Those publications and more featured stories telling of the experiences students had and their resulting reactions, but rarely did articles cover the individuals who made the program possible.

On the Athens end of things, journalism professor Dr. Yusuf Kalyango played a large role in organizing the Zambia study abroad program, but he did so with much help from two other colleagues: Kenny Makungu and Dr. Monika Kopytowska.

Makungu and Kopytowska were scholars in the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at Ohio University in 2010 and 2011 respectively. For the past two summers, journalism and media scholars from more than 30 different countries spent six weeks at OU through a program administered by the Institute for International Journalism in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

The SUSI summer institute is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

During the SUSI program, journalists from different backgrounds are encouraged to learn about several aspects and issues of modern journalism through both hands-on experience and involved discussions. While at the university, SUSI scholars attend conferences and lectures, visit local media organizations and meet and work with journalism professionals.

It was during Makungu’s time in Athens in 2010 that the idea for a study abroad program in his home country was born. “I discussed it with Dr. Kalyango and we agreed to develop the program in Zambia together,” Makungu said.

For more than a year, beginning in December 2010, Kalyango and Makungu worked to set up the program’s itinerary, contacting and meeting with several different organizations to find places where students could intern or visit and people who would talk to the students as part of the journalism coursework.

Makungu, who is a senior lecturer in journalism and mass communication at the University of Zambia in Lusaka, also taught one of the two courses students took, lecturing for one hour two times a week about the various issues and aspects of Zambian media.

In addition, Makungu willingly provided transportation to students’ internships and additional activities, even when those activities were late night adventures.

“I was glad to be involved with the project,” Makungu said. “I miss being with [the students].”

Kopytowska is an assistant professor of linguistics and media at the University of Lodz in Poland and also a visiting professor and researcher at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. She flew to Zambia from Kenya to spend a few weeks participating in and enhancing the study abroad program.

She guest lectured on two occasions, first talking about the role of conflict in media and politics in countries across Africa. During the following class, Kopytowska acted as a moderator for student group presentations that explained factors that led to conflict in different African countries, such as Rwanda. The exercise proved to be useful in extending the students’ knowledge beyond the borders of Zambia.

Kopytowska also attended several events with the students, including nightly dinners, an outing to the Mukuni Big Five Safaris to see elephants, lions and cheetahs up close and even bungee jumping off the bridge at Victoria Falls in between Zambia and Zimbabwe. During and en route to such events, Kopytowska often provided students with invaluable information about her journalistic and life experiences.

“I enjoyed every aspect of [the program], from teaching to listening to the chief and from dancing in the disco to bungee jumping,” Kopytowska said. “Observing the students in their daily Zambian explorations and seeing how much they benefited from it made me enjoy it even more.”

Makungu’s and Kopytowska’s involvement with the Zambia study abroad program is just one example of post-SUSI projects for past scholars that are funded by the OU IIJ.

Their first experience in Africa was transiting through the modernized O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, which quickly dispelled any misconceptions they may have had about African development as a whole.

Their arrival to the four-star Cresta Golfview Hotel in the considerably Westernized Zambian capital city of Lusaka only furthered that reality. Traffic on the road was constant and intense. Tall buildings equipped with electricity and Internet access lined the city streets. On the surface, Lusaka looked like it could be a city in the U.S.

However, that is not to say it actually is like a city in the U.S. By U.S. standards, food service was incredibly slow and often, menu items were not available at all. Internet access—whenever it worked—was also sluggish. Rolling electricity blackouts were common. Toilet paper was a luxury.

And that is the capital city.

Just outside Lusaka, in some cases less than ten minutes away, the scenery was quite different. During their three weeks in Zambia, students had many opportunities to experience such scenery—what some Zambians call “the real Zambia.”

Huts made with combinations of straw, wood, mud, bricks and other natural materials were scattered in the slums of the countryside, sometimes connected by dirt roads and, in other instances, not connected at all. Such villages had little or no access to electricity. Villagers sometimes had to walk miles to gather safe drinking water. “Toilets” were literally holes in the ground called pit latrines. Preventable disease and other health-related hazards were quite rampant.

Hundreds of Zambians sprawled their goods out at congested marketplaces, crammed in muddy, low-lying areas lined with trash and infested with flies. They did this every day; their only source of income came from the products they sold.

“My biggest culture shock in Zambia was when we went to the Soweto Market. There were a lot of babies walking barefoot with distended bellies and women crouching in the mud selling whatever goods they had,” senior Amber Skorpenske said. “Then it really hit me that I was actually in Africa.”

Children who, in most cases, had lost their parents to HIV and AIDS resided at places such as Kasisi Children’s Home. When students visited Kasisi, they realized that the children there, who had often been through more in ten years than many people experience in a lifetime, were still grateful and full of excitement for life.

In fact, many of the Zambians were grateful and quite content with the little they had, regardless of their socioeconomic statuses or life situations.

Students experienced that excitement not only in the people they met, but also when they were learning an upbeat traditional Zambian dance and while playing football (soccer) with University of Zambia students.

In addition to local cultural encounters, students also traveled across the country, both to the Copperbelt Province and Livingstone.

In the Copperbelt region, students toured copper mines and plants, learning first hand about the industry that Zambia’s economy is heavily reliant upon.

The weekend spent in Livingstone is one many students said was the best weekend of their entire lives. From seeing Victoria Falls—widely considered one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World—to riding elephants, playing with lions and cheetahs, bungee jumping and more, the students embraced adventure, doing things they never thought they would.

The students also surprised themselves in other ways, taking Zambia by storm via their internships. Students with media internships traveled around Lusaka, meeting important officials and seeing first hand how stories come together in Zambia. Others volunteered at nonprofit organizations, developing programs for and working with orphans and widows. One of the students interned at the University Teaching Hospital.

Two students published three articles in two different national newspapers—the Times of Zambia and the Daily Mail. One student appeared on ZNBC national television for a nightly news segment. Other students designed entire ad campaigns and public relations plans for agencies such as Young and Rubicam.

Some students who interned at S.O.S Children’s Village subsequently sponsored some of the children, a humanitarian responsibility that entails contributing money on a monthly basis in order to help pay for necessities like food and clothing.

“My internship opened my eyes to the struggles in the world that are beyond our knowledge and sometimes our comprehension,” said sophomore Brooke Bunce, who interned with the Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project. “It helped me to realize that even the simple things can help someone else in need.”

Senior Lauren Nolan interned for Goman Advertising Limited. Her challenge was to market a product specifically to some of the most impoverished people in Zambia—without the use of new media.

“The markets I was working to connect with don’t have refrigerators, let alone computers and Internet connection,” she said.

That was not the only hurdle she had to overcome, however. Zambia consists of nine culturally distinct provinces in which there are more than 70 dialects total. The more impoverished an area is, the less likely its residents are to be fluent in the country’s official language—English.

“I learned how overcoming language barriers is the first, and most vital, step in creating meaningful communications for consumers,” Nolan said.

Through their internships, students observed places in Zambia they would not have otherwise seen and received cultural advice they would not have otherwise obtained. The internships proved to play an imperative role in the study abroad program.

A final component of the study abroad program, as expected, was the classes. Students commuted to the nearby University of Zambia twice a week to take two journalism courses, learning about different aspects of Zambian media and culture from UNZA communications lecturer Kenny Makungu as well as multiple guest speakers.

While spending time on the UNZA campus, OU students were able to meet and become close with several UNZA students. The two groups of students participated in many events together and regularly engaged in conversations about cultural differences—everything from politics to food to popular music.

The importance and impact of the friendships between OU and UNZA students—many of which are still in contact—is immeasurable.

OU students went abroad to Zambia fully expecting to learn from their courses. When they returned, however, they realized they had learned from every single moment they spent in Zambia.

Read more about the trip.

Far away from his home of London, England, Rees shared with students his experience as an international journalist with more than 20 years experience for BBC, author of “Dining with Terrorists”, and the creator of the production company “Out of Office.”

Students were able to follow the life of documentary and international journalism through the eyes of this producer. Rees came to several classes within the journalism school such as J-Freshman Newsroom, Midday, and TV Broadcast News. Here the international journalist showed pieces of different documentaries he has worked on all across the world. With over forty documentaries on his resume`, Rees has done exclusive work with the Al Jazeera network and been on the front lines of numerous war conflicts, places many journalists have never been.

Members of Students for Global Media and Diversity, and participants in the Zambia study abroad program were able to enjoy exclusive visits with Rees. The first night, members of SGMD enjoyed dinner with Rees at Athens’ Star of India restaurant, where they were able to openly talk about the differences in past and present journalism. The students and Rees conversed about their different journalistic backgrounds over the delightful Indian cuisine, while also sharing their various cultures and personal backgrounds.

The second night, participants in the study abroad to Zambia held a panel for Rees where they discussed the importance of studying aboard, and what they hope to gain from their trip to Zambia. Following the panel, the group enjoyed the performance of the Ridges Auditorium’s host of “Nawal: the Voice of the Comoros.”

To find out more information about Phil Rees and view his work as an international journalist check out http://philrees.tv/

To find out more about the International Institute of Journalism check out http://scrippsjschool.org/iij/ or contact Dr. Yusuf Kalyango Jr. at kalyango@ohio.edu

By: Morgan Sigrist IIJ Ambassador

Barton will be lecturing in several Journalism classes including Professor Bob Stewart’s J101 class and Dr. Yusuf Kalyango’s J352 class. She will be speaking to the students about her experiences in countries such as Zambia, the Caribbean and the US. Tuesday, Barton will be holding a public lecture in the Anderson Auditorium Scripps 111 from 5-6 p.m. titled, “Global Health: Communication and Ethics US and Abroad.”

Antigone Barton began her work on the AIDS epidemic within her own community, which led her to investigate how other countries were handling the rapidly spreading disease. “While writing a story about health challenges at a prison in the Dominican Republic, I met a physician who suggested I look at how the United States President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief was working there. That led to my reporting on AIDS in the Caribbean.” Her work with the Pulitzer Center of Crisis has allowed Barton to travel to various countries to study their health systems in response to the AIDS epidemic.The Pulitzer Center has made it possible for Barton to travel and fund her work. “I don’t know if there are any organizations like the Pulitzer Center, which has expanded possibilities for coverage of international issues in a broad array of innovative ways – through funding, partnerships, multimedia platforms, and educational programs.”

Throughout her visit at OU, Antigone Barton will be speaking to Students for Global Media and Diversity along with Zambian students. It is her hope to teach students the importance of international affairs, and the importance of studying abroad for journalism and communication students. She will be speaking to the Zambian students as they prepare for their trip over winter intersession, and help to prepare these students for the opportunity to learn and grow as journalists from this experience.

To find out more about the Pulitzer Center of Crisis checkout http://pulitzercenter.org/

To find out more about Antigone’s work in Zambia checkout
http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/zambia-aids-hiv-virus-usaid-ministry-health-government-microbicide

To find out more about IIJ checkout http://scrippsjschool.org/iij/

To find out more about SPJ checkout http://www.scrippscollege.ohio.edu/ohio-university-society-of-professional-journalists-chapter-named-best-in-nation

The program administered by the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism in coordination with the University of Zambia’s Department of Mass Communication in the capital, Lusaka. Two professors who were part of the SUSI Journalism and Media program in 2010 and 2011 are assisting with the preparations and eventual administration of this year’s program. Students will spend 24 days immersed in Zambian media, government, culture, wildlife, and service projects.

Students nominated for this competitive annual journalism study abroad program to Africa are: Lindsay Boyle (online journalism), Brenda Evans (online journalism) Heather Farr (public relations), Lauren Nolan (public relations), Bethany Scott (public relations), Danielle Parker (public relations), Sara M. Rice (public relations), Molly Nocheck (broadcast), Bradley Parks (broadcast), Jenna Miller (broadcast), Amber Skorpenske (broadcast), Adam C. Flango (magazine), Brooke Bunce (magazine), Tyler O. Deal (magazine), Rebecca Koch (advertising), Sarah DuBois (communication studies), Chelsea A. Molder (communication studies) and Alisha Estabrook (visual communication).

Participants will “experience the complexity of the economic and political environment in the news media (TV, Radio, and Magazine), advertising or marketing firms, PR organizations and non-for-profit sector.” Danielle Parker, a junior and PR Journalism student was asked how she is preparing for the trip, “My faith is a really big part of my life… A lot of prayer and meditation and journaling to make sure that I am mentally prepared to be so far away from home.” She is academically preparing for the trip this fall by taking a course titled, International Studies 113 at Ohio University, learning about Africa from a Zambian teacher.

Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, the program director for the Zambia program and IIJ director, is conducting weekly orientation sessions on Fridays at 10:30 a.m., to prepare the 18 participants for the African adventure.

SUSI 2011 scholar, Prof. Dr. Erol Nezih Orhon, organized a campus tour of Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey for the delegation led by the director of the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) and professor of journalism, Dr. Yusuf Kalyango. The IIJ’s mission to Anadolu University was to survey possible cooperative opportunities between the College of Communication & Journalism and the IIJ in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.The visiting team from the IIJ included Dr. Petya Eckler from the University of Iowa. Professor Eckler is a member of the advisory board of IIJ.

Dr. Orhon’s student also organized a city tour of Istanbul as well as the city of Eskisehir for Dr. Kalyango. The domestic travel from Istanbul to Anadolu University, Eskisehir was personally funded by Nezih Orhon and his university.

During the visit, Kalyango tweeted, “I’m getting the royal treatment in Turkey… What an amazing lively, historical, diverse city. Lovely people!” Kalyango said, “It’s a great research trip, it’s a promising IIJ-SUSI alliance tour, the delegation of E.W. Scripps School of Journalism will visit Anadolu University again.”

Nezih Orhon is one of the 17 international journalism and media scholars from universities around the world who are participating in SUSI summer institute. SUSI is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.