Life at home countries after the SUSI 2015 program at Ohio University

By McKenzie Powell

Since completing the six-week summer institute at Ohio University and the United States on August 14, the 2015 Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) scholars have been hard at work in their home countries engaging in a wide range of tasks including research projects, writing and editing books and lecturing at their home institutions.

This year’s SUSI participants consisted of intellectuals from around the world, with 17 scholars from 16 different countries including India, Botswana, Chile and Greece.

The program incorporated tours of media outlets, like CNN Domestic and International Newsrooms, with academic sessions, lectures and visits to U.S. hotspots like Amish Country, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta and more.

“SUSI 2015 hosted at Ohio University impressed me by providing me a real life observation of what it means to be a transformative and participatory educational/ academic leading institution,” said Betty Tsakarestou, a 2015 SUSI scholar from Greece and an assistant professor and the head of advertising and public relations lab at Pateion University of Social and Political Sciences.

Betty Tsakarestou, faculty member of the Pateion University of Social and Political 

Sciences, receiving her SUSI 2015 certificate of completion.

Tsakarestou said that some of the core elements she recognized from the program consisted of “a pool of talented minds, a collaborative growth mindset offering growth potential for all, a caring and empathetic approach, search for excellence” and more.

After SUSI, Tsakarestou took part in a SUSI 2015 debriefing with the U.S. Embassy officials in Athens, Greece, presented the SUSI program and outcomes to her home university, Pateion University, and will soon be presenting the program to her students. Tsakarestou is also keeping busy with the formulation of a SUSI 2015 book chapter, several conference talks, and the editing of two upcoming books translated in Greek.

Unurjargal Lkhanaa, SUSI 2015 scholar and lecturer at the School of Journalism under the Press Institute of Mongolia, noted the large growth of her professional network due to her participation in the SUSI program.

“We contact each other always and share the news and other info. For instance, I am planning a small program that will be implemented soon in my organization,” Lkhanaa said. “I am going to invite my peer scholars to give lectures via Skype to undergraduate journalism students in the international journalism class.”

Unurjargal Lkhanaa, faculty member of the School of Journalism under the Press Institute 

of Mongolia, during the SUSI 2015 visit to CNN Atlanta.

Since returning to Mongolia, Lkhanaa has been able to work on the SUSI 2015 book project with professors from Ohio University, while also finishing up her research project centered on strategic social media for female politicians in Mongolia. Lkhanaa will also be conducting two workshops that will allow her to share her SUSI experience with university colleagues, alumni and current students.

“Mongolian academics and professionals in journalism should not lose this opportunity to participate each year in SUSI’s media and journalism program,” she said.

Sara Namusoga, SUSI 2015 scholar and faculty member at Uganda Christian University, agrees that the possibilities created from the institute’s large focus on networking cannot be replaced, or duplicated. Namusoga is using these connections through her recent undertaking of a collaborative project that will involve four of her SUSI colleagues.

“The five of us hope to become a global team and a point of reference when it comes to using collaborative and multi-platform storytelling tools to teach,” Namusoga said.

Sara Namusoga, faculty member at Uganda Christian University, presenting her research at the 
SUSI 2015 final research presentations. 

Since leaving the United States, Namusoga has been working on this collaborative project in addition to writing her thesis to complete her PhD, an academic paper that she hopes will soon be published, and a chapter for the SUSI 2015 book.

“SUSI is one of those rare opportunities that come your way and change your life in a definitive manner,” Namusoga said. “Being part of a group of accomplished scholars and journalists - and the very experienced professors who run the program - reignited my desire to excel at my academics and as a professor in the very near future.”

After his proposed research on journalism learning outcomes during the SUSI 2015 summer institute, George Kalimbwe, a faculty member of Evelyn Hone College of Zambia, returned to Zambia and immediately began sharing this newly learned information and insight with colleagues.

Kalimbwe studied ways to implement technological advancements into his college’s learning setting, the changes that would need to be made in order to make this happen, and the variations in information needs of the Zambian media audience.

George Kalimbwe, faculty member at Evelyn Hone 

College, Zambia, with fellow 2015 SUSI scholar, 

Bruce Lui, in Washington D.C. 

Kalimbwe has revised his syllabus, adopting some of the pedagogy tools from U.S. courses taught at Ohio University and has delivered presentations to his colleagues in hopes of making positive changes and improving the curriculum in Evelyn Hone College’s current use of technology.

“I am already sharing with my students and colleagues in my department the use of IT presentation techniques as a teaching aid. This is one of the things we never did in the past. We only used the whiteboard,” Kalimbwe said. “Some of them have started using PowerPoint for their lessons. With time I have a feeling colleagues will be able to adapt.”

Bui Chi Trung, 2015 SUSI scholar and journalism and communications lecturer at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, attributes the SUSI summer program to his newly improved skills with both lecturing and researching.

“I have learned so many things, gained priceless experiences and had lots of fun. SUSI 2015 helped me become more aware of my weaknesses and also gave me tools to strengthen them,” said Trung. “I found the professional communication principles inspiring."

Bui Chi Trung, faculty member at Vietnam National University, during the SUSI 2015 visit to
 Atlanta, Georgia. 

Since returning to Vietnam, Trung has also contributed to the making of the SUSI 2015 book project, which will examine the many challenges journalists from around the world experience while trying to maintain their core principle of independence.

In addition to the SUSI 2015 book project, Trung has been working on a research paper panel proposal in hopes of attending the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in Minneapolis during the summer of 2016.

“In this moment I feel I am a better researcher, lecturer than I was 15 weeks ago. I dream to come back soon to Ohio University, U.S.,” Trung said.

The SUSI summer institute for journalism and media scholars allows top accomplished scholars from around the world to learn and share their work at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University for six weeks, to conduct research, and to compare global journalism and media systems. The institute is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

To read more about the 2015 SUSI scholars and their time spent actively engaging and learning about international media at Ohio University, visit http://www.scrippsjschool.org/iij/susi.php.

IIJ hosts 2nd Swedish International Journalist at OHIO

By Cassie Kelly

The Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism has hosted another international investigative journalist from Sweden for a second year in a row at the Ohio University Athens campus. Daniel Persson, is on a working tour of the United States to research labor unions, economics, and consumer culture as a Transatlantic Media Fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The IIJ has developed partnership with CSIS for the past three years, hosting its fellows—mostly prominent European Foreign Correspondents—every semester. Ohio University’s Professor Andy Alexander is the Washington DC liaison for this important partnership, helping to receive and welcome the correspondents there before they come to Athens, Ohio.

Daniel Persson enjoys a meal at Texas Road House in Athens, OH.

Mr. Persson’s tour of the United States started in Washington D.C. and his next visit was Athens, Ohio to learn about student life and to do his initial research on the topics of his investigations. During his four-day visit in the Scripps College of Communication, he delivered lectures to several classes and the members of the Chapter for the Society of Professional Journalists.

Persson says one thing that particularly intrigued him about the students was the idealistic campus with its many brick pathways and old, historical buildings. He especially enjoyed the seeing the squirrels around campus. He was the first visiting fellow to experience the new Schoonover Center since the completion of its renovation. He lectured in the classes at Schoonover Center and had a tour of the entire building. He appreciated students’ access to advanced latest technology and the newsroom environment it offers.


“I think Athens is like Disney Land,” Persson said. “It’s unreal in a way that doesn’t make sense. When you’re driving here you have a view of how the area should be and then it’s like an English private school in the middle of nowhere.”

In connection with his interest in consumer culture, he was also perplexed by the student’s sense of pride for their university and noticed how most students wear OHIO apparel when walking the streets of Athens. “The students are very young, but they are also very ambitious. They have everything they need here to succeed,” Persson said.

For the remainder of his stay in the United States, Persson is scheduled to visit the following States: Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia.

“I’m very excited to go around and just enjoy life and I need it personally for my development as a journalist,” Persson said.

Listen to his conversation with WOUB's Director, Tom Hodson, about his observations of consumerism in the United States.

FAREWELL SAN FRANCISCO

By Kenneth Moeng

San Francisco-CA

San Francisco

The solemn nature of high

opting for an onslaught of the evening madness

so is the smell of grass 

broken but somehow together

a city wild but tamed embracing cultures

fragile for the lot that face my scare

San, you lay bare at the bayfront

blued like this eye by the bridge, 

or the duck front of the beach

as the sun rises amongst your golden scene under this bridge

You remain kind to abuse

I figured, you can’t be ignored,

though tired of the walks,

the trains tempting,

the asian sense of color brewing,

on the sides of desolate struggle

You have uttered nothing more than a breeze like a bridged mind of chances 

for a city like you affords none but much to willing takers
allow me to take AEJMC 

AEJMC-San Francisco-The NAT

By Kenneth Moeng

THE FOLLOWING IS THE BASIC DEFINITION OF NAT.

1. Network address translation (NAT) is a methodology of remapping one IP address space into another by modifying network address information in Internet Protocol (IP) datagram packet headers while they are in transit across a traffic routing device.

It is my thinking that no one can ever define the internet better than this man

While theories and improvements in the last 20 years we over the moon

it took a mind more better than human to have come up with this

to the idea of space, galaxies, time and technology!

In what Hans Meyer called the internet as ‘inherently social’, perhaps yes to a larger extent, internet is to what it serves, social . The panel discussion on ‘Ethics of  Global Journalism’ with a purpose’ and during the Keynote session, was not far from the truth according to me. When Emily Metztgar lectured during the SUSI 2015 class on Basic model of communication, she made reference on Prof. Joseph S. Nye ( university Distinguished Service Professor, and former Dean of the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government), in pointing out that relational public diplomacy (PD) is largely theoretical, that it is so because of its considerable variations. PD cannot be thought of far away from Ethical point of Global Journalism, as they all seem to have varied number of angles. The keynote speaker, Tim Wu from Colombia Law School discussed the internet from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 2010s and now and argued that social change, influence, behavioral measurement, to some degree, instinct is now within the confines of a machine or program, like how Facebook or google program to the bone of human replacement. In his argument though, he looks at the core originating traditions, where the internet was supposed to be for the elite and to serve a few people for free. What however has come as the internet of today, “says Tim”, is that internet is monetized extensively and has in a way drifted away from the originating norms, where for example corporations like “Amazon” are one of the biggest online shops with Zero physical resources, returning billions of dollars a year and that this, is the factoring tool of the future of internet including other facets of it.

Thomas Lento, Data Scientist, talked of how inherent, privacy and rights often become blare especially if we talk of an example where, we ask the question, “ Who owns the rights of a picture or message sent over the internet”, “ is the enabling company, the end user or the sender”?. Indeed it can be argued both ways. However it's no longer the evolution of internet but also the way we use the internet lately that speaks volumes to its own future, especially where every single user, reads and understands the small print on rights and policy written often on fine print. 

Based on the analysis above and our discussion on ethics, I posted a question, 

“ Is Propaganda the new cool or new kind of Journalism or that sugar coating is the basis with which media owners differ in principle with the core journalist practitioners.” 

Erik Nisbet,Emily Metgar,Heloiza,Herscovitz,Guy Golan

The reasoning was so much that, while there is a varied logic that can be seen that separates those thought not to be practicing core values of ethics, we cannot take away how governments through Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBGs), find the means as governments to relay information to other nations with a predeterminate to woe people and serve the interest of the country whether  mediated or otherwise ( Emily). More like how even with collection of data on the internet, can you ever assume that the calculated data will in practice mean the same; even those thought to be on the far left of ethics are sometimes seen as the most neutral journalists, without mentioning names.

Topics: Internet, Social Media, Ethics, Global Journalism, BBGs, Amazon, 

BOTSWANA’S DEPOSITORY -OHIO UNIVERSITY

By Kenneth Moeng
Botswana Depository at Ohio University, Athens-Ohio USA

Botswana’s depository section at Ohio University could have not impressed me any better. The idea of the reasons behind the depository are immense by any measure and more thought through than any idea to sell Botswana. Centre for International Collection houses many different countries.What caught my eye was the extent of varied books and journals from Botswana. Despite the outdated books on the rack this goes a long way to show our collection for research for well over 20,000 students or those interested in learning and or studying about us. The books include, school books, government documents, atlas, setswana written books.Speaking to Batswana who are at the University, they tell me that they have actually now started an International class on Setswana at the University under African Studies, a commendable thing indeed. 

A lot of what is missing at this depository is the urban written literature or books that have been written the last 3 years including, literary arts, culture, economy, lifestyle of Botswana and historical books.

I implore to the Universities in Botswana, writers and publishers to register their works with the University of Ohio in Athens.

The library can be contacted at https://www.library.ohiou.edu/need-help/