Tombras School Professor Travels to China Connecting with PR Professionals
Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations Assistant Professor of Practice Joseph Stabb spent his winter break on the other side of the world. From December 2, 2023, to January 10, 2024, Stabb was traveling across China building a relationship between the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations and Liaoning University in Shenyang, China.
“I stayed in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, as a visiting scholar at Liaoning University. I also traveled to Sanya, Hainan, China, to speak at a conference hosted by the Ministry of Education,” he said.
During his trip, Stabb was able to speak to faculty and administrators at Liaoning University. He said the trip allowed him to build a greater understanding of the culture and history of China.
“As we build the partnership between the School of Journalism at Liaoning University and the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, there is a need for sharing knowledge, information, and to build mutual respect and trust,” he explained.
Stabb gave several lectures at Liaoning University about research, teaching practices, and specific content in advertising and public relations. He also provided a presentation at the 2024 SEP EduConnect International Symposium, hosted by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, about best practices for improving the English proficiency of non-native English speakers and growing an international partnership.
One of his favorite parts of his travels was participating in multiple cultural experiences.
“I attended the New Year’s Celebration, the Lantern Festival, attended a formal tea tasting and tea ceremony, visited Shenyang Palace, learned about the Qing Dynasty at the Shenyang Museum, explored the largest city in the northeast of China, and made new friends,” he said.
Stabb said he values the educational experience he obtained during this trip and looks forward to using it to advance the student experience in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. “The knowledge I have gained will help me to better teach and prepare students to work in a global business and communication economy. I have new experiences to share and have used this knowledge to create some experiential assignments that can help students to think about cross-cultural communication.”
Tombras School Professor Travels to China Connecting with PR Professionals written by Hillary Tune and originally published on the College of Communication & Information site.