Sheikh Sultan to open media forum today

sharjah — The eighth edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) is set to open today, and it will be inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

The two-day global forum at Expo Centre Sharjah will bring together 70 high-profile speakers, who will lead the discussions on the role of citizens, particularly the media, in overcoming developmental challenges. The summit aims to assert that the responsibility of tackling these issues no longer lies solely with governments.

Themed ‘Behavioural Change towards Human Development’, the forum will shed light on the main challenges in government communication and motivate individuals to play a key role in the development process.

The speakers of this year’s IGCF include international media and PR stalwarts, policy experts, social entrepreneurs and communications and technology experts. Organised by the International Government Communication Centre, a subsidiary of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the event will feature 37 discussion panels, inspiring speeches, sessions, workshops and interactive forums.

A behavioural change e-game platform, ‘Sharjah 2071’, will be launched, along with a special SGMB release themed ‘Government Communication…Practices and Studies’.

IGCF 2019 will also showcase several interactive platforms: One for the ‘Sheikh Sultan Award for Celebrating the Spirit of Youth’ and a researcher platform with several features that will focus on youth challenges in innovation.

An Expo 2020 Dubai platform will also be up, unveiling the ‘50 Years of Expo’ exhibition that encapsulates the UAE’s engagement in World Expos since 1970.