Scientific Seminar in Media Philosophy at ASU

In early June 2014, the Scientific Interdisciplinary Training Seminar “Communicative Strategies of Innovative & Post-Information Society: Social & Cultural Analysis” has taken place at ASU.

The Seminar has been arranged by the Department of Social Communications of ASU and by three units of St.-Petersburg State University (the Center of Media Philosophy, the Laboratory of Computer Games Research, and the Laboratory of Visual Ecology). A whole delegation of scholars from St.-Petersburg has come to Astrakhan to take part in the Seminar: Professor Savchuk (Director of the Center of Media Philosophy), Dr. Kolesnikova (Chief of the Laboratory of Visual Ecology), Dr. Shevtsov (Chief of the Laboratory of Computer Games Research), Mr. Ocheretyanny (the Center of Media Philosophy), Mr. Lenkevich (Academic Secretary of the Visual Practices Research Seminar), and Ms. Latypova (Acting Chief of the Laboratory of Visual Ecology).

The Seminar has been opened by Professor Lyudmila Baeva, Dean of ASU’s Department of Social Communications; she has emphasized the top importance of communications for the information society. As for Professor Savchuk, he told much about the Center of Media Philosophy. The report given by Dr. Kolesnikova, Chief of the Laboratory of Visual Ecology, has been of high interest. She told how real cities can be transformed by means of visual culture images that influence the human conscience. Dr. Shevtsov has concerned the results of activities performed by the Laboratory of Computer Games Research. The lab launched at the Institute of Philosophy of St.-Petersburg State University researches computer games as a medium, as well as issues of interactivity, identity, space, and time in computer games. Professor Savchuk has remarked that there are very few researchers who specialize in media and computer games now; at the same time, it is an essential sphere of researches.

“It’s really crucial to research media, computer games, and visual ecology”, Prof. Savchuk said. “They are very powerful factors of impact exerted upon our conscience, our bodies, and our ways of communication. The less we’re aware of their impact, the more powerful that impact is. When we research media, we get a zone of freedom. If we don’t do that, media manipulate our conscience”.

The scholars have invited students and professors of Astrakhan State University to the School of Visual Ecology to be held in St.-Petersburg on June 26; they have also invited everyone to take part in the section of the scientific conference dedicated to computer games as a part of the Days of St.-Petersburg Philosophy (it will be held in November 2014).

In their turn, Astrakhan’s researchers of culture and philosophers have told about their own researches in the field of information society, computer games, and media culture.

At the end of the Seminar, the guests from St.-Petersburg have donated several books and collections of their research papers to ASU’s Chair of Philosophy and to our Scientific Library.

Russian original information source: Yuri Garanov (the Press Service of ASU)
Russian original photo source: Elena Fedyulina (the TV Media Center of ASU)

Translated by E.I. Glinchevskiy (the Center of Translation Studies & Conference Interpreting “ASTLINK” of ASU)