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Participants in the first graduation ceremony for the Management of Communication in the Public Sector program. |
First Graduates Of Program Organized by Romanian University And University of Georgia Receive Certificates
The first class of the postgraduate program Management of Communication in the Public Sector had its graduation ceremony at Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on May 30.
The program, the first of its kind, was created in Romania as a partnership between the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies, Babes-Bolyai University, and the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research and the Carl Vinson Institute, both at the University of Georgia.
“The project that we initiated last November has been a great success and we are planning to continue and expand it,” said Dr. Calin Hintea, dean of the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies. “It has shown the potential of such educational and training initiatives in collaboration with prestigious units of the University of Georgia.”
The program consisted of six courses taught over weekends from November to May, followed by individual project assignments and a final exam.
Twenty-five participants--most of them employees in public institutions and NGOs-- received their graduation certificates from the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies, the Cox International Center and the Carl Vinson Institute.
The faculty of these three units were involved in designing the curriculum and in teaching.
The participants provided feedback on the program to the organizers. That feedback was mostly positive regarding the curriculum and the quality of the faculty involved.
“For all of us, this program has been a learning experience, and we are very grateful for your feedback,” said Dr. Tudor Vlad, associate director of the Cox International Center, who taught a course on the relationship between government communicators and media. “Now we have a better understanding of the needs and challenges of people working in public administration in Romania, and that will help us refine the curriculum.”
“We hope that you will use the new knowledge that you have acquired during these six months,” Dr. Ioan Hosu, head of the communication, public relations and advertising department of the Romanian college, told the participants. “We also hope that you will promote our initiative among your colleagues who work in local public administration.”
Dr. Rusty Brooks, director of the International Center of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, was the other UGA faculty who taught in this postgraduate program. He was unable to attend the closing ceremony.
The Cox Center is the international outreach unit of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
