CAMRI researchers solidify connections with EACA at 2025 conference in Ethiopia

CAMRI’s Prof. Winston Mano, Dr. Leah Mwainyekule, and doctoral student Xuda Wang participated in the 2025 East African Communication Association (EACA) annual conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 26-29 August. Themed “Media and Communication in Africa’s Integration,” the event involved keynote presentations, panel papers, roundtable discussions and extensive exchanges which solidified connections between CAMRI and EACA.

Dr. Leah Mwainyekule presented a fascinating paper from her ongoing work African public relations practitioners. She asked how AI-generated needed to be incorporated in the emerging digital ecosystem. Xuda Wang’s paper focused on “Media Innovations and Sustainability in the Digital Age in Africa.” It is part of his large research project investigating China-related digital soft power via TikTok in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa.

Prof. Winston Mano moderated four sessions, including two parallel sessions on “Information Disorder, War and Conflict Reporting in the Digital Age” and “Media and Communication Education in the Digital Era.” The conference enabled the CAMRI researchers to engage in extensive exchanges with communication scholars from Africa, Europe and China, sharing diverse perspectives on key topics such as AI technology and digital governance. The extensive and in-depth discussions yielded many new perspectives and insights which will bear on future research directions, including publications. At the closing ceremony, EACA President Prof. Margaret Jjuuko specifically thanked Prof. Winston Mano and reiterated his critical insights on the urgency and importance of publishing in African communication.

During his stay in Ethiopia, Xuda Wang also attended a training session hosted by the Communication University of China and conducted a series of field research activities. He visited Huajian Light Industrial City, the largest Chinese private enterprise in Ethiopia, and toured a local shoe production line. He also visited the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian News Agency to gain a deeper understanding of the realities in Ethiopia. He also organised a small seminar of 6-7 people to discuss, with local elites, the important role that the media can play in Ethiopia’s critical transition period. Xuda Wang also gathered data for his doctoral research, interviewing Prof. Guy Burger, an independent media and Internet expert who spent a decade as a senior official at UNESCO, overseeing the Organization’s global work. Wang also interviewed Prof. Levi Obonyo, a Dean at Daystar University, past Chairman of the Media Council of Kenya and a former member of the Communication Appeals Tribunal in Kenya. The interviews covered key topics such as TikTok’s development, regulation and its emerging soft power in Africa.