Mission
-Fostering collaborations in the field of global communication that advance the mission of both institutions in research and teaching
-Advancing knowledge through field involvement in projects and consulting activities with both public institutions and private companies
-Raising both institutions’ visibility
-Shaping the future of the communication professions
Rationale
– The Emerson-Blanquerna Center for Global Communication is dedicated to advancing the partnership by fostering research and teaching collaborations, as well as projects and other knowledge based activities.
– The Center embodies in its virtual format, the spirit of creative and innovative collaboration in global communication, which includes projects in strategic diplomacy, public relations, public affairs, political communication, sports communication, digital media, among other shared areas of interest.
Brief History, Blanquerna Emerson Partnership
-1992 – Emerson Barcelona connection begins with the Emerson 1992 Barcelona Olympics Trip. 15 Emerson grads and undergrads visit Barcelona Olympics and visit global and local sponsors. This was the idea of Javier Curtichs, Emerson MA student in Political Com, who worked with Prof. Gregory Payne, Chair of Communication Studies and Prof. Scott Ratzan to plan the trip and showcase his city. Prof. Antonio Noguero of University of Barcelona who introduced the Emerson delegation to Prof. Enric Ordeix of Blanquerna.
Background on Javier Curtichs: CEO of Tinkle Communication, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Singapore, Miami. Before founding Tinkle, Curtichs was General Manager of Burson-Marsteller for Spain and Portugal, General Manager of Weber-Shandwick in Madrid and Barcelona and Project manager at Porter Novelli Madrid. He started his professional carreer at Edelman Madrid and Arnold Boston (EE.UU.). He has a BA in Communications Studies, M A in Political Communications from Emerson College Boston (USA) and Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid.
This October, 2017, the Barcelona Emerson Global Summit will honor Javier and also feature a keynote speech by Dr. Scott Ratzan, who Emerson faculty member in 1992 for the inaugural Olympic trip. Several alums are planning to visit Barcelona for the 25th Emerson Barcelona Olympic Reunion, as well as the Election Retrospective: Politics, Sports and Civic Engagement at Emerson in Boston in November, 2017.
-Since 1992, up to the signing of the MOU – Prof. Noguero and Prof. Ordeix have sent students to Boston and the Los Angeles Program (Janice Payne’s program for international students once she retired from running BU LA Program, and the founding internship coordinator of the Emerson Los Angeles Program). These three professors – Payne, Ordeix and Noguero have explored numerous collaborative public diplomacy projects involving students from Barcelona, Emerson as well as students from Catholic University of Chile, (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social of Lisbon, Elmira University, Lake Erie College of the USA, among others.
10 years prior to the MOU, (2005 – 2015) Payne and Ordeix organized Blanquerna’s summer program in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. for the MA in Strategic Management in Global Communication Program. There were informal yearly visits of Emerson students and Blanquerna students to Boston and Barcelona, as well as Rosarito, Baja Mexico, Chile, Portugal, Iceland and Thailand.
-Collaborative work with Blanquerna included a State Department project on Visual Communication Obama Election campaign (in Madrid 2009).
Guest lectures at Blanquerna and Emerson (yearly since 1992)
Collaborative work on Globe Com Project (Blanquerna and Emerson -founding members – worked together since 2002. www.globcom.org)
Informal delegation to Globe Com Inaugural Conference in Barcelona 2002 (every year since with collaboration with Emerson and Blanquerna students and faculty. Since its inception over 15 Emerson faculty have been involved with globe com project. Many Blanquerna and Emerson alums have served as judges and advisors for the global competition. Emerson and Blanquerna alums have sponsored collaborative projects between the two colleges, as well as the Globe Com. Project.
Emerson hosted Globe Com in Boston (200 students and over 40 faculty from 15 universities around the world – Emerson’s biggest global event ever. Blanquerna has hosted the Globe Com Project twice and both colleges have set the standard for hospitality in this global competition.
International conference collaborations with Emerson and Blanquerna faculty and students include the International Academy of Business Disciplines at their annual conferences since 1995. Informal visits to Emerson by Blanquerna professors and students en route to annual IABD conferences in U.S.
Collaboration with Blanquerna for organizing and implementing the IABD Global Conference i(Salamanca, Spain) 2008.
Profs. Payne and Ordeix have guest lectured at Blanquerna and Emerson every summer/fall semester since 2008. Also spring semesters beginning 2012.
MOU signed by President Pelton and Dean Carbonell, 2015. (specifics in attached agreements)
Since MOU
2015 – Global Sports Communication and Public Relations Workshop (Spring Break) in Barcelona, organized by Profs. Ordeix and Payne
2015 – Inaugural Global Summit in Barcelona (see poster attached) 7 Emerson professors attended and 8 Emerson students.
2015 – Smart Cities and Global Communication (March) Blanquerna professors and students and U.N. scholars from Algeria visit Emerson for 2 day workshop in Boston and join presentation at global conference in New Orleans.
2015 – Blanquerna MA students and Prof. Ordeix and Prof. Tresseras visit LA Program and also work with Emerson students and Chilian students in Rosarito Public Diplomacy Program in August.
2015 – Emerson and Blanquerna students involved in sports communication project on distracted driving with Bird St. students (ABInBev grant by Emerson alum Dr. Ratzan) Presentations in New York to AbInBev Board with Bird St students. Project presented at IABD conference, Orlando, 2015.
2016 – Student Exchanges begin between Blanquerna and Emerson. Faculty Exchanges begin in Fall, 2016 (Ordeix) Spring, 2017 (Glenn)
2016 – Global Sports Communication and Public Relations Workshop (Spring Break) in Barcelona. (8 Emerson grad and undergrad students) See video and blog and newsletter.
Spring/summer Meetings on joint political communication projects with Blanquerna and Emerson faculty and faculty from China, Spain and Chile. This research as well as other joint research and projects were showcased at the 2016 Global Summit in Boston. (Seven Blanquerna professors visited Emerson Global Summit in October and presented at the Summit which had over 100 attendees)
Summer and fall 2016 global communication projects with Blanquerna professors and professors from Rey Juan Carlos University( Madrid) in Boston at Emerson. Research to be presented at the 2017 Summit in Barcelona and 2017 Election Retrospective at Emerson in November. Publication in Tripidos.
Continued work on the grad programs at Emerson and Blanquerna for alignment and joint degree possibilities.
Joint workshops on campaigns and elections with Prof. Ordeix and Emerson professors and students for the U.S. State Department Grant with Nepal journalists – Emerson – Nepal State Department Election Project. (Payne, principal investigator) Take home lessons on journalistic ethics and public relations to be presented at IABD in San Francisco, 2018. Publication in global PR textbook and european refereed journal.
2017 Oscar Talks – ELA – Program includes Two professors from Blanquerna including the President of the Spanish Film Academy. Discussion about film students going to Rosarito program for 2018 and developing the Oscar Talks event into a conference that would include more Blanquerna professors and students. Raul planning on expanding this event organized by Prof. Egan to include more Blanquerna and global participants.
2017 Global Sports Communication and Public Relations Workshop (Spring Break) in Barcelona. (7 students (grad and undergrad) and Dean Reis) see newsletter.
Seven Blanquerna professors (and Dean) published articles on research at Emerson 2016 Summit and other research in the refereed publication, the American Behavioral Scientist (6 issues) on the 2016 Election campaigns.
Further work on the virtual center and web page launch for the October Summit in Barcelona. Copy submitted (approved by Raul) to Enric and Dean for website which will be launched in October.
2017 Global Summit in Barcelona, Oct 9 – 11 (8 Emerson professors and students confirmed as well as several 1992 Barcelona Olympic Alumni from Emerson)
Emerson Election Retrospective: Politics, Sports and Civic Engagement, Nov. 9 -11, (will include professors from Blanquerna, Juan Carlos, and 6 other global universities as well as U.S. universities. See link below.
(https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JV78yM5QAF5jsuwnHOOS6J6IsghXsjJ7frgPudh8YMU/edit)