[Air-l] Invitation to ICA Pre Conference in Budapest

[Nanne Priebs]

ICA 2006 Pre-conference: Influencing Outcomes: Communications Research
and Global and Regional Policy Transformations

Date: June 16- 17, 2006
Venue: Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
Sponsored by:
ICA Philosophy of Communication Division, and Political Communication Division

Organizers:
The Project for Global Communication Studies, Annenberg School for
Communication, University of Pennsylvania, The Center for Media and
Communication Studies, Central European University, Budapest, and the
COST A30 European Media Scholars Network

Description of the proposed conference:

Given the theme of the Dresden ICA conference "Networking,
Communication, and Research," it is appropriate and timely to offer a
pre-conference that deals with the interplay between policymakers and
the scholarly community. Globalization, internationalization, and a
strong sense of inter-dependency as is documented by current political
and economic realities has reinforced the need to understand how
policy is made, what its impact is, who and how it influences, and
whether local, national, regional or international laws and policies
are called for and the most effect means of governance. The drive
towards democratization and the many transitions that have taken place
in the post-1989 period have cast a new light on the importance of
creating meaningful and useful media policy. As one of the central
pillars of a modern democracy, media institutions, comprising both
traditional and new technologies, play a key role in the functioning
of society.

Against this backdrop, the Project for Global Communication Studies at
the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania,
and the Center for Media and Communication Studies, Central European
University, propose a two-day pre-conference that will discuss the
relationship between research and policymaking, how the scholarly
community can impact and influence the policy agenda and policymaking
institutions, as well as engage in a critical dialogue that will
produce an agenda for future research, especially on issues and
questions related to how media laws and policies affect and impact
democratization and social transition.

The pre-conference has the added bonus of the inclusion of the COST
A30 European Media Scholars Network, which will host a special meeting
to coincide with the ICA Budapest pre-conference.  CEU is the
coordinating university for the COST A30 Action "East of West: Setting
a New Central and Eastern European Media Research Agenda." The project
brings together more than 40 outstanding scholars from 20 European
countries. The main objective of the Action is to develop a cutting
edge, joint European social science research agenda with a clear focus
on newly emerging problems of Central and Eastern European media in a
comparative perspective.
Budapest, as one of the principal points of the post-communist
transition, provides a fitting backdrop for a pre-conference of this
nature, giving participants the opportunity to engage with Hungary's
media law and policy reform leaders from academic, civil society, as
well as commercial and industry sectors.

The Annenberg-CEU pre-conference sessions will feature:
•    Participation from many of Europe's leading media scholars who are
part of the EU COST A30 Action European media studies network;
•    two keynote addresses;
•    panel discussions;
•    a tour of Hungary's famous and beautiful Parliament building, with a
guided tour by a former member of Parliament and leading figure of
Hungary's media law and policy transformation;
•    a roundtable on contemporary issues of nationalism and ethnic identity; and
•    optional guided tours of Budapest's famous cafes and outdoor garden
pubs, a trip to one of Budapest's relaxing mineral baths, and visit to
one of many local music attractions, like the Hungarian Opera.

Cost and registration details:  Please see the ICA website for
registration details (http://www.icahdq.org/) or contact Susan Abbott
at the Annenberg School for Communication at sabbott at asc.upenn.edu. 
Costs associated with the Budapest Pre-conference will include: hotel,
some meals and a conference registration fee.  Participants of the
Budapest Pre-conference are encouraged to arrange their travel such
that they connect through Budapest en route to Dresden.  The
Pre-conference organizers will also assist with travel to Budapest,
and depending on interest with either organize low-cost air travel or
a group bus from Budapest to Dresden.

Other Details:
Registration and deposit due in advance, by May 15, 2006.
Contact people:
•    Susan Abbott, Sr. Research Coordinator at the Project for Global
Communication Studies, Annenberg School for Communication, University
of Pennsylvania – E-mail:  sabbott at asc.upenn.edu
•    Laura Ranca, Project Coordinator, Center for Media and Communication
Studies, Central European University – E- mail: rancal at ceu.hu.

Pre-Conference Registration Fee: $100 USD (payable to ICA, at the time
of registering and paying for ICA Dresden Conference)
Items included in this fee:
1.    Meals, Materials and Entertainment Fee: $50 USD
2.    ICA Administration Fee: $25 USD
3.    Annenberg-CEU Administration Fee: $25 USD

Budapest Costs – Accommodation and Travel
Pre-conference participants can either book their travel directly to
Budapest (roundtrip) or they can book their travel (roundtrip to
Berlin) and transfer to Budapest.  We suggest the following
itineraries:

Travel to Budapest for the Pre-conference
Participants must arrange their travel to arrive in Budapest on
Thursday, June 15, 2006 for arrival and check-in.  The pre-conference
starts on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 9 am.

Option A: Budapest direct
•    Roundtrip ticket from your home city to Budapest.
•    Easyjet flight from Budapest to Berlin, with bus transfer to Dresden
(We will arrange for bus transfer for those interested). Estimated
cost of the Easyjet flight, and bus transfer is $100 USD roundtrip
(Budapest to Berlin and back to Budapest)

Option B: Berlin direct
•    Roundtrip ticket from your home city to Berlin
•    You arrange your own travel to Budapest – options include Easyjet or
other low-cost airlines or going by bus or train. (We will not arrange
bus transfer with this option, but can provide advice and suggestions
for ways to get from Berlin to Budapest).

>From the Budapest Airport there is a Shuttle Service into the city. 
You can buy a round trip ticket (good for your ride to your hotel and
back to the airport) upon arrival in Budapest, just after you get out
of baggage claim.  The cost of the ticket is roughly $20 USD.

It is recommended that you change some money at the airport upon
arrival or use the cash machines at the airport to get Hungarian
Forints – the local currency.  Budapest has a wide selection of banks,
cash machines and change kiosks.  Credit cards are accepted most
places (mostly Master Card and Visa).  English and German are widely
spoken in Budapest, in addition to Hungarian, the national language.

Accommodation
We will do our best to help participants find the accommodation that
meets their budget.  We suggest the following:

Hotel Options – You can choose from hotel rooms that start at 50 euros
a night (around $60 USD).  We will book your hotel for you, and will
work with area hotels to find a rate that is suitable for your budget.
 Please email Laura Ranca (rancal at ceu.hu) to let her know your
preferences.  Hotel rooms can be shared, but you must indicate this
before check-in.  We will make the reservation, but you are required
to pay the hotel bill at the time of checkout.  Hungarian hotels
accept Visa, and Master Card, and American Express, as well as cash. 
It is also possible to prepay your hotel bill with a wire transfer or
credit card payment over the phone.  The hotel fee is not included in
the registration fee, so please plan ahead and get in touch with Laura
Ranca to reserve a room.

Youth Hostel Option – There are many Youth Hostels in Budapest to
choose from.  For a list of available hostels, please visit this
website:
http://www.reservations.bookhostels.com/europeanrailguide.com/findabed.php?ChosenCountry=Hungary&ChosenCity=Budapest

For people choosing to stay in a Youth Hostel, you must take care of
reserving and paying for your stay on your own. The conference
organizers are unable to do this for you.  Hostels are an affordable
option for accommodation in Europe, and are generally clean and safe
and centrally located, with access to public transportation. The
hostels closest to CEU are the ones situated in districts 5, 6, 7 and
of Budapest (CEU is situated in district 5). Some of the near-by
hostels are:
•    Mellow Mood Hostels (http://www.hostels.hu/about-us.html)
•    Marco Polo Hostel (http://www.backpackers.hu/marcopolo.php)
•    Aboriginal Hostel
(http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/AboriginalHostel-Budapest-4545)
•    Agape Budget Guesthouse
(http://www.hostels.com/en/availability.php/HostelNumber.10040)

Hostels fill up fast, so it is best to book in advance.

CEU Dormitory Option (http://www.ceucenter.hu/ENG/index_eng.html)
CEU operates a residential hall that is approximately 45 minutes from
the center of Budapest and CEU by public transportation (bus + one
Metro ride). The rooms are all wired with Internet access, and the
hall has a swimming pool, tennis court, caf* and a dining facility.
People from all over the world stay there and it is a nice way to meet
people. For those interested in this option, please email Laura Ranca
for more information and for reservations.
Costs:
30 Euro – for single room
38 Euro – for shared room
Rooms are subject to availability and space is not guaranteed.

Student Guest-Stay Option – On a first-come, first-served basis, we
will match interested graduate students with graduate students in
Budapest attending CEU or other Budapest-centered universities.  Space
is limited.  This option offers the budget-minded student traveler the
opportunity to stay in Budapest for the pre-conference, without the
worry of how to pay for accommodation, i.e. it is free, although we
encourage you to bring a small gift for your host.  It is recommended
that you bring a sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket for the duration
of your stay, although your hosts may already have bedding.  We will
facilitate email contact between ICA graduate student participants and
their hosts in Budapest before the conference, so that you can know
what to expect and how to best prepare. For those interested in this
option, please email Laura Ranca at rancal at ceu.hu.