Speakers

Prof. Holger Mathias BRIEL

Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University Zhuhai, China

Biography: Professor Dr Holger BRIEL is Professor in Media and Communication Studies Programme. He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Theory from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, an M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a B.A. in English and German from Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Germany. A portion of his graduate studies was also undertaken at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne. Previously, Dr Briel has taught at New York University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Surrey, Indiana State University and Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University. He has held numerous Visiting Professorships and lectured at Oxford University, UC Berkeley, CUNY, Ateneo de Manila, the National University of Malaysia, the National University of Singapore, Universität Rostock and many others. Besides many other engagements, he continues to supervise Ph.D. and Master students in countries around the globe. He has published copiously in media and cultural studies, philosophy, the social sciences, and international management studies and remains active a as journalist for several international newspapers. For many years, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of the influential IAFOR Journal of Cultural Studies and sits as an Editor and Joint Editor on many journal boards. Furthermore, he is the recipient of numerous prestigious research grants and fellowships, most recently the endowed National South Korean Senior Fellowship in Cultural Studies. In recognition of his expertise in global education, he has been elected to several national education supervisory bodies, including those of Greece, Hungary and Spain and membership in the EU Council for Higher Education.

Speech Title: Love and Haunting Memories in Recent Chinese Films and TV Series

Abstract: My presentation will concern itself with the discussion of loss of love, haunting and ghosts. In particular we will look at how these hauntings appear and play out in front of a changing socio-economic background on the one hand, and an ideological one on the other. It will become clear that both instances produce their own differentiated approaches to the subject of lost love, but taken together can give us valuable lessons on how to move forward and engage with the inevitable loss of love.Films/TV series discussed include A Light never goes out (2022), Red Amnesia/Intruder (2014), The Three Body Problem (2023) and Deutsches Haus /The Interpreter of Silence (2023).

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Assoc. Prof. Joanna Rak

Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland

Biography: Joanna Rak, PhD, works as a university professor in the Department of Political Culture at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. From 2016 to 2024, she was a researcher and visiting professor at the Universidad CEU San Pablo de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Universidad de Navarra and Universidad de Valladolid. She managed the grants "Dynamics of the Culture of Political Violence of Anti-Austerity Movements in Europe" and "Political Contestation and the New Armored Democracy", and currently manages the project "Civic non-subordination in the pandemic-stricken European Union" financed by the National Science Centre. She has worked on the research projects "Researching Anti-austerity Movements in Comparative Perspective", "Basque Revitalization: The Continuance Trajectory of ETA" and "Contemporary Russia: Between Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism?". Author of monographs and articles on political contestation. Winner of the m.in Scholarship of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for Young Outstanding Scientists, the Barbara Skarga Scholarship, the START Scholarship of the Foundation for Polish Science and the winner of the POLITYKA Scientific Award in the field of social sciences. Members of the Expert Team of the National Science Centre, the Polish Accreditation Committee and the social sciences team, discipline: political science and administration, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for the evaluation of research projects for the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Speech Title: Navigating Civic Trauma, Leadership Challenges, and the Role of Social Media in Polish Women's Activism

Abstract: This presentation offers an in-depth exploration of the challenges faced by Polish women’s activism in response to increasingly restrictive abortion laws. It focuses on two major waves of mobilization: the 2016–2018 Gals for Gals movement and the 2020–2021 All-Poland Women’s Strike. Both movements were marked by intense civic trauma, as participants faced moral injustice and deep feelings of disillusionment. Despite their initial momentum, both waves ultimately experienced demobilization, leaving unresolved cognitive dissonance that weakened future activism. The presentation will examine how these unresolved emotional and organizational issues contributed to a broader culture of political withdrawal in Poland, while also highlighting the evolving civil society and the growing political empowerment of certain groups. Central to the discussion is the role of leadership – both its successes and its failures – and how leaders in these movements struggled to manage resources and align goals with the broader participant base. Additionally, the role of social media is explored as a double-edged sword: a vital tool for communication and mobilization, yet one that requires skillful management to maintain momentum. This presentation will provide valuable insights for anyone interested in the future of social movements and women’s rights, especially in politically challenging environments like Poland.