Academics and students take part in Universidad CEU San Pablo International Week 2024

Academics and students from the University of Westminster’s School of Media and Communication took part in the Universidad CEU San Pablo’s International Week 2024 in Madrid, where Natalie Walter, Deputy Course Leader of Television Production BA Honours, and Doug Specht, Assistant Head of School and Reader, gave guest talks.

The International Week 2024, held at the Faculty of Humanities and Communication Sciences in Madrid between 5–7 March, brought together 13 international professors and more than 200 students studying Digital Communication, Audio-visual Communication, Journalism, Advertising and PR.

The event organised by Universidad CEU San Pablo, one of Westminster’s exchange partners, saw students from Westminster’s Communication and Humanities departments attend a series of showcase lectures designed to give them a flavour of studying abroad.

During the event Natalie Walter spoke on Breaking Boundaries in Television, focusing on how technology is creating new opportunities and changing the shape of the industry. Walter worked with students to explore new content and consider their career path into the television and film industries.

Doug Specht spoke on activism and the media, exploring the moral maze of leaktivism, leaking confidential documents, and surveillance, challenging students to think critically about privacy and transparency in the digital age.

Coming from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and Uruguay, the guest lecturers focused their lessons on current and diverse aspects such as mobile journalism, design thinking, creativity, video on demand platforms, the future of TV, the impact of media and social media in politics, robots and mental health, digital fashion and the metaverse.

This initiative, which has been held for more than 20 years at San Pablo CEU University, allows students and teachers from Communication courses to learn about the main research trends in their areas of knowledge, enriching and internationalising their learning process. It also allows the faculty to strengthen its relationship with partner universities.

Natalie Walter said: “This was a fantastic event! The tour of their radio and particularly television studio with its huge LED wall and abundant camera and recording equipment for students to hire was so impressive. The students were incredibly engaged. It was great to explore new opportunities in the Screen industries and celebrate their creative ambitions.”

Doug Specht added: “This was an excellent opportunity to strengthen our ties with one of our long-standing partners. The students of Universidad CEU San Pablo were fantastic, and it was great to spend this time with them and their lecturers exploring Media and Communication theory in a hands-on way. It was also an excellent chance to meet and work with scholars from across Europe, to develop new approaches to teaching and research.”

Event organiser, Cristina Jaramillo Sánchez, Professor of Journalism and Digital Storytelling and Coordinator for International Relations at Universidad CEU San Pablo, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to have you with us during this unforgettable International Week, so inspiring and also so much fun. We, as well as the teachers and students, are delighted with the outcome of this week.”

This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 17: Partnerships for Goals and 4: Quality Education. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out more about Media and Communications courses at the University of Westminster.