Plenary 1 -- shifts in geo-political & global communication orders

This morning I attended Plenary Session 1: A largely 'western' financial crisis? - Implications for Geo-Political and Global Communication Orders.  Professory Francis Nyamnjoh joined us via Skype (such wonderful technology!) and opened with a note on Africa: "crisis is a condition of being" for the people of Africa.  Professor Hu Zhengrong spoke of China, and how "crisis is a challenge, but also an opportunity." Finally, Professor Annabelle Sreberny closed the session and captively held my attention.  Her presentation addressed PRISM specifically, but more generally she spoke of cyber warfare as an emerging language where cyberspace represents a new domain of warfare in this century.  Her focus specifically is on US-Iranian relations, and the focus on the USA was partly responsible for my attention.  With regard to Stuxnet, she noted the ways cybertechnology can lead to physical destruction.  She commented on the availability of information on the internet and over the phone, and how the increase in transparency of information may not equal feelings of security among a population.  Though I have limited knowledge in this area of research, Sreberny spoke with such fierce passion that it was hard to look away.  How she spoke today is how I hope to represent myself in the future.