IUST hosts Four-day International Webinar on Post-truth and Literature

AWANTIPORA – With the objective to unearth the ambiguity surrounding the post-truth phenomenon, the Department of English Language and Literature, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tuesday hosted a four-day International Webinar on Post-truth and Literature: Perspectives and Reality. The highlight of the event would be to deliberate upon the difficulty of clarifying the truth value of most of the information disseminated through technology like the internet and social networks. The event is intended to engage in meaningful conversations on how the landscapes of literary representation and criticism may react to the post-truth era. The Chairpersons and the paper presenters of the Webinar hail from prestigious universities within the country and abroad including University of Cambridge, University of New Mexico, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Jamia Milia Islamia, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, University of Kashmir, Seacom Skills University, West Bengal, to name but a few.

Associate Dean and Head, Dept of English Language and Literature, IUST and Webinar Director, Dr. Munejah Khan, presented the welcome address and deliberated on the theme of the Webinar.

Underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary research, Vice Chancellor IUST Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo who was the Chief Guest of the inaugural session complimented the department for conducting academic ventures of contemporary relevance from time to time.

The keynote speaker, Dr Lee McIntyre, author of POST-TRUTH (MIT Press, 2018) & Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, spoke on “What is Post-truth?” and touched upon the vistas of post-truth as a phenomenon of information warfare. He also spoke about post-truth situation which means political subordination of truth. He explained the concept by focussing on science deniers and science denials, creation of doubt and how it leads to control of information.

Prof Shohini Ghosh, Sajjad Zaheer Chaired Professor & Officiating Director, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, who was the Guest of Honor talked about the intricacies of documentary-making as it borrows the various elements like narrative from any other form such as fictional piece thereby challenging its very premise of faithful representation of truth. Ghosh also spoke about documentary and observational cinema and cinema verité. She underscored the role of cameras not as observers but catalysts. She further expounded on role of documentaries in pursuing truth. 

Dean Academic Affairs, IUST Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Malik, spoke on the importance of truth in the post-truth era and raised few significant questions related to Post-truth situation.

Isma Hamid, Asst.  Professor, Dept. of English Language and Literature, IUST anchored the inaugural function and Fayaz Sultan, Asst. Professor, Dept. of English Language and Literature, IUST presented the Vote of Thanks. Many dignitaries across the globe, research scholars, faculty members and participants attended the webinar.