Professor Nico Carpentier is a highly regarded European scholar in media and communication studies, formerly serving as President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and Vice President of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). He is currently an Extraordinary Professor at Charles University in Prague and a Visiting Professor at the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

 

In addition, he has held honorary professorships at leading institutions in Sweden, Belgium, Israel, and beyond. Professor Carpentier has an extensive body of academic work, having published more than 40 authored and edited volumes and over 200 articles, including 30 contributions featured in curated catalogues and art journals. His research combines theoretical depth with practical engagement, focusing on media studies informed by artistic practice, visual communication, documentary studies, and cultural and discourse analysis. His recent work includes the 2025 film AGON which explores meanings of democracy in different cultures.

Dr. Erika Darics is an academic and advocate for transformative education. As a transdisciplinary scholar in applied linguistics, discourse and organizational studies, she explores how language creates and shapes social structures. She is a recognised author, podcaster, educational innovator and academic leader: deeply committed to advancing knowledge and promoting sustainable futures through education and scholarship.

 

Her teaching and research intersect around fostering inner development, self-awareness, and critical thinking — which she sees as foundations for meaningful change. She conducts empirical linguistic-discourse analytical research, to theorise and educate about language awareness and discourse consciousness. Erika is an experienced and passionate researcher-educator with a strong sense of responsibility to nurture a future generation of critical text consumers who are also ethical, responsible and empowered communicators.

 

In addition, she consults with education institutions on transformative change (both internal and in their curricula), promotes the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), and designs courses based on discourse analysis, often with a business/professional communication slant. Darics co-hosts the Words and Actions podcasts and is the proud co-author of the textbook Language in Business, Language at Work (current 2nd edition in press).