In the latest PDx episode, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola talks to Paul Lachelier, founder and director of Washington, DC-based non-profit lab Learning Life. Through programs such as International Mentoring and Family Diplomacy Initiative, Learning Life hopes to get people and their families more involved in diplomacy and learning about the world.
More on the podcast on the importance of Citizen Diplomacy: go HERE
This fall 2020 marks the 2nd anniversary of the Public Diplomacy Examined podcast. This podcast takes a look at the world of public diplomacy, professional exchanges, international education, global careers, and foreign affairs.
This past summer, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola worked at the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication as the PDx assistant showrunner. Victoria took on the tasks of researching and writing, conducting interviews, and handling the technical production of the podcasts.
Along the way, she had many good conversations with professors of foreign relations, exchange specialists, cultural ambassadors, leaders of non-profits, and others in this diverse field.
>Go to IPDGC Smart Power to read more about Victoria and her work on the PDx podcast. The first podcast will feature the new student organization, Young Black Professional in International Affairs, and its founder, Hannah Jackson.
The Walter Roberts Endowment (WRE) and the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC) is pleased to announce that our $15,000 internship grant has been successfully awarded to five GW students – a sum of $3,000 per student – to support them in their Public Diplomacy internships over summer 2020.
Kevin Lynch and Victoria Makanjuola will be working with IPDGC on two projects: research to compile an annotated bibliography to be used by Public Diplomacy students and faculty; and a series of interviews for the Public Diplomacy Examined (PDx) podcast, recordings with PD academic experts and practitioners.
Other recipients of the grants are Halea Kerr-Layton who will be working on events at Global Ties US; Amy Liu who will be at the Canadian Embassy working on bilateral diplomacy through its media relations office; and Altynai Baibachaeva who will be at Meridian International Center doing work with the Global Connect division, bringing professionals around the globe to drive solutions for global challenges.
WRE and IPDGC wish our GW students well as they embark on their PD experiences this summer.
The Walter Roberts Endowment and the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC) is proud to congratulate Chaniqua D. Nelson for being the recipient of the Walter Roberts Award for Public Diplomacy Studies for 2020.
In Tokyo
Each year, the Walter Roberts Endowment grants $1,000 to a GW graduate student who shows exemplary performance in public diplomacy studies, and has aspirations for a future career in this field. Ms. Nelson, a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellow, shared that she had always wanted a job that involved building relationships between the United States and other countries. After her commencement, Ms. Nelson will launch her career as a Public Diplomacy Officer with the U.S. Department of State.
Here’s a short interview with our 2020 Walter Roberts PD Studies award recipient:
What experiences motivated/ inspired you to choose this career path?
In 2012, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). That volunteer opportunity led me to meet some amazing Foreign Service Officers who were working to assist the next generation of African Leaders. I remember interacting with both YALI participants and U.S. Foreign Service Officers at a reception hosted at the Meridian International Center, thinking: ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life’ – assisting with expanding and strengthening the relationship between the United States and other countries. Later, I had lunch with the Diplomat-in-Residence at the time, Ambassador Eunice Reddick. She shared her story with me, of what led her to the Foreign Service and encouraged me to take the Foreign Service Officer Test and apply to the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship. It took a couple of years after my encounter with Ambassador Reddick, to decide on pursuing a career in the Foreign Service. I honestly thought that I didn’t have what it takes to be a Foreign Service Officer – I didn’t know a lot of foreign languages and I didn’t participate in prestigious fellowships/scholarship programs like the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program or the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. However, it wasn’t until I participated in the Overseas Development Program for civil servants at the Department of State, where I served as an office management specialist in the Public Affairs Section at U.S. Embassy Beijing, that I realized that I could do this as well. I was extremely fortunate to have supervisors who cared about my development. So, when I got the courage to ask Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs Lisa Heller and the now Director of the Office of International Visitors Program Anne Grimes to write me a recommendation for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship, both immediately said yes. I am extremely thankful to Ambassador Reddick, Minister-Counselor Lisa Heller, Director Anne Grimes, and a long list of others for their encouragement. Their belief and support had inspired me to apply for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship and attend the George Washington University!
What have you enjoyed about your graduate studies at GW?
I have enjoyed learning about the intricacies of public diplomacy on a micro and macro level. What is special about the George Washington University, in particular the Global Communication program, is its ability to merge theory with practice. In Dr. Patricia Kabra’s Public Diplomacy class, we did everything a public diplomacy practitioner would do including writing speeches, press simulations, and developing a public diplomacy strategy for our embassy. In addition, I have also enjoyed learning about becoming a more compassionate and effective leader through my elective courses at the Department of Management within the School of Business.
What will you be doing after graduation?
After graduation, I will join the Foreign Service as a Public Diplomacy Officer. As of right now, I am unsure where I will be stationed. However, I am excited to explain U.S. history, cultures, and values to foreign audiences and promote educational and culture exchange abroad.
IPDGC is proud to announce the 100th Issue of Bruce Gregory‘s collection of resources on public diplomacy (PD) and related subjects. First published in June 2002, Gregory’s list is an annotated bibliography of readings and other materials intended for teachers, students, and PD practitioners.
Gregory taught classes on public diplomacy, media and global affairs as an adjunct professor in the Global Communication MA program, at the Elliott School of International Affairs and School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University (2002-2017). He is also the former director of IPDGC (2005-2008) and a former member of the Walter Roberts Endowment committee (2006-2018).
IPDGC and the Walter Roberts Endowment are pleased to be able to share the video of the full event and the photos of the recent Walter Roberts annual lecture featuring Dr. Joseph S. Nye.
In the latest PDx episode, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola talks to Paul Lachelier, founder and director of Washington, DC-based non-profit lab Learning Life. Through programs such as International Mentoring and Family Diplomacy Initiative, Learning Life hopes to get people and their families more involved in diplomacy and learning about the world.
By Yvonne Oh, IPDGC Program Coordinator
IPDGC is proud to announce the 100th Issue of Bruce Gregory‘s collection of resources on public diplomacy (PD) and related subjects. First published in June 2002, Gregory’s list is an annotated bibliography of readings and other materials intended for teachers, students, and PD practitioners.
