IIJ director leads lectures, consultations in Kazakhstan

By Lindsay Boyle

On April 22, Institute for International Journalism Director Yusuf Kalyango embarked on a 13-day academic trip to Kazakhstan.

Each weekday, Kalyango led two 90-minute lectures and one 90-minute consultation in the Faculty of Journalism at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, more commonly known as KazNU, in Almaty. Attendees included undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty members.

Kalyango’s lectures were incorporated into the Role of Televised (Visual) Media and Democratization (TV News) course, and included topics such as improving story telling in television packages, global news coverage, and reporting conflicts on television.

The consultations were in regard to the course High Education, Professional Development and Research Opportunities in the USA. They covered areas including the future of journalism in the digital age and how to go from research concept to publication.



On the final Friday, May 3, Kalyango also held a workshop: Teaching and Grading with Multimedia Online Tools in Classrooms and Seminars.

KazNU Rector Dr. Mutanov Galimkair Mutanovich and OU President Dr. Roderick J. McDavis recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two schools.

The Vice Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Karlyga Myssayeva, welcomed Kalyango at KazNU and took charge of his academic schedule and extracurricular activities. Karlyga Myssayeva is an alumna of the 2012 Study of the U.S. Institute at Ohio University. Kalyango’s lectures and consultations at KazNu were part of the IIJ-SUSI post-Institute activities.



The SUSI summer 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. Scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to be exposed to journalism practice and media institutions in the United States.

In his free time, Kalyango traveled around the country with Myssayeva and others. He had dinners full of Kazakh traditional foods, visited Astana — the capital of Kazakhstan, ventured into Kok-Tobe — the highest point of Almaty, and explored other attractions offered by the city of Almaty.

He also attended the 2013 Miss Kazakh National University pageant, and watched classical and modern ballet as well as comical shows at theaters including the Modern Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abay.