INTERNATIONAL
Leadership concepts in the Cradle of Western Civilization By Dr. David Rosch Rome study-abroad leader
International Agricultural Communications student and Jesús López Colmenarejo, an agricultural journalist from Spain. Photo: Dr. Owen Roberts
Study abroad students in Rome. Photo courtesy of Dr. David Rosch. Twenty-five UIUC students will travel to Rome for a week studying leadership concepts in the context of Roman history, and how lessons from history are still relevant to today. The trip needed to take a pandemicrelated hiatus over the past few years. But now back it’s back to a biannual event for Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC) students and other students enrolled in the ALEC-led minor in Leadership Studies. Participating students attend a series of planning sessions prior to traveling to Rome, where they learn about Roman history, religion and philosophy and how each can add to our understanding of successful teams, organizations and nations. During the trip, students visit iconic sites like the Coliseum, the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, and the Villa Medici gardens. Interspersed between some class time, students will also take a pasta-cooking class, visit a local winery, and sample more gelato than is likely good for them. I’m glad that we can return to offering it, and with the continuing help of the ACES Study Abroad Office in providing scholarships to help bring down its cost to students. 20 The Morrow | By Students For Students
Study abroad … from the classroom By Rachel McGreal Perhaps you want to dip your toes in global studies without leaving home. Or maybe you’d like to meet agricultural journalists and communications specialists from a dozen countries and learn about how farm and food stories are told around the world. Or how about seeing the way freedom of the press influences knowledge mobilization outside of the U.S.? If so, International Agricultural Communications (AGCM 375) is for you. This new course, which launched last fall, gives you an opportunity to explore agricultural journalism and communications in an international context, from the familiar surroundings of Bevier Hall. Each week, the class “visits” a different country -- Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, and Burkina Faso, for example. On the first day of class that week, a class member is appointed to lead the discussion about the agriculture and the agricultural communications and journalism in that country. On the second day of class that week, an agricultural journalist or communications professional from that country (typically, a member of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists) joins the class in person or online to talk about their connection to agricultural communications in their country. The students then get the chance to ask them questions at the end of class. The exchange of ideas and perspectives gives students the opportunity to compare agriculture and journalism from country to country, while simultaneously understanding how those industries are connected on a global scale.