for submitting full papers (subject to prior consultation with roundtable facilitators regarding thematic scope)

Conference Fee

  • General participants: 430 PLN
  • PTKS members: 380 PLN
  • PhD candidates: 150 PLN
  • PhD candidates (PTKS members): 100 PLN
  • Students: free of charge

Conference fees must be paid by June 30, 2025, after the confirmation of participation. The fee includes the opportunity to publish a paper in the Media–Business–Culture scholarly series (published by the highly rated University of Gdańsk Press) or in the Media–Business–Culture academic journal (40 points on the official list of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education).

Bank transfers should be made to the following account:
University of Gdańsk
ul. Bażyńskiego 8, 80-309 Gdańsk
SWIFT: PKOPPLPW, IBAN: PL 59 1240 1271 1111 0010 4368 2415
Payment reference: Subaccount: KW0F-25 + full name of the participant

Invoices will be issued to the address provided in the registration form.

Contact and Additional Information

For the latest updates regarding the Media–Business–Culture conference, please visit: www.mediabizneskultura.ug.edu.pl

Inquiries may be directed to: mbksekretariat@ug.edu.pl