Call for Candidates - S&WG Head elections 2022

Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group

The Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group (CRI) will be holding elections for one Chair position, for the term 2022 - 2026.

The elections will be held online from 20 May until 5 July using the SurveyMonkey platform.

Eligible members of IAMCR and of the CRI working group, are able to stand for a position and to vote. To verify if you are a member of the CRI working group, log in to your IAMCR account and select “My Sections and Working Groups” from the menu.

Interested candidates must send their name, institutional position, a statement of no more than 500 words and a photograph to elections@iamcr.org with a copy to the SWG elections coordinator Andrea Medrado (A.Medrado@westminster.ac.uk) and to the CRI Working Group’s current officers, Virpi Salojärvi (virpi.salojarvi@helsinki.fi) and Paul Reilly (p.j.reilly@sheffield.ac.uk), no later than 29 April.

You can find the election rules at: https://iamcr.org/governance/swg-rules

Read about Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group


Candidates

  • Mahul Brahma (School of Media and Communication, Adamas University, India).  
  • Virpi Salojärvi (University of Vaasa, University of Helsinki, Finland) 

Statements

Mahul Brahma (School of Media and Communication, Adamas University, India)

I am confident I will be able to lead this vertical given my expertise in the field. 

I have two decades of experience as a communications expert. First decade spent as a Senior Editor, rising to the level of Chief Editor. I have worked with India partner of New York Times, The Economic Times, Reuters, CNBC TV18 Group, Coal Insights, and Steel Insights. The next decade was spent as a corporate communications heads, primarily with a Tata group company. I was heading Corporate Communications, CSR, Branding and Publications for the company for almost a decade. 

I am an expert in crisis communications in the country. I have been trained by the Tata group as well as by Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. I have won several awards in Crisis Communications including Crisis Communication Leader of the Year Award 2021. I teach Crisis Communications in the university and take several sessions with industry bodies on the same. 

I have also written several award-winning books (details are in the email signature). 

https://www.indiablooms.com/life-details/LIT/5462/mastering-crisis-communication-need-of-the-hour-for-any-leader-or-brand-custodian-mahul-brahma-on-his-new-book.html

https://reputationtoday.in/2021-converting-a-crisis-into-communications-opportunity-with-empathy/

I am a Fellow of Bath Spa University, UK. I am a PhD and D.Litt. I am also an alumnus of St Xavier's College, University of Cambridge Judge Business School, IIM Calcutta, MICA, among others. 

Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahul_Brahma

The list of awards are there in the signature. 

Thanks for considering my candidature. 

Please take care.

With Regards,

Prof (Dr.) Mahul Brahma, D.Litt, PhD
Professor - Crisis Communication and Dean - School of Media and Communication, Adamas University
Visiting Research Fellow - School of Art, Film and Media, Bath Spa University, UK

Author - The Mythic Value of Luxury, How to Communicate Strategically in Corporate World, Quarantined: Love in the time of Corona and The Luxe Trilogy -- Luxe Inferno, Decoding Luxe and Dark Luxe 
Winner of Sahityakosh Samman Award 2022
Winner of Author of the Year Award 2021
Winner of Crisis Communication Leader of the Year Award 2021
Winner of CSR Leader of the Year Award in 2019
Winner of Best Communication Strategist of the Year Award in 2019
Winner of Brand Leadership Award in 2017
Listed among Most Influential PR professionals under the age of 40 by Reputation Today 
Winner of Ecommerce Communication Leader of the Year Award in 2017
Winner of Certificate of Excellence in Corporate Communications 2017
Winner of Young Achiever Award in National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Communications 2016


Virpi Salojärvi (University of Vaasa, University of Helsinki, Finland)

I am an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Vaasa and affiliated researcher in the HEPPsinki research hub of emotions, populism and polarization at the University of Helsinki. I have published widely in cognate fields over the past decade, including articles in journals such as Visual Communication and various edited volumes. My current research focuses on journalists, media and emotions in a conflict, and knowledge production and meaning-making in hybrid media systems e.g. during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

It is my pleasure to apply for the position of Chair of the IAMCR Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication (CRI) working group. I have been a member of CRI for the past seven years, taking on the role of Vice Chair in 2018 before progressing to the role of Chair in 2021. In these roles, I have worked closely with Rikke Bjerg Jensen and Paul Reilly to promote the work of CRI members. I have also participated in every IAMCR conference during this period.  

As both Vice-Chair and Chair, I have made a significant contribution to the growth of CRI over the past five years. This has included chairing panels and video sessions during the annual IAMCR conferences, taking an active role in reviewing abstracts and forming panels, and being solely responsible for managing the CRI Facebook group during the past few years. I have actively sought to promote the work of CRI colleagues (early career researchers in particular); most notably, I have co-edited Special Issues in journals such as Media, War and Conflict and The Communication Review based on papers submitted to CRI as part of the annual IAMCR conference. For example, one special issue titled Active agency, access and power, edited with Rikke B. Jensen, was published in Media, War and Conflict last year. I am applying for the position of Chair as I have the necessary experience and drive to build the community of global scholars that participate in CRI. I am passionate about growing the group membership, engaging early career researchers who have cognate research interests, and raising the profile of CRI outside the annual IAMCR conference. I believe I am well placed to grow the group’s membership and create an environment in which researchers with an interest in crisis, security and conflict communication can share ideas and collaborate. Recent events have shown the salience of CRI and that now, more than ever, the need for us all to contribute to public knowledge in these areas.