{"640123":{"#nid":"640123","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Global Media \u0026 Cultures Graduate Student Designing Programs for Global Innovation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECi Song first appeared in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Modern Languages\u003C\/a\u003E on a rainy afternoon in February 2019. Shaking off her umbrella, she explained that she had a master\u0026rsquo;s in Communication from China and was hoping to continue her education in our program, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grad.modlangs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EM.S. in Global Media and Cultures (MS-GMC)\u003C\/a\u003E, a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Modern Languages\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Literature, Media, and Communication\u003C\/a\u003E. Her dream was to work in an American company. Song had been in Atlanta for the past year, studying English at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Language Institute\u003C\/a\u003E on Tech Square and preparing for the TOEFL, and she was hoping to take the next big leap: pursuing a degree and working in a real-world professional setting in English.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost students in the MS-GMC program take 5-7 courses in English, with 2-4 electives and a final project in a foreign language. For Song, the foreign language was English. Unphased and even motivated by the challenge, Song seemed excited for the opportunity to imagine a new, more global career.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;You can customize your curriculum to achieve the goals you want,\u0026rdquo; she said, \u0026ldquo;I was shown how to create a resume and portfolio in both English and Chinese,\u0026rdquo; and her courses in Chinese provided a chance to rethink her native culture. \u0026ldquo;It was interesting to learn Chinese in an American perspective among students from all over the world. During the program, I gained a unique outlook on Chinese language and culture that I don\u0026rsquo;t think I would have gotten if I remained in China.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEighteen months later, Song returned to Tech Square, only this time as a leader and global professional, working as an intern at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the largest and most comprehensive university-based industry assistance program in the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn her internship, Song is collaborating with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/123\u0022\u003ECarl Rust\u003C\/a\u003E, director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/innovation-ecosystem\u0022\u003EInnovation Ecosystems \u003C\/a\u003Eat the Cell Manufacturing Technologies Research Center, to design and launch a virtual course on innovation ecosystems and technology commercialization for Chinese entrepreneurs. In addition to translation, Song provides consultation on development strategy, such as how to time the course to work with China\u0026rsquo;s calendar.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this role, she builds on several experiences in the MS-GMC. As a graduate assistant, Song designed the graduate program\u0026rsquo;s first-ever international marketing campaign, translating flyers into Chinese for an international audience. She also tutored undergraduates and launched a weekly community tea hour to bring together faculty and students from 14 different language groups to pause their busy days and create a shared community space.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Having team members like Ci is very important for three main reasons: language, culture, and media,\u0026rdquo; says Rust. \u0026ldquo;High-tech entrepreneurship is very fast-paced, and it\u0026rsquo;s also a global endeavor. That\u0026rsquo;s because new products might be conceived in one place of the world, designed in a second place, manufactured in a third place, and perhaps even consumed in a fourth, fifth, and many other places.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESong reminds us that global expertise is about combining language with the essential skills taught in cultural studies, like empathy and communication. \u0026ldquo;Song\u0026rsquo;s ability to really listen to people and understand nuance helps her connect across so many different contexts -- whether she is working with undergraduates or industry leaders, whether she\u0026rsquo;s speaking English or Chinese\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/jenny-strakovsky\u0022\u003EJenny Strakovsky, Associate Director of Graduate Studies\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;She has a talent for creating a sense of community, and it really transformed our program.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a graduate assistant in the Modern Languages Graduate Program, Song worked in tandem with faculty to co-create her own degree experience in real-time, as part of the MS-GMC\u0026#39;s first-ever cohort of students. When the program transitioned online in March 2020, Song noticed right away that her community needed help. \u0026ldquo;My classmates and colleagues were really stressed,\u0026rdquo; she said, \u0026ldquo;so I wanted to do something to help us relax and stay focused. Mental health is extremely important to me.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESong reached out to Val Peterson, a former first lady of Georgia Tech, who had offered a yoga practice on campus. In collaboration with Shaidah Herron, an MS-GMC student in the French concentration, they hosted the School\u0026rsquo;s first virtual yoga session just a few days after virtual classes had begun.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESong\u0026rsquo;s skills in community development have proven immensely valuable in today\u0026rsquo;s world. In addition to her degree internship, Song is also interning part-time at\u0026nbsp;Global Atlanta,\u0026nbsp;an acclaimed local media outlet, managing their virtual events to create enriching programs that the Atlanta public can enjoy from the comfort of their homes. Her ability to connect with people across borders and cultures is a rare skill that sets her apart in the global economy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESong will complete her master\u0026rsquo;s degree in the Global Media \u0026amp; Cultures Program\u0026nbsp;in Fall 2020. Following graduation, she will\u0026nbsp;continue working with the Enterprise Innovation Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/4Xl-IuYq07o\u0022\u003EWatch Song\u0026#39;s video on YouTube\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"M.S. Global Media and Cultures student, Ci Song, uses cross-cultural expertise to make a difference on a global scale."}],"uid":"34815","created_gmt":"2020-10-12 18:28:46","changed_gmt":"2020-10-16 19:38:15","author":"esnelling3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"612000","name":"Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC)"},{"id":"611608","name":"Global Media and Cultures (GMC)"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"3643","name":"Modern Languages"},{"id":"171985","name":"innovation ecosystems"},{"id":"102311","name":"Global Atlanta"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"167918","name":"School of Modern Languages at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"186022","name":"Global Media and Cultures"},{"id":"3747","name":"literature"},{"id":"167943","name":"School of Literature Media and Communication"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEmily Snelling\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMarketing and Events Coordinator\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:esnelling3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eesnelling3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["esnelling3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}