For the first time ever, 10 WCU students had the opportunity to take two COMM 493 Special Topics courses on a week-long trip to Vienna and Prague in May this year.
The courses, International Communication: Democracy & Media and Social Media Storytelling: On Assignment, were designed to provide students with a hands-on and well-rounded understanding of international media, misinformation, and communication strategies. To complete these courses, students attended lectures and tours, completed photo essays, recorded video stories, and submitted writing projects that encouraged curiosity about the state of information in the countries they were visiting.
Students spent the first half of the trip in Vienna, where they attended tours and lectures at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Parliament, and at the community television station Okto TV. After a train ride to the Czech Republic, students spent the second half of the trip in Prague. There, they toured Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, and participated in lectures from Transition, a non-profit media and education organization, and NY University instructor Jeremy Drucker.
These educational experiences and projects allowed students to have a unique and nuanced view of the evolving forms of press, communication, and media in countries other than their own.
When the students weren’t learning or receiving tours from professionals, they were exploring the cities on their own. Students were given the freedom to uncover the amazing sights and experiences of these cities with their fellow classmates, whether they were trying out local cuisine, touring a museum, or visiting incredible national landmarks.
“I enjoyed being able to explore and see things on my own without interference,” recalled student and traveller Allie Reed, “But also having the option to do things with the entire group or even smaller groups.”
The trip was made possible due to the combined efforts of Professors of Communication Katerina Spasovska and Matt Binford, who felt passionately about providing students with the opportunity to take classes abroad.
“The class was a good learning experience for us as instructors. It was good to see what students liked as a group, and what we can suggest as free activities. We are planning some changes for next year in May but we are still going to Prague and Vienna. Students should be on the lookout for more information,” said Spasovska.
For everyone involved, the trip was an amazing experience full of opportunities to make new friends and long-lasting memories. Not a bad way to spend a summer!
If you missed it this year, stay tuned at https://affiliate.wcu.edu/comm/ and @wcucommdepartment on Instagram to hear about the Communication Department’s 2027 summer adventure!