About the UNESCO Chair
The UNESCO Chair of Futures and Media Information Literacy has been established in 2022 at the Institute of Communication Studies with the aim of increasing media literacy to enhance political and civic engagement. Our research highlights the importance of understanding how media works and the impact of media literacy on active citizenship. Currently, there’s a gap in media literacy within existing educational programs, which can limit professional and public understanding of digital media challenges.
Our Chair aims to level the playing field for everyone, especially those wanting to engage civically or politically. We integrate media literacy with futures literacy, a forward-thinking approach that helps individuals navigate today’s complex digital landscape. Our educational programs are tailored for youth and adults to better understand the media environment, recognize misinformation, and actively participate in society.
Chairholder
Prof. Dr. Zhaneta Trajkoska, Director of the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS)
Contact Person
Monika Aksentievska, Project Manager
+389 2 3090 004
Related news
In a time of rapid technological and societal changes, it is increasingly important for young people to be able to “read” the future, recognize trends, imagine alternative scenarios, and make informed decisions amid uncertainty.
The Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), in partnership with the Faculty of Management at the University of Primorska (Slovenia) and FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Graz, has launched the project “FutureLit: Empowering Digital Citizens for Tomorrow’s Challenges”, supported by the Erasmus+ programme for partnerships in higher education.
Objectives
The UNESCO Chair aims to:
- Empower diverse populations, including the youth and marginalized groups, in the complex media landscape.
- Support national and international research on media and futures literacy.
- Foster global cooperation in futures literacy for fair and inclusive knowledge societies.
Our focus areas include communication rights, digital democracy, media transformations, public engagement, and policy development in media and education. We emphasize futures literacy as a crucial skill for the 21st century, enhancing media and information literacy through a blend of education, research, training, and publishing.
The Chair will focus on
- Strengthening the component of digital citizenship and literacy for the future within the ICS activities to enable young people and others to adopt and implement the knowledge and skills to deal with the growing influx of information in the media space.
- Initiating and implementing academic and applied research projects related to media literacy and literacy for the future.
- Publishing papers, manuals and other educational materials in both fields in order to advance theory and improve the sharing of knowledge and experience between local researchers and experts, media professionals, students and youth.
- Developing and spreading new media products on topics related to literacy for the future and digital citizenship.
- Establishing new networks and partnerships between higher education institutions, research institutes, non-governmental organizations, media, foundations and organizations from the public and private sectors.
Partnerships
Partnerships with UNESCO, universities, research institutions, and entrepreneurs will contribute to our impact made through the Chair. The goal of developing futures literacy is to learn to think more creatively, critically, and broadly about the future. The Chair also builds upon and complements UNESCO’s efforts to mitigate the spread and impact of online disinformation in Europe and ensure the protection of European values and democratic systems.
The Chair aims to become a worldwide recognized group for research on futures literacy and how it affects digital citizenship including a rich exchange of researchers with partner universities.
Ennoema Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia