Dear Participant:
Welcome to your 2009 Study of the United States Institute on Journalism and Media! As the Academic Director I am looking forward to your arrival at the University of Florida.
Participants in Study of the U.S. Institutes are among the approximately 30,000 individuals who participate in exchanges managed by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Study of the U.S. Branch each year. Other ECA exchange programs include the Fulbright Program and the International Visitor Leadership Program. Through a range of academic and professional exchanges, the Bureau seeks to increase mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.
The specific objectives of your Institute are to help participants acquire knowledge of the role of journalism and media in the United States; reflect upon contributions media can and do make in their own countries; demonstrate their mastery of journalism concepts, including concepts relating to the processes and techniques of online/digital journalism; prepare materials that relate these ideas to their teaching at home institutions; take part in building a network of journalism educators that will provide a foundation for development beyond the Institute; and express an appreciation of the place of diversity in the culture of the United States and in the cultures of their own countries.
The Institute is designed around the theme, “New Freedoms in Media: Teaching the Digital Journalism of Tomorrow.” The central theme will be incorporated into a four-week academic residency program in Gainesville, Florida, and two weeks of complementary educational tours to the media-rich cities of Miami, Tampa, Orlando, New York, and Washington D.C., providing the participants with an extensive view of the diversity that is America and of the U.S. press. There will also be future collaborative research and educational opportunities between these participants and the faculty in the College.
This Web site is your source of practical information to prepare for your trip. Please look through the topics we have prepared for you, and contact us if we missed anything. The site will also serve as your journal during the Institute, and we will be linking the blogs and multimedia materials you create to it. You will be able to return here again and again to get resources, stay in touch with Institute staff and alumni, and much more.
We think you will find the Institute an incredible experience. You will be living and working with each other for six weeks. You’ll spend a lot of time working and studying, but we believe you’ll leave with a new view of what is possible in journalism education through international cooperation and sharing.
In addition to the hard work, you will also have plenty of time to meet your American colleagues and others, as well as enjoy ample free time to explore your own interests. We have planned a number of activities for you both in Gainesville and on our trips, but you are always welcome to explore on your own. We will support you any way we can in your endeavor to get to know our country.
As you look over the program itinerary, please note that event dates and times are tentative and are subject to change. A final itinerary will be distributed upon your arrival in Gainesville.
In conclusion, we want to tell you how pleased we are to have you as our guest this summer. If you need to reach us before your arrival, we may be contacted at the Institute office at +1 904 254 3939. The office fax number is +1 352 392 1794. Please keep this letter with you so that you will have our contact information handy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sylvia M. Chan-Olmsted
Academic Director