Rams study communication across the globe
Autumn Equinox Eve is the perfect time to reflect on all the fun we had this summer and start planning for the adventures of the next! During the Sumer 2023 session, three communication studies programs took a total of 35 undergraduate students to Rome, Italy; Murcia, Spain; and Seoul, South Korea to learn more about culture and communication.
Adventuring in Rome
In Rome, Associate Professor Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager helped students strengthen their intercultural communication skills through study of cinematic representations of Rome, Italian identity, and effective engagement in globally-minded dialogue. In addition, students were able to forge their own unique adventures during their trip: from rock concerts to rock climbing, sitting in Italian movie theaters to wandering through Rome’s vibrant nightlife, connecting with locals over food to thinking about ways to make Rome more accessible to all. Check out the program’s blog where students shared a range of cool highlights and insights!
Immersion in Murcia
Under Associate Professor Meara Faw’s guidance in Murcia, students studied social support, its role in interpersonal relationships and health, and how it functions in an intercultural context like study abroad. Izzy, a CSU senior, said her favorite part of her time in Murcia was “getting to feel like a local.” Highlighting that her final project included observations of non-verbal displays of social support in coffee shops, she shared, “so much of the learning we did while abroad was interactive and fun––it truly was an unforgettable experience!” Read more about the group’s time in Spain on the program’s blog from this summer!
Insight in Seoul
Students who went to Seoul with Professor Hye Seung Chung were immersed in Korea’s rich culture and dynamic history through Korean film and television. Students were especially moved by viewing A Single Spark and visiting labor activist Jeon Tae-il’s memorial. Students remarked, “It’s astonishing to see how deep Jeon Tae-il is and how his impact is still felt today,” (Tam) and “The film I thought did an incredible portrayal of Jeon Tae-il but being on site with Jeon Tae-il standing amongst everyone on the bridge looking towards a brighter future made this one of the most treasurable and meaningful experiences I had on the trip,” (Lucas). Learn more about participants’ experiences and perspectives on the program’s Summer 2023 Blog!
Are you interested in studying abroad?
In summer 2024, communication studies faculty will once again lead three multi-week programs in Italy, Spain, and South Korea. Learn more about all three programs on our website, review the following summaries, and/or use the links below to visit their official CSU’s education abroad pages.
Rome: This summer faculty-led program is comprised of two CSU courses that will build intercultural and global communication skills through exposure to, and analysis of, cinematic representations of Rome, Italian identity, and effective strategies for dialogue with a global mindset.
Murcia: On this CSU faculty-led summer program located in Murcia, Spain, students will critically explore the theory and research regarding social support, its influences on interpersonal relationships and health, and its social functions particularly within the context of study abroad and intercultural experiences in Spain. Student learning is enhanced by participating in survival Spanish lessons, visits to local organizations and cultural sites, as well as presentations by guest lecturers from the University of Murcia.
Seoul: This CSU faculty-led summer program takes students to Seoul, South Korea. Prior to departure, students will study classical and contemporary South Korean genre films (thriller, film noir, musical, biopic, fantasy, romance, human rights film, etc.) that are set in fieldtrip locations and/or foreground various historical, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts of postcolonial Korea (national division, civil war, U.S. neocolonialism, military dictatorships, the democratic minjung movement, and globalization). In Seoul, students will visit location sites of famous Korean films and dramas (the Demilitarized Zone, the Han River, the Seoul Tower, the Gyeongbok Palace, etc.) and develop independent study projects exploring history, culture, and national identity in South Korean cinema or television. There will several activities which allow CSU participants to meet local students and navigate Seoul with them through a walking tour, visits to cultural sites, and a riverside picnic.