PR Globetrotters

A group of James Madison University students are developing a worldview of organizational communication during a three-week tour of Europe, the Middle East and India this month. 

The students, under the direction of Dr. Frank Kalupa, professor of communication studies at JMU, are exploring issues within organizations ranging from corporations and public relations agencies to nonprofit and NGO groups in cities including London, Dubai, Istanbul, New Delhi and Paris. 

"Our goal for the past several years has been to offer JMU students a significant and valuable opportunity to broaden their international communication perspective - an imperative in their pre-professional preparation," Kalupa said. 

The annual program, established in 2008, typically includes 30-40 professional briefings and interactive sessions with world-class communication professionals, academics, government officials and other experts. 

Junior communication studies major Katie Casey, a member of the JMU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, said she hopes to gain from the tour "multiple perspectives on the public relations field and how it is constantly evolving and growing."

The tour also includes cultural visits to the Taj Mahal, the Tower of London and the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris; shopping at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; camel riding and dune-bashing in the Red Desert; and snow skiing in the United Arab Emirates. 

"The travels through several of the world's most dynamic cities and cultures proves to be a transformational experience for students as well as a memory-maker adventure," Kalupa said. 

The students will be blogging, tweeting and posting photos of their experiences at http://www.jmuprtour.weebly.com