Erfurt, 16.05.2014 – Über die Universität Erfurt besteht bereits seit einigen Jahren der Kontakt zu Prof. Dr.Katerina Tsetsura, Professorin für Public Relations an der University of Oklahoma, die schon mehrfach als Dozentin im Summer Program in Communications Erfurt (SPICE) tätig war. Im vergangen Jahr hat sich aus diesem Kontakt eine fruchtbare Zusammenarbeit entwickelt.
In einem Seminar am Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication der Universität Oklahoma in Norman, USA beschäftigten sich Studierende seit mit dem Reiseziel Erfurt. Verschiedene Forschungsdesigns wurden erstellt, Befragungen durchgeführt und letztlich Ergebnisse gewonnen, die Rückschlüsse über die Reisemotivation nach Deutschland und den Bekanntheitsgrad von Thüringen und Erfurt zulassen. Ein Jahr haben sich verschiedene Forschungsteams mit der Stadt Erfurt beschäftigt und schließlich ihre Ergebnisse in Präsentationen dargeboten. Die Erfurt Tourismus und Marketing GmbH ist von Beginn an als fiktive Auftraggeberin für die Studierenden aufgetreten und war über verschiedene Kommunikationskanäle in die Bewertung der Arbeiten eingebunden. Das Gewinnerteam (Katherine Fikes, Nathan Robertson, Dusti Gasparovic und Katherine Brannen) wurde schließlich nach Erfurt eingeladen und hat nun am Freitag, den 16.05.2014 die Möglichkeit, die Forschungsergebnisse den Tourismus- und Stadtmarketingverantwortlichen noch einmal persönlich zu präsentieren.Selbstverständlich gibt es während des Erfurt-Aufenthaltes auch die Gelegenheit, die Stadt, für die sie bisher nur theoretisch geforscht haben, tatsächlich zu erleben, die Thüringische Küche kennenzulernen und alle wichtigen Sehenswürdigkeiten mit eigenen Augen zu sehen.
University of Oklahoma Students Present Their Research in Germany
NORMAN, Okla., May 14, 2014 – Four students and a professor from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, USA will travel to Erfurt, Germany on May 15-17, 2014 to present the results of the year-long research they have conducted for the City Marketing Department of Erfurt, Germany.
Katherine Brannen, Dusti Gasparovic, Katherine Fikes and Nathan Robertson, OU public relations seniors, have been competitively selected from the PR Research class of over 40 students to collect additional data and prepare a professional presentation to the representatives of the city of Erfurt. The research project for the city of Erfurt was part of the OU Presidential Dream Course Public Relations Research last fall. Students conducted surveys and interviews with more than 400 people in Oklahoma and Texas to learn what motivates U.S. tourists from these states to travel to Europe, and specifically to Germany. Over the course of the year, students focused on getting research insights and analyzing the data. Then, the winning team of four identified the most useful information and conducted additional research. The team will present the results of the year-long research efforts in person to representatives of the City Marketing Department of Erfurt on May 16.
“This research presentation is a huge opportunity for us as American students. One thing that cannot be taught well in a classroom is how the international dynamic can affect a business setting. The chance to present four months of research and receive feedback from the client in their home country is a rare opportunity on the undergraduate level,” said Nathan Robertson, Gaylord College public relations senior and a member of the team. “This trip is a chance to show OU's partners in Erfurt the quality of programs we possess at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. While our research at this point only goes as far as validating strategic recommendations, it showcases the communication research methodology that is taught at this institution,” said Robertson.
“Students look forward to presenting their research project in Erfurt. We hope that the results of the research will be of great interest to the city of Erfurt on how to attract travelers from states like Oklahoma and Texas, which are at the heart of the USA,” said Dr. Katerina Tsetsura, the Gaylord Family Professor of public relations at the Gaylord College.
OU Presidential Dream Course was initiated in 2004 by OU President David Boren. The competitive Dream Course program provides extra resources to professors to invite distinguished speakers to campus and to offer unique opportunities to OU students. Dream Courses cover important topics for concerned and engaged citizens in the 21st century. This was the first time when a required public relations research course has been designated as a Dream Course.
"The most important thing I learned from the research class is the importance of research methodology. It's more structured than anything I have learned in the business college-- there is no room for assumptions," said Robertson. "Any insight you draw from the research must be fact based-- every claim has to be tied back to interviews, observations, secondary research, and a strong quantitative data set."
About the Gaylord College
Celebrating 100 years of excellence in journalism education in 2013, Gaylord College has 1,200 students and offers undergraduate degrees in advertising, broadcasting and electronic media, journalism, professional writing and public relations. Programs of graduate study are also offered leading to a Master of Arts with emphases in mass communication management, advertising and public relations, journalism, and broadcasting and electronic media; a Master of Professional Writing; and, a Ph.D. with emphases in journalism, strategic communication, and media arts.
About the University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma, USA. Founded in 1890, today the university has over 30,000 students and offers baccalaureate, master’s, doctorate and professional programs. David Lyle Boren, a former U.S. Senator and Oklahoma governor, has served as president of the University of Oklahoma since 1994.
Pressekontakt:
Monika Hetterich
Erfurt Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
Tel.: + 49 361/ 66 40 130
Fax: + 49 361/ 66 40 135
stadtmarketing[AT]erfurt-marketing[DOT]de
www.erfurt-marketing.de
