In 2024, the Department of Culture and Communication at IRMO began work on the four-year project CULTMED – Interdisciplinary Research of Cultural and Media Policies and Practices: Developmental and Democratic Potentials. Two centres were established as part of the project’s activities: the Culturelink Center and the CEMEDIG Center, which will carry out the project’s activities.
In March, the CEMEDIG Center hosted a guest lecture by Professor Linnet Taylor from Tilburg University in the Netherlands titled “Beyond Digital Exceptionalism: Integrating Technology Governance with Democratic Process.”
The activities of the Culturelink Center started with a memorial event dedicated to Dr. Biserka Cvjetičanin, titled “Cultural Diversity, Networks, and Cultural Policies: The Legacy of Biserka Cvjetičanin’s Cultural Optimism.” At this event, participants discussed topics such as cultural development, cultural networks, international cultural cooperation, and other themes she addressed throughout her career. A video presentation highlighting her prolific career was shown and is available on the website. A call for papers was also issued for a collection of works to honor her long-standing contributions.
A series of Culturelink guest lectures was also launched, with two lectures organized in 2024. The first, in September, was delivered by Dr. Steven Hadley from Trinity College Dublin on the topic “Cultural Policy Realism – What is to be Done?” The second lecture in December featured Dr. Inga Tomić-Koludrović and Mirko Petrić from the Ivo Pilar Institute in Split, titled “Cultural Participation and Social Inequalities in Europe.”
Participants in the CULTMED project have attended numerous conferences and published research findings in various publications. They are also involved in other thematically complementary competitive projects. As part of the CresCine project, supported by the Horizon Europe program, a three-day international conference titled “Small Cinemas: Changing Policies, Transforming Audiences, and Work Practices In-Flux” was organized in November, receiving high praise from participants.
At the beginning of 2024, work began on the four-year project DEVELOPER – Digital Data, Infrastructures, and Development, funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. This project examines the role of data in society at the levels of institutions (laws and markets), organizations (private and public), and the everyday lives of citizens.
During 2024, the Department of Culture and Communication welcomed two new team members: Lucija Gegić, an assistant, and Dea Vidović, a senior assistant, further strengthening the department’s collaborative team.
The Department of Culture and Communication at IRMO looks forward to future activities and collaborations in 2025 and wishes everyone a joyful holiday season and a successful 2025.
