Journalism school exposes students to the international experience

The University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications emphasizes international experience inside the classroom, through student organizations, as well as through a unique study abroad experience.

The university as a whole stresses the importance of the international experience and urges faculty and students to think beyond local and national borders.

“The Journalism School is a good example of KU’s move toward internationalization,” said Linda Davis, associate dean of the School of Journalism and a faculty member of KU's Center of Latin American Studies.

The campus at Paderno del Grappa, Italy

The School has students involved in various programs around the world, but the Paderno del Grappa, Italy program has helped a large percentage of journalism students gain international experience through study abroad. According to Davis, twelve percent of journalism students have had an international experience. Journalism student participation in international experiences exceeds the campus average.

“I think any kind of travel, much less study abroad, and much less journalism study abroad is a very important experience for young people,” Davis said. “Traveling to other countries creates better citizens at home. If you can study outside your home country, it changes your life forever,” she said.

Seven journalism faculty members already have taught in Italy, and for the first time this year, the School participated in a summer session in Paderno. The Paderno program is part of a consortium of universities. Courses in communications, journalism, business and Italian are offered. The KU School of Business coordinates consortium activities for the university.

Currently, the School of Journalism also is looking for support from other universities as we expand the Paderno program, by adding two additional journalism courses each semester.

“This will make it even easier for our students to find a good semester to go abroad,” Davis said.

Whitewater rafting in Costa Rica

Another new study abroad experience was the Costa Rica summer program. Davis led 11 journalism students to San Jose, Costa Rica this summer for two weeks. The students explored the nation’s media and marketing communication strategies at several agencies in the eco-tourism, dairy and coffee industries. After returning home, the students gave written and video presentations about the research they conducted through their international experiences.

Journalism senior Barb Kullbom, Lincoln, Nebraska, was particularly impressed with the experience.

“I think there is a major difference between visiting a country as a student and visiting as a tourist. As a student, you learn so much more about the culture and it is easier to meet locals and learn about places to eat and things to see. By being a student, I think people are more willing to offer help and advice. By visiting as a student, I think you have the chance to see things you wouldn’t see as a tourist. As a student, you aren’t just visiting; you are living and absorbing the culture.”

“Overall, I had no idea what to expect on this trip. However, I think the most surprising things were the diversity of the land throughout the country and the diversity of the way people live in Costa Rica. In such a small country, you can see the city, the rainforest, two coasts, mountains and countryside,” said Kullbom.

Faculty members also travel abroad during their time at KU.

“I have been to Russia four times and it has been a great experience on an educational and personal level,” Associate Professor David Guth said.

This past year the School had faculty members on all four international centers at KU, including Linda Davis, Center of Latin American Studies; Tom Volek, Center for Russian and East European studies; Bob Basow, Center for East Asian Studies; and Adrienne Rivers, Center for African Studies.

The School of Journalism and the KU Office of International Programs host an annual conference on The First Amendment, the Media and A Democracy for officers from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. This conference drew 87 international military officers from 79 countries last year. Journalism professors Tom Volek and Bob Basow are instrumental in developing the program.

Volek said, “Because not many of our students have direct experience in working with the military, this annual program gives everyone an opportunity to learn from each other about the vital role of free press in a democracy.”

The School also has broadened the international experience for students by bringing in graduates working abroad to speak to classes. The School has had international journalists in residence and several international visitors to the School, including Dr. Carlos Sariol, chair of graphic arts and public relations at the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina, and former professor of journalism at the University of Havana. Eliane Karsaklian, who teaches advertising and public relations at Negocia, a leading business school in Paris, spoke to strategic communications and strategic campaigns classes. Ukrainian journalism educators and journalists were among those who visited the School last year.

Additional International Faculty Activities

• Professor Susanne Shaw, a member of the Latin American Accrediting Committee in journalism, chaired the site visit to the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile, conducted preaccreditation reviews of Universidad Peruna de Cencias Aplicades in Lima, Peru, Catholic University in Santiago, and Austral University and Catholic University, both in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also attended the Inter American Press Association conference in Lima. Shaw is also director of The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

• Associate Professor Bob Basow returned last July from the Peoples Republic of China where he was a Fulbright Teaching Fellow at Lanzhou University. While in China, he presented a paper on "The Advertising Industry: an American Business Comes of Age in China" at the 2002 International Symposium on Social Development and Sino-U.S. Communication in Changchun, attended by 80 Chinese scholars and 10 American Fulbright Scholars. He made 18 invited presentations and taught two classes while in China.

• Associate Professor Tom Volek taught ethics and worked with the new journalism program at Arkhangel Pomor University in Russia for two weeks, under sponsorship of the U.S. state department. He also presented a paper, "the Evolution of Market-Based Journalism in Post-Soviet Russia," at the Central Slavic Conference at the University of Kansas. Volek and a Russian colleague are developing an ethics casebook for use at the Press Development Institute in Russia. He will be traveling back to Russia this semester.

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