Coral Gables, FL (June 9, 2009) – This summer a group of 13 undergraduate students participated in the School of Communication’s first study abroad public relations program in the great city of London. Led by Public Relations Professor Shannon Campbell, students also visited and studied in Belgium and Northern Ireland. 

Each week while in London students had the opportunity to interact with marketing and communication professionals from multinational corporations and government.  The courses were structured around classroom lectures, which took place at the Accent Center, activities and travel. The themes for the program were International Public Relations and European Cultural Immersion.

“The trip was most certainly an invaluable experience; more so with ever increasing globalization. The opportunity to live in another country and adopt another culture teaches one more about true international public relations than any class taught stateside could ever aspire to,” said Michael Burns, public relations student.

Students met with the strategic communication team for the BBC, who discussed two recent strategic communication campaigns (the elections in the U.S. and India) and how they consistently managed the BBC brand within the campaigns, noted Professor Campbell.

Students also visited Buckingham Palace where they met with the entire public relations team for the Royal Family.

“With the extended stay in London I was able to make long-lasting connections with people that I otherwise would never have met; and it’s these connections that will serve me well in the years to come,” added Burns.

Students were housed in flats located in the center of the city. “Studying and living in the heart of London was absolutely the best experience of my college career!” said Caitlin Burman, a sophomore in the public relations program. “Being completely immersed in a foreign culture helped me understand some of the intricacies involved in international public relations.”

The School of Communication offers its students several study abroad opportunities which include visual journalism and motion picture study in Prague; feature writing in China; and visual journalism/journalism in Spain. For more information, visit the Study Abroad homepage at: http://www6.miami.edu/ieep/.