This fall 2020 marks the 2nd anniversary of the Public Diplomacy Examined podcast. This podcast takes a look at the world of public diplomacy, professional exchanges, international education, global careers, and foreign affairs.
This past summer, SMPA graduate student Victoria Makanjuola worked at the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication as the PDx assistant showrunner. Victoria took on the tasks of researching and writing, conducting interviews, and handling the technical production of the podcasts. Along the way, she had many good conversations with professors of foreign relations, exchange specialists, cultural ambassadors, leaders of non-profits, and others in this diverse field.
Victoria’s PDx internship was supported by the Walter Roberts Endowment, which provided five students with small grants to pursue internships in public diplomacy work.
First PDx interview for fall
As the 2020 fall semester inaugural podcast, PDx features Hannah Jackson, a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs who is the founder and the president of the new student organization, Young Black Professionals in International Affairs (YBPIA). Hannah is the first student to be interviewed on PDx.
PDx interviewer Victoria talks to Hannah about the mission of YBPIA:
“I am a strong believer in the affirming power of representation. Far too often, communities of color, particularly those in the black community, don’t see enough people who look like them in the careers that they aspire to. That reality is glaringly true within the field of international affairs.”
Also, head over to the PDx page to hear other podcasts.
YBPIA has the purpose of providing a supportive and enriching environment for black students at the Elliott School of International Affairs to develop their voices in the field and encourage the development of both African and African-American studies and thought.
As part of its outreach, YBPIA will engage in professional, academic, and community events.
An upcoming event co-sponsored by YBPIA is in sports diplomacy:
“Sports, Ethics, and Black Lives Matter”; Wednesday, September 23, 2020, from 4pm – 5pm.
This is a virtual event and more information can be found HERE.
Get to know YBPIA better through their Instagram and their LinkedIn page.
With a global pandemic and lockdowns in many countries, U.S. diplomats have to find different ways to engage with people in their host countries. In this PDx episode, GW student Olivia Estes interviews Karl Stoltz, Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Moscow, Russia.
GWU graduate student Chanson Benjamin talked to Jay Raman, soon-to-be Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, and former Director of the Cultural Division at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Office of Citizen Exchanges. Jay spoke about his foreign service career and the importance of cultural diplomacy.