Global Engagement > Partnerships > Programs for Partner Institutions > International Public Relations: United Nations Volunteers Program “Making a Positive Change in the World One Volunteer at a Time”

Making a Positive Change in the World One Volunteer at a Time

​​​Project Summary: 

  • This GLE project helped students develop knowledge and skills to effectively engage with global audiences through strategic communication campaigns. It also prepared them for global citizenship. Students learned about the roles of culture, politics, technology, and media in public relations, differences in communication styles across countries, and various theoretical approaches to how organizations communicate with the public outside of their country of origin. DePaul students met synchronously with students from Bilkent University and asynchronously within groups to collaborate on a client campaign project. Students worked together on a campaign for UN Volunteers to address a real-life communication problem. Students also collaborated on research report and a campaign presentation. ​

Project Length: 

  • Seven​ Weeks

Technology Tools Used: 

  • Zoom 
  • WhatsApp
  • D2L
  • Moodle
  • Google docs 

Interaction Mode: 

  • Synchronous
  • Asynchronous

Learning Outcomes:​

  • Students learned from the perspectives of others different from themselves.
  • Students gained knowledge of global interconnectedness and interdependencies.
  • Students gained skills to collaborate in cross-cultural and/or international teams. 
  • Students learned to be open to diverse ideas.
  • Students learned how to become a steward of global resources for a sustainable future.
  • Students gained empathy to appreciate others’ emotions and state of minds.

Faculty Feedback:

"One highlight of this GLE project was the long-term friendships that some students have established through this program. Students liked working together with their team members on the client project (UN Volunteers) and learning from each other. The program definitely helps students develop their intercultural communication skills, enhance their team collaboration capacity, and build empathy."  

~ Dr. Nur Uysal


"I was also positively surprised to see how the students internalized their international team members despite never having met them face to face and included them even in our in-class discussions in Turkey.
A challenge was pushing students to take initiative, however, once they started collaborating and working on their projects, the International Relations students from Turkey and Public Relations students from the US made up excellent teams that helped address each other’s weaknesses. They produced excellent projects that made us proud and made the client very happy."

~ Emel Ozdora Aksak​


Nur Uysal

Institution: DePaul University
Discipline: Communication/Public Relations
Course name: International Public Relations

Emel Ozdora Aksak

Institution: Bilkent University
Discipline: Communication/Public Relations
Course name: International Public Relations

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Partner Institutions

DePaul University
Chicago, IL, United States

Bilkent University
Ankara, Turkey

 

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