III MIL & Global Understanding Conference

Cairo will host the III MIL & Global Understanding Conference from 27 to 29 April 2026. This third edition has quickly established itself as one of the leading international forums on media and information literacy (MIL), peace, and global dialogue.

Organised by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), in cooperation with the UNESCO MILID Network and the MIL Alliance, the conference builds on the legacy of the 2024 edition (Cairo Declaration for Peace and Global Understanding) and the 2025 edition (Barcelona MIL Action Agenda). This year’s focus is on strengthening the integration of academic reflection and public policy action around the role of MIL in societies shaped by artificial intelligence.

The 2026 programme will feature two complementary pillars: the MIL Global Policy Forum and the International Scientific Congress. The Forum, titled “AI for Peace and Global Understanding,” will bring together policymakers, experts, journalists, educators, youth organisations and civil society representatives to examine the impact of AI on communication, democratic coexistence and human security.

Speakers will take part in high-level panels, policy dialogues and roundtable discussions addressing key challenges such as disinformation, hate speech, algorithmic governance and technological innovation in global citizenship.

The second pillar, the International Scientific Congress, will provide an academic platform for the presentation of emerging research in MIL, including new theoretical, methodological and regulatory approaches. Key themes will include education, youth, democracy and civic participation, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, epistemologies of MIL research, public services and regulation. The Congress will feature peer-review processes and offer opportunities for publication in indexed outlets.

Participants wishing to attend the Forum and the Congress without presenting a paper may register for a fee of €70, which includes full access to all sessions, conference materials and a certificate of attendance.

Those seeking to present a paper, poster, workshop or other academic contribution must register for the Scientific Congress. Registration fees are set at €200 for the general category and €90 for doctoral and postdoctoral students. This option includes all general benefits, as well as inclusion in the academic programme and eligibility for peer-reviewed publication opportunities.

Registration opened on 15 November 2025, with acceptance notifications to be issued on 28 February 2026. With a multilingual programme and a global outlook—officially to be released in April 2026—the III MIL & Global Understanding Conference aims to consolidate its role as a strategic platform for advancing more critical, inclusive and peaceful societies in the digital age.