Dr. Clark with Professor Li Lina.

Chinese Associate Dean Discusses Collaboration Involving Faculty and Student Exchanges

Professor Li Lina, associate dean of the College of Humanities at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijng, spent two days in January at the University of Georgia identifying opportunities for a collaboration between the Communication Department at her university and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

During the visit, the Chinese dean met with administrators of the Grady College and of the University of Georgia, visited the student newspaper, and toured the facilities of the college and the university.

The focus of the discussion was the possibility of exchanges involving faculty and students of the mass communication programs at the two universities.

The Capital University in Beijing was founded in 1956. Currently, it has about 10,000 students and 700 faculty. The Communication Department was created in 2004 and has a special focus on media management.

The Chinese guest was welcomed to the University of Georgia by Dr. Lee B. Becker, director of the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, and by Cox Center associate director Dr. Tudor Vlad.

The Cox Center, a unit of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, organized the visit to the University of Georgia. Drs. Becker and Vlad gave the Beijing visitor an overview of journalism education in the United States, drawing on research the Cox Center conducts as part of the Annual Surveys of Journalism & Mass Communication, which are housed in the Center.

Professor Li Lina with Dr. Karen King, head of PR/AD department.

Dr. E. Culpepper Clark, dean of the Grady College, discussed the structure and the curriculum of the college and emphasized the interest that the school has in international partnership, both in faculty and student exchange and in joint research projects.

Professor Li Lina toured the Grady College and observed the broadcast production meeting, the newscast and the newscast critique by professors Steven Smith and Michael Castangera.

She had meetings with Dr. Alison Alexander, associate dean for academic affairs, and Dr. Jeff Springston, associate dean for graduate studies.

She also met with with Dr. Karen King, head of the public relations and advertising department, Dr. Joe Dominick, head of the telecommunications department, and Dr. Kent Middleton, head of the journalism department.

Grady Collection doctoral student Jianchuan “Henry” Zhou participated in all the meetings. Zhou is a research assistant in the Cox Center.

Henry Zhou, Li Lina, and Michael Castengera.

Dr. Vlad discussed with the Chinese educator the partnerships that the Grady College has developed through the Cox Center and the international training programs of the Center.

"We would like very much to develop a collaboration with the Grady College that would include exchanges of students and faculty," said Professor Li Lina during her meeting with Jane Gatewood, UGA associate director for international affairs. “Our communication department is new and we need the expertise of our American colleagues to make it successful.”

During her stay at the Grady College on January 22 and 23, the Chinese guest also met with Dr. Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards Program, and had a discussion of student media at the University of Georgia with Harry Montevideo, publisher of the Red & Black, the UGA student independent newspaper.

“This visit has been very helpful for me,” Professor Li Lina told Drs. Becker and Vlad before her departure. “In our communications department, we want to put more emphasis on media management in our curriculum and we also plan to create a master’s degree program in the coming years. I have found that the Grady College has the expertise to assist us with both these goals.”

“International partnerships are great experiences,” Dr. Becker said. “They are unique combinations of giving and learning. We think that Professor Li Lina’s visit here is only the beginning that will be beneficial to both parties.”