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From left to right: Dr. Tudor Vlad, Associate Director of the Cox International Center at the University of Georgia, Dr. Calin Hintea, Dean of the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences at Babes-Bolyai University, and Dr. Luther Ray Brooks, director of the International Center of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. |
Cox Center Partners with University of Georgia Institute and Romanian University to Create Post-Academic Training Program
The James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, the International Center of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,launched in October a joint post-academic program focused on communication management in the public sector.
The collaborative program is designed to improve the relationship between public administration managers and their constituencies.
Twenty-five participants--with job assignments as diverse as mayors, city hall spokespersons and public relations department heads--enrolled in the pilot project launching the program.
The curriculum consists of six intensive courses taught once a month each, for three days, by two U.S. and four Romanian faculty.
Dr. Luther Ray Brooks, director of the International Center of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, taught the first course in the program in October.
“This is a premiere in the Romanian academic education and we are happy that two prestigious organizations of the University of Georgia have joined us in this initiative,” said Dr. Calin Hintea, dean of the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies, during the opening session.
“We have been surprised by the interest that our short program promotion has generated,” he said, “and we are planning to continue and intensify our collaboration.”
Dr. Tudor Vlad, associate director on the Cox International Center, represented that organization at the program launch.
“As in the case of journalism schools, modern public administration education has a short history in Romania,” said Dr. Vlad. “We need more programs like this one, which help public administrators gain new knowledge without staying away of their offices for too long.”
The Cox International Center is a unit of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Both the Grady College and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government are parts of the University of Georgia.
“Communication between government, private sector and non-governmental organizations is the linchpin of democracy,” Dr. Brooks told the participants. “When you fail to communicate honestly and openly, you have the beginnings of a breakdown of institutions and trust.”
The participants take tests at the end of each of the courses of this communication management program.
Those who will graduate successfully will receive a certificate issued by the Carl Vinson Institute, the Cox International Center and the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Studies of Babes-Bolyai University.
