• Focused on advancing knowledge and skills, the activities will take place from September 4 – 14
  • Top media and communication experts will speak on a range of topics like artificial intelligence, communication ethics, and skills, innovation and sustainability
  • Media and communication students will benefit from the COMMS programme, designed to unveil new horizons in government communication
  • World Media Seminar will practically elucidate the concept of sustainable media
  • University Challenge designed to spotlight university teams with the most creative government communication concepts and ideas
  • Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders will be held in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
  • The UAE’s first creative skill building platform of its kind in government communication, the AI Skills Camp, is part of IGCF’s pre-forum agenda.

Sharjah: The International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2023) has announced a packed pre-forum activities programme, which will take place in the lead up to the 12th annual edition, starting September 4. Covering key topics of communication ethics and techniques, sustainable media, innovation, leadership skills, and artificial intelligence, amongst others, the discussions and training sessions will be led by top experts and international speakers.

Designed to foster collaboration and exchange among the participants, these specialised sessions are designed to aid the sharing of best practices and latest knowledge in the fields of government and media communication.

Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) under the theme, ‘Today’s Resources… Tomorrow’s Wealth’, the 12th edition of IGCF will offer its platform to two key activities, which will be making their debut in the UAE. These include, the ‘Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders’ will be held in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to empower the leaders of tomorrow and build a government capacity for the future, and the UAE’s first creative skill building platform of its kind, the ‘AI Skills Camp’, that aims at imparting practical AI skills to students and youth.

The forum will also continue to run its COMMS programme for media and communications students this year, offering a range of interactive and hands-on workshops focused on government communication. IGCF will also organise the University Challenge dedicated to UAE and GCC university teams, and the World Media Seminar, which is open to the public and targets media professionals.

September 4-7: COMMS programme for media and communications students

From September 4 – 7, the COMMS programme for media and communications students will upskill both aspiring and established government communicators through a series of seven interactive, hands-on workshops based on three pillars. Industry experts and mentors will showcase the ethical and professional requirements for government communications practitioners in the ethics and professionalism pillar. The communications pillar will teach ways to improve content quality, innovation and execution, while the technical pillar of the workshops will introduce practitioners to various modern technical dimensions of government communication.

September 12-13: World Media Seminar

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) will organise World Media Seminar on September 12-13, featuring an agenda of interactive discussions. ‘The Role of Media in Highlighting Issues of Sustainability’ will emphasise the importance of bringing sustainability issues to the forefront of media attention, while a second discussion on the topic ‘Media Coverages of Climate Change: Global Models’ will highlight best media tools for producing and disseminating specialised content on sustainability issues. The third discussion titled ‘Coverage of the Environment in the Media: A Historical Overview’ will spotlight innovative media initiatives and ventures that have effectively tackled environmental subjects.

The forum highlights the global media's approach to addressing food security concerns through the session ‘Media & Food Security: Opportunities & Challenges.’ Simultaneously, the session ‘Green Economy Concepts in Media Content: Between Objectivity & Polemics’ delves into effective strategies that bolster the media's role in raising public awareness about investing in environmental and sustainability issues.

September 12-14: Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is organising a training programme titled Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders from September 12-14, led by Guido Bertucci, Executive Director of Governance Solutions International; and Marco A. Suazo, Head of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research New York Office (UNITAR-NYO).

The intensive, two-day programme will develop participants' leadership and communication skills and increase their efficiency and abilities to advance their organisations to a level that meets the challenges of the 21st century. Topics cover various areas such as active listening and effective communication, constructive team dialogue, negotiation, emotional intelligence development, among other topics..

September 12-14: AI Skills Camp

Organised by the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF), the ‘AI Skills Camp’ is the first creative environment of its kind in the UAE. The camp is an initiative to build essential knowledge of basic AI concepts and practical applications in students and youth. Participants will also acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to produce applications and create media content such as videos, texts, news reports, photographs, short films, documentaries and animation films using AI.

The camp is designed for young individuals aged 12 to 17 from Rubu’ Qarn Foundation and the Ithmaar Media Training Programme, a Sharjah Press Club initiative, affiliated to the Sharjah Government Media Office. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their projects in four competitions during the camp to jurors of the ‘Sharjah Government Communication Award’, and a winner will be selected.

September 12-14: University Challenge

In cooperation with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), IGCF 2023 is organising a three-day challenge for ÚAE and GCC students who will design and present innovative communications projects that provide genuine contributions to government communications.

The University Challenge will focus on sustainable development in line with the UAE's Year of Sustainability and COP28. Participating projects will focus on the following fields: protecting the terrestrial environment; protecting the aquatic environment; preserving natural life; preserving water resources; preserving air quality; relying on clean energy; among others.