Sharjah: The 12th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2023) in Sharjah today revealed a packed itinerary of more than 90 specialised and diverse activities including discussions, speeches, workshops and training, as well as pre-forum events.
Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the event will be held on September 13 and 14 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The activities will be led by over 250 local and global experts, and supported by more than 35 local, regional and international partners. The forum, which attracted over 50,000 visitors and participants worldwide in its previous editions, will run its upcoming edition under the theme ‘Today’s Resources, Tomorrow’s Wealth’.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General, SGMB, said: “IGCF sets new pathways for government communication, guiding future efforts and strategies, while considering evolving global challenges and opportunities. The forum presents innovative solutions to harness resources in all their forms to develop and enhance nations’ quality of lives.”
Main events
The forum encompasses an agenda featuring 12 main sessions and speeches. It places communication at the core of key strategies for introducing new resources and transforming them into renewable wealth for nations, all within IGCF 2023 four main pillars.
Under the pillar of Natural resources, humankind is warned about the challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and the depletion of natural resources through sessions and speeches that will cover sustainability, food security, eradicating hunger, recycling and solar energy.
Under the pillar of Non-material wealth, the forum shines light on efforts that should be undertaken to leverage human, and intellectual resources that are no less important than natural resources.
Through its Technology and data: Disruptive wealth of the era pillar, the forum will engage audiences in insightful sessions encompassing artificial intelligence.
Under the Shaping the future of nations’ wealth pillar, the forum will highlight future disruptions with a much bigger impact than the industrial revolution.
Seminars
Four Seminar Rooms will be home to more than 16 activities organised by leading entities in strategic fields of interest to specialists, academics, journalists and students.
The Sustainability Seminar organised by IGCF in cooperation with COP28, the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and Sharjah’s Rubu’ Qarn Foundation, will highlight sustainability challenges and opportunities.
Alef Education and Arab Youth Center will organise the Arabic Language Seminar, to advance the role of Arabic language in government communication.
A Cyber Security Seminar will be organised by UAE Cybersecurity Council.
The World Media Seminar will be led by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Gov. Talks Stage
The Gov. Talks Stage will organise 10 discussion panels and speeches in collaboration with a lineup of partners such as Trends Research and Advisory, Health Education Department of Sharjah’s Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Sharjah Press Club, Sharjah Media City (Shams), United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Family Development Department and its branches, and Districts and Villages Affairs Department.
Capacity-building programmes
IGCF will offer three specialised capacity building programmes, including the “Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders” programme, organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the “AI Skills Camp” organised by the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF), and the “Leveraging Behavioural Insights for Better Resource Management” programme organised by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) throughout the forum.
Pre-forum activities
The pre-forum activities by leading partner entities offer a gateway to professional experiences that boosts participants’ knowledge and expertise. IGCF 2023 agenda also includes the ‘COMMS programme for media and communications students’; ‘World Media Seminar’ organised by Emirates News Agency (WAM), alongside the highly anticipated ‘University Challenge’, open to UAE and GCC universities and organised in cooperation with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
The activities also include ‘Communication for Success for Young Government Leaders’ organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and ‘AI Skills Camp’ organised by the Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF).
