04/19/2013 - 14:32
It was March 2012 when Yuan Zeng from Xi’an, China arrived in Amherst. The 30 year old visiting scholar earned a Master’s degree at Peking University and now teaches International Communication and Journalism at Xi’an International Studies University. 
Yuan was one of several recent visiting scholars sponsored by the Center for Communication for Sustainable Social Change (CSSC) at UMass, under Professor Jan Servaes, director of the Center. While attending several courses in the Communication Department, Yuan found AmherstMedia to be a welcoming environment to learn more about using technical equipment in her work. Under the direction of Jim Lescault, executive director, Yuan was part of a team to further develop their civic journalism efforts into a weekly televised news program. Yuan became the primary person in researching and writing the news, which she presented on-camera bilingually in English and Chinese. To view one of her programs on, “Hey, Amherst” click here.
Yuan was one of several recent visiting scholars sponsored by the Center for Communication for Sustainable Social Change (CSSC) at UMass, under Professor Jan Servaes, director of the Center. While attending several courses in the Communication Department, Yuan found AmherstMedia to be a welcoming environment to learn more about using technical equipment in her work. Under the direction of Jim Lescault, executive director, Yuan was part of a team to further develop their civic journalism efforts into a weekly televised news program. Yuan became the primary person in researching and writing the news, which she presented on-camera bilingually in English and Chinese. To view one of her programs on, “Hey, Amherst” click here. Below are edited excerpts from a conversation with Ms. Zeng describing her experiences reflecting on her perceptions of US culture, society, and education. Yuan noted many differences in approaches to social protocol, transportation and infrastructure in US and Chinese cities and
transparency in government that she experienced while visiting the Capitol in Washington, D.C. She returned to China after her year-long study.
12/11/2012 - 00:22
Dear members and friends of CSSC,
At the end of an active and productive year 2012 during which the CSSC has engaged in numerous challenging initiatives, we want to express our gratitude to all of you who have contributed to CSSC's success in many different ways as members, specialists, contributors, or Board members. We take this opportunity to extend to you all our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy Year 2013.
At the end of an active and productive year 2012 during which the CSSC has engaged in numerous challenging initiatives, we want to express our gratitude to all of you who have contributed to CSSC's success in many different ways as members, specialists, contributors, or Board members. We take this opportunity to extend to you all our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy Year 2013.
To provide a better service to the local community the CSSC office has moved to:
Pour offrir un meilleur service à la communauté locale le bureau CSSC a déménagé à:
Para ofrecer un mejor servicio a la comunidad local la oficina de CSSC se ha trasladado a:
Pour offrir un meilleur service à la communauté locale le bureau CSSC a déménagé à:
Para ofrecer un mejor servicio a la comunidad local la oficina de CSSC se ha trasladado a:
Amherst Media
246 College Street
Amherst, MA 01002, USA
www.csschange.org
12/20/2012 - 15:50
Professor Servaes Prefaces the Special Issue of Public Relations Review on US-China Public Diplomacy
10/18/2012 - 21:12
Professor Jan Servaes, UNESCO Chair in Communication for Sustainable Social Change, University of Massachusetts Amherst, wrote an introductory article to the special issue on US-China Public Diplomacy which will be published as #5 in vol. 38 of Public Relations Review (December 2012). All articles are already available online.
For the detailed information of the article and the special issue, please clikck here.
For the detailed information of the article and the special issue, please clikck here.
12/17/2012 - 16:55
9 December 2012
Open letter to WCIT
Dear Secretary General Touré and WCIT-12 Chairman Al-Ghanim:
We, the undersigned members of civil society, are attending the ongoing World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12), both physically and remotely. We appreciate your efforts to engage with global civil society and trust that you will take this letter in the same spirit of constructive engagement.
We believe that openness and transparency should be the hallmark of any effort to formulate public policy. In the months approaching the conference, and in our experience at the WCIT so far, we have discovered that certain institutional structures continue to hamper our ability to contribute to the WCIT process in a meaningful and constructive manner.
Now that the conference is in session, we wish to call your attention to three immediate and pressing matters: the lack of any official standing to the public comments solicited prior to WCIT at the ITU’s invitation; the lack of access to and transparency of working groups, particularly the working groups of Committee 5; and the absence of mechanisms to encourage independent civil society participation. We address these in detail below.
Open letter to WCIT
Dear Secretary General Touré and WCIT-12 Chairman Al-Ghanim:
We, the undersigned members of civil society, are attending the ongoing World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12), both physically and remotely. We appreciate your efforts to engage with global civil society and trust that you will take this letter in the same spirit of constructive engagement.
We believe that openness and transparency should be the hallmark of any effort to formulate public policy. In the months approaching the conference, and in our experience at the WCIT so far, we have discovered that certain institutional structures continue to hamper our ability to contribute to the WCIT process in a meaningful and constructive manner.
Now that the conference is in session, we wish to call your attention to three immediate and pressing matters: the lack of any official standing to the public comments solicited prior to WCIT at the ITU’s invitation; the lack of access to and transparency of working groups, particularly the working groups of Committee 5; and the absence of mechanisms to encourage independent civil society participation. We address these in detail below.
12/14/2012 - 01:43
CSSC Junior Fellow, Song Shi, received a Graduate School Dissertation Research Grant for his dissertation research on new media for social change.
10/18/2012 - 19:16
Sustainability, Participation and Culture in Communication
At a time when sustainability is on everyone’s lips, this volume is one of the first to offer an overview of sustainability and communication issues—including community mobilization, information technologies, gender and social norms, mass media, interpersonal communication, and integrated communication approaches—from a development and social change perspective.
For the information of the book on The University of Chicago Press
or order the book please click here.
or order the book please click here.
For the news of the book on ORBICOM official website, please click here.
09/25/2012 - 16:18
he annual Communication for Sustainable Social Change Award aims to honor outstanding contributions by individuals or organizations to the theory and practice of communication for sustainable social change.
In recognition of outstanding achievement, the jury thereby recommends that the 2012 CSSC award to be presented to:
In recognition of outstanding achievement, the jury thereby recommends that the 2012 CSSC award to be presented to:
Thomas Röhlinger of
Radijojo, the World Children’s Radio Network
www.radijojo.de
02/03/2012 - 18:41
The Center for Communication of Sustainable Social Change (CSSC) is hosting two visiting fellows from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, China....
for information about our new fellows
and more on Prof. Servaes' UNESCO appointment and interview
on Isaac Ben Ezra's show,"Conversations" on ACTV, Amherst Media
please see this link from In the Loop, news for faculty and staff
at U.Mass, Amherst
for information about our new fellows
and more on Prof. Servaes' UNESCO appointment and interview
on Isaac Ben Ezra's show,"Conversations" on ACTV, Amherst Media
please see this link from In the Loop, news for faculty and staff
at U.Mass, Amherst
11/22/2011 - 11:49
The campus community is invited to attend the second 2011-2012
Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Wednesday, November 30, at 4 pm
in the Bernie Dallas Room, Goodell Building.