Purdue University Calumet Professor and Head of the Department of Communication and Creative Arts Yahya R. Kamalipour has been invited to speak at an international conference for the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations (WPF), Monday (5/30) and Tuesday (5/31) in Berlin, Germany.

The WPF conference will focus on Integration and identity in the global society: An invitation to dialogue. The main goals of WPF are to unite efforts of the world community to protect spiritual and cultural values of humankind and to organize space for constructive dialogue among the major civilizations of the modern world.

At this conference, Kamalipour of Munster will participate in a panel discussion on the topic, Integration in the age of the digitalization of electronic communication.

“The new digital technologies and social networks such as FaceBook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, SMS, blogs, etc. have collectively contributed to the democratization of communication throughout the world,” Kamalipour said. “As illustrated by the ongoing public uprisings in many Middle Eastern and African countries, there are numerous challenges ahead of us. Clearly, as people become more informed and educated, they demand a better life for themselves and their children.”           
Kamalipour added, “It is a great honor to be invited to these prestigious international conferences. I will be able to share my up-to-date experiences and observations with students and colleagues at Purdue Calumet in various formats and contexts, including presentations, writing and discussions.”

While in Germany, Kamalipour also will deliver a talk to students of the Freie University in Berlin about civic journalism and social networks.  
Kamalipour’s areas of interest and scholarly research include globalization, media impact, international communication, advertising, cultural diversity, stereotyping, Middle East media and new communication technologies. He also is director of the Purdue Calumet Center for Global Studies and founder and director of the Global Communication Association.
The Purdue Calumet Center for Global Studies connects international researchers and professionals in pursuit of fresh information about the practices, strategies and trends in education, global culture, media, politics and economics. The Global Communication Association fosters and promotes academic research in global studies and collaboration among major universities worldwide.

Kamalipour earned undergraduate degrees from Marshalltown Community College (IA) and Minnesota State University and graduate degrees from University of Wisconsin and University of Missouri.