Some 200 people participated in the XVII International Communication congress held at the University. Professors from 24 Spanish and foreign universities, students and communication professionals discussed topics such as information on terrorism or immigration, the challenges of globalization or the new work of the digital journalist.

The congress, which took place under the degree scroll "Professionals for a globalized future", aimed to underline "what the new professional for the new media environment should be", explained Mª Teresa La Porte, vice dean of the School of Communication. "Globalization has had a special impact on the field of communication, which has generated a new way of informing and a new professional, with new instruments and new audiences to address," she added.

Francisco Javier Pérez Latre, director the congress, highlighted the international character of the meeting, in which participated, among others, Jürgen Wilke, from the University of Mainz (Germany), Katrina Lee, from the University of Sydney (Australia), or Frank Morgan, president of the Internationalassociation of Media research (IAMCR). César Mauricio Velásquez, from the Universidad de la Sabana (Colombia), a journalist who has received several death threats for trying to explain the conflict in his country, Colombia, also spoke. "His exhibition can serve as a reflection on how the media should behave when covering terrorist acts," explained the deputy dean.

A roundtable was also held with members of the four Spanish universities pioneers in the establishment of programs of study in Communication: the Complutense University of Madrid, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of the Basque Country and the University of Navarra. They discussed the new University teaching Law and the training of journalists. "It is up to the university to reflect on the new role that the media are playing and their social impact, in order to guide the activity of professionals," said Professor La Porte.

"The training of journalists in a globalized world is an interesting and complex topic . Issues such as the Moscow hostage crisis, with the Chechnya conflict as a backdrop, or the victory of an Islamic party in Turkey require qualified, intercultural training . These are issues that should not be simplified, because religion, politics and geopolitics interact in them," stressed Francisco Javier Pérez Latre.

In Spain," he said, "64% of citizens do not read newspapers. This worries us, since it contributes to a certain social demobilization, to a passivity of the citizenship". In his opinion, "we must strive to communicate knowledge and values, and not simply accumulate information".