Ashoka Student Represents the University at Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change

The 16th in-person Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change convened over 85 participants for around two weeks in July to explore human belonging in the age of machines. Shashank V represented Ashoka University at the event.

Participants came together at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria from over 15 different institutions around the world to consider how to support and prioritise human belonging, compassion, attentiveness, and solidarity in a time of increasingly invasive technologies.

Through the theme “Belonging in the Age of Machines”, participants were challenged to envision media practices and pedagogies that emphasise care and meaningful connections. This theme enabled participants to imagine how media systems could strengthen social cohesion and promote belonging in the age of abundant digital media.

Throughout the program, participants from around the world engaged in a range of activities, including lectures, workshops, and cultural activities led by media-makers, researchers, creative practitioners, and community stakeholders from across the world.

Participants also engaged in film screenings, a living library, art and cultural experiences, tours of Salzburg and Gosau, and excursions to the Mauthausen Memorial and the Dokumentation Obersalzberg museum. This year, participants were also hosted by the Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg for a one-day symposium to dive deep into issues of critical and current concern in our world.

Reflecting on his experience, Shashank V commented, “I’ve met a lot of people here and I’ve learned a lot from them. This is my first time in Europe, and it’s different to see people from different cultures having their own approach to work, or leadership, or any topic in general. That has given me different perspectives.”

The international cohort worked in small groups to develop futuristic media initiatives, which were presented on their last day in Salzburg.