The students will attend a course titled “Intercultural Engagement” and will visit different cities of New Mexico, said Lillian Kelly, professor and coordinator of the exchange program.
Intercultural Engagement is a student-instructor-arranged intercultural immersion experience featuring grounded learning, collaborative research and service, or similar meaningful interactions with people from a culture or subculture different from one’s own, according the C&J’s website.
“We have eight students and two faculty members coming from India and eight students and one faculty coming from Denmark. We are adding that to five of our own graduate students and several of our faculty,” Kelly said.
Since 2008, C&J has had a graduate exchange program with the University of South Denmark in Odense, which engages students and faculty from both universities in an intense one-week, three credit hours course, according to a pamphlet provided by C&J officials.
The Department of Communication and Journalism and the University of South Denmark added Mudra Institute of Communication, India, into this program two years back, she said.
“Two years ago we went to India as part of the exchange. As part of the three pronged exchange, it is now our turn to host,” Kelly said. “It is a graduate-level exchange with communication scholars. Graduate students who are studying communication and faculty who support their scholarship, attend this exchange.”
The program starts on mondayand will end on March 14, she said. It will feature ten speakers over the course of six days.
International students will visit different parts of New Mexico to get exposure, Kelly said.
“We will be here in Albuquerque for three days and then go to Acoma Pueblo, Taos and Santa Fe for three other days,” she said.
This year, the theme of the course is “Breaking Bad,” she said.
“It is a very loose theme. It could be the TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ or it could be the term breaking bad that means challenging conventions,” Kelly said.
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Sumaira Abrar, a graduate student at the department, said she is excited for the course.
“We will travel to different cities. We will get to meet students from India and Denmark. It is going to be a good class. I am looking forward to the experience,” she said.
Kelly said she believed in exchange programs.
“I was an exchange student when I was doing undergraduate. Several of my friends in high school were exchange students. I really believe in intercultural engagement,” she said.
She said there is something intangible about being able to speak with other people from other places.
“It really helps you to become a better person and helps our students broaden their horizons,” Kelly said.
Sayyed Shah is the assistant news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at assistant-news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @mianfawadshah
