Welcome to the International Public Relations
2012 Study Abroad Website!
James Madison University students visited with a wide range of international professionals as well as other experts in several of the most dynamic and diverse communication centers. The small group of enthusiastic students traveled through London, England; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; New Delhi, Agra, and Mumbai, India; Istanbul, Turkey; and Paris, France. While abroad, the students had the opportunity to enhance their professional knowledge by exploring cutting-edge global issues at organizations ranging from corporations and public relations agencies to non-profit and NGO groups. The students also had the opportunity to meet with local and international government agencies and select media. The 21-day tour visited eight cities in five countries with a brief stopover in Bahrain. The total travel by plane, train, and bus was 18,092 miles (29,115 kilometers).
Professional Briefings
Professional briefings in each country provided invaluable opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge, insights, and comprehensive perspectives focusing on best professional practices and socially significant issues. This program, established in 2008, is one of the most extensive public relations study abroad programs offered by any university.
The 2012 program included 21 professional briefings conducted by over 40 international communication professionals and other subject matter experts from public relations, government, research, academic, news media, and other organizations. The 2012 professional briefings included: APCO Worldwide, ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, Bates PanGulf, and Hill and Knowlton in Dubai; Echo Global Research, APCO Worldwide, Ketchum Pleon and Edelman Public Relations in London; Genesis Burson-Marsteller and Penn Schoen Berland in New Delhi; and APCO Worldwide in Mumbai. Istanbul meetings included Cumhuriyet Daily, the Istanbul Municipality, and APCO Worldwide; Paris included a briefing at Burson-Marsteller. Educational Experience
Along with the world-class professional briefings, the students benefited from invaluable perspectives provided by a number of leading international professors and students at Zayed University, the Higher Colleges of Technology, and Istanbul University. The students participated in the 10th International Symposium: Communication in the Millennium hosted by Istanbul University. The students also enjoyed several social meals with professionals and academics from all over the world. |
LinksPhoto credits Taj Mahal photo courtesy of Wallpaperstock.net |
Extracurricular Adventures
In addition to enriching the students’ international experience and knowledge, the tour’s extracurricular experiences offered adventure as well as cultural enhancement. There were over a dozen extracurricular activities, including guided city and museum tours, river cruises on the Bosphorus and Seine, a desert dune-bashing "safari" with camel riding and sand boarding, and a view from the world’s tallest building.
The students visited the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Agra, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Hagia Sophia Byzantine architectural masterpiece and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Other highlights included the Pearl Museum in Dubai, Tower of London in London, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and even sand and indoor snow skiing in the United Arab Emirates.
The students visited the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Agra, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Hagia Sophia Byzantine architectural masterpiece and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Other highlights included the Pearl Museum in Dubai, Tower of London in London, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and even sand and indoor snow skiing in the United Arab Emirates.
Previous Programs
Briefings in previous years have included: the U.S. Embassy, UNESCO, and Bailiwick in Paris; Al Jazeera, Brown Lloyd James, and Cornell Medical College in Doha; the European Parliament in Brussels; the Turkish Journalist’s Association, Marketing Tukiye, Colins Company, and Leo Burnett in Istanbul; the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and RADA Research and Public Relations in Cairo; the Public Relations Society of India; the German Press Association and Pelon Public Relations in Berlin; and Donath Burson-Marsteller in Prague.
Students have also visited American University in Cairo and American University of Paris and participated in a majlis and enjoyed an Emarati banquet with His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak al Nahayan, United Arab Emirates Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Students have also visited American University in Cairo and American University of Paris and participated in a majlis and enjoyed an Emarati banquet with His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak al Nahayan, United Arab Emirates Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
