Introducing the Class of 2011 CPD Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy will kick off its 2011 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy at USC on July 18 and will run through July 29, 2011.

Currently in its sixth year, the CPD Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy is an intensive two-week course designed to immerse participants in the critical study of public diplomacy by uniquely combining traditional classroom instruction with collaborative hands-on exercises.

“Through sophisticated training, the Summer Institute is designed to elevate the professionalism of those in and out of government who are involved in public diplomacy,” said CPD Director Philip Seib.

Taught by some of the world’s most distinguished public diplomacy experts, this exclusive program has garnered global attention and attracts participants of the highest caliber from a wide range of public diplomacy career fields including foreign ministries, intelligence and economics agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, defense and homeland security, public relations, and the private sector.

This year, the Center expects 17 participants from 8 countries: Canada, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.

This year's class includes:

Dima Alfaham (UAE)
Chief of Staff, Office of the Ambassador
United Arab Emirates Embassy, Washington DC

Hend Alhinnawi (USA)
Graduate Student, Master of Public Diplomacy
USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism

Haitham Ali Almussawi (USA)
Media Editor, United Arab Emirates Embassy
Washington, DC

Jerome Boa (Nigeria)
Deputy Director of External Relations Department
ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria

Mona El Helbawy (USA)
Graduate Student
Korbel School of International Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder

Hanne Hjelbak (Norway)
Senior Advisor
Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Leah Kasera (Ethiopia)
Special Assistant and Coordinating Officer
African Union Commission

Rosemarijn Kouwenhoven (Netherlands)
Digital Communications Officer
Royal Netherlands Embassy

Tristan-Emmanuel Landry (Canada)
Deputy Director, Office of Transformation
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Rajesh Mirchandani (UK)
Journalist and Correspondent
BBC News

Tugba Soysal Ozoner (Turkey)
Area Specialist
Turkish Prime Ministry Office of Public Diplomacy

Andrew Pike (UK)
Deputy Head, Public Diplomacy, and Strategic Campaigns
Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK

Alexandra Rothenberger (Netherlands)
Senior Policy Officer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands

Stanislav Saling (UN)
Communications Officer
United Nations Development Programme

Carolina Sheinfeld (USA)
Senior International Human Rights Analyst, Torture Survivors Project
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Nicholas Snyder (USA)
Assistant Spokesperson and Foreign Service Officer
U.S. Consulate Ho Chi Minh City

Elena Vapnitchnaia (UN)
Radio Producer, UN Radio, Department of Public Information
United Nations

For more information on the Summer Institute, click here, or contact Stacy Ingber, Assistant Director of Programming and Events, via email at cpdevent@usc.edu or by telephone at 213-821-2078.