NWU communication students collaborate with US peers
Honours students in journalism and media studies at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus have teamed up with peers at Lewis University in Illinois, USA, to promote cultural awareness and globalisation.
This collaboration project is the first of its kind for both universities.
The person behind the initiative, Dr Emily Lamb Normand, an associate professor of Organisational Communication at Lewis University, said the collaboration initiative was started with the hope that Lewis and NWU students can build a partnership that will continue beyond this one-semester project.
She said that Lewis University has been dedicating a lot of time and energy to the idea of globalisation.
“We adopted the American Council on Education’s definition of global learning as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students acquire through a variety of experiences that enable them to understand world cultures and events; appreciate cultural differences; and apply this knowledge and appreciation to their lives as citizens and workers,” Lamb Normand said.
Former colleagues at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, Lamb Normand and Dr Thalyta Swanepoel, journalism lecturer at the NWU, often talked about the possibility of collaboration in some shape or form. So, when Lewis University told Lamb Normand’s faculty to consider incorporating globalisation into her appropriate classes, she knew it was the right time.
“I knew my Intercultural Communication course would be a great fit, so I contacted Thalyta about a collaboration,” Lamb Normand said.
“The aim of the collaboration is to empower both student groups to partner up and interview one another on various topics pertinent to their respective cultures. This can result in news stories for the NWU group,” Swanepoel said.
NWU students are excited about the initiative. Many of them expressed their joy in a private social media group.
Teboho Khofu, an honours student in journalism and media studies, said, “I am excited to be part of this amazing group, with so many amazing people from different backgrounds and cultures. I am looking forward to learning more about the students, their whereabouts and their academic fields.”
Lewis students are equally excited about the collaboration. “Of course, they are a little nervous about the venture, but so many of them are just anxious to get started and learn more,” Lamb Normand said.
The collaboration is still in its infant stage. Both Lewis and NWU students are introducing themselves individually, also sharing interesting facts and information about their respective campuses, regions, and cultures.
Normand expressed her joy and gratitude towards the NWU students for communicating in kind.
“I would like to continue collaboration with South Africa, so that it becomes an integral part of the curriculum for the class and perhaps growing to the point that we can plan and execute travel and study into the experience, with either our students heading to North-West or North-West students being hosted by Lewis,” Lamb Normand said.