USC Center on Public Diplomacy kicks off 2009 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School kicks off its 2009 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy on Sunday, July 19.

Now in its fourth year, the Summer Institute is an intensive two-week course designed to immerse participants into the increasingly critical study of public diplomacy by combining traditional classroom instruction with collaborative hands-on exercises.

This exclusive training program designed for mid-career professionals and graduate level students has garnered global attention and continues to attract participants of the highest caliber with experience in fields related to traditional diplomacy, foreign affairs, defense and homeland security, intelligence and economics agencies, public relations, and the private sector.

“We will be building the future of public diplomacy during the Summer Institute” said CPD Director and journalism professor Philip Seib.

Said Eytan Gilboa, a professor of international communication at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and one of the Institute’s core faculty: “More and more states and organizations are recognizing the essential value of public diplomacy, but they may not have sufficient knowledge and enough qualified people to effectively practice this significant instrument. The unique USC Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy has been created to fill this gap.”

Joining Seib and Gilboa in the instruction will be Nicholas Cull, professor and director of the Masters program in Public Diplomacy at USC, along with some of the world’s foremost experts on public diplomacy offering a diverse range of perspectives. This year, the Summer Institute welcomes public diplomacy and international relations professor Pamela Starr and public relations professor Jian Wang, both university fellows at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

The 2009 program will also feature instruction by: Captain Timothy Doorey from the Naval Postgraduate School on the military and public diplomacy; Jovan Kurbalija, the founding director of the DiploFoundation in Malta on Cyber Diplomacy; Adrienne O’Neal, University of Michigan’s Diplomat in Residence on Cross-Cultural Communications and Public Diplomacy; Kelton Rhoads, professor of communications and psychology at USC; Cesar Villanueva Rivas from the Iberoamericana University in Mexico City on cultural diplomacy; Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a professor at the UCLA School of Law on Human Rights and Public Diplomacy; Kantathi Suphamongkhon, former Minister of Foreign Affairs from Thailand on Public Diplomacy in Asia.

This multi-disciplinary approach to training provides exposure to the theory and practice of public diplomacy, while allowing participants to apply their knowledge to real-world situations.

The 2009 Summer Institute class is comprised of individuals from 15 different nations, hailing from government ministries, international organizations, NGOs, academia and the private sector. Participants are:

  • Mohammad Ali, Public Relations Director, Ahlul-Bait Islamic Center
    Ireland
  • Sara Al-Mufarrej, Master in Public Policy Candidate, University of Southern California
    Kuwait
  • Jeffrey Anderson, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
    United States
  • Louise S. Bailey, Counselor and Senior Policy Officer, African Union Mission in Washington, D.C.
    Liberia
  • Alina Bassegoda Treviño, E-Learning Coordinator, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Mexico
  • Nadira Bayat, Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Embassy of South Africa
    South Africa
  • Desire Bazimaziki, National Media Analyst, Rwandan Ministry of Information
    Rwanda
  • David J. Courtney, Communications Adviser, Public Diplomacy and Outreach Division, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
    New Zealand
  • Stephane Dujarric, Director of Communications, UN Development Program
    France
  • Mahtab Farid, International Correspondent, USI News
    United States
  • Silvio Gonzalez, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
    United States
  • Karen Grissette, Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Department of State
    United States
  • Leah Kasera, Special Assistant Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission
    Kenya
  • Jinnie Jee-Eun Lee, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
    United States
  • Ben Dotsei Malor, Chief Executive Producer, UN Radio
    Ghana
  • Gerlinde Manz-Christ, Head of Communications & Government Spokesperson, Principality of Liechtenstein
    Austria
  • Christina Mather, Master in Broadcast Journalism Candidate, University of Southern California
    United States
  • Emily Metzgar, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Indiana University
    United States
  • Oscar Monterrosa, Strategic Communication Planner and Foreign Area Officer, U.S. Southern Command
    United States
  • Uzma Rafique, Development Outreach and Communications Specialist, USAID
    Pakistan
  • Julieta Reyes, Assistant to the Consul General, The Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Miami, FL
    Curaçao, Netherland Antilles
  • Joshua Saidoff, Master of Public Diplomacy Candidate, University of Southern California
    United States
  • Dalya Salinas Pérez, Adviser to the Consul for Press and Economic Affairs, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Mexico
  • Michael Sheedy, Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Central Command
    United States
  • Gabriel Terres Cruz, Second Secretary Foreign Policy Adviser, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Mexico
  • Soon Kuan Toh, Assistant Director, Risk Assessment & Horizon Scanning Group, National Security Coordination Secretariat, Prime Minister's Office
    Singapore
  • Weijer Vermeer, Senior Policy Officer, Press and Public Diplomacy, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, London, UK
    Netherlands

About the USC Center on Public Diplomacy:

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School – established in 2003 as a partnership between the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and School of International Relations – is a joint research and professional training center dedicated to furthering the study and practice of public diplomacy around the world. In 2007, USC received one of four inaugural Benjamin Franklin Awards for Public Diplomacy from the U.S. State Department in recognition of the university’s teaching and research in public diplomacy.

More information is available at www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org.