Seib Returns to Teaching IR

Professor Philip Seib, who has served as director of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) since 2009, will return to full-time teaching and research on Aug. 1.

Seib, professor of journalism and international relations in USC Dornsife with a joint appointment at USC Annenberg, said he is proud of the center’s accomplishments during the past four years.

“CPD has established itself as the go-to source for information and events related to public diplomacy in the United States and throughout the world,” Seib said.

Some of Seib’s many successes include strengthening the relationship between the CPD and think tanks and institutions of higher education around the world, as well as with the U.S. Department of State and numerous foreign ministries. He implemented a new strategic plan, developed several publication series and established a competitive research fellows program. He has also continued to pursue an ambitious publication agenda — his most recent book is Real-Time Diplomacy: Politics and Power in the Social Media Era (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

Associate professor Jay Wang will become the new director of CPD, which is based at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Wang, a scholar and consultant in the fields of international corporate communication and public diplomacy, is an associate professor of public relations at USC Annenberg.

His writings address the role of communication in the contemporary process of globalization, with an area focus on China. As a CPD University Fellow, Wang leads two research projects, “Nation Branding at Expo Shanghai 2010” and “Reshaping Cultural Diplomacy in a New Era: Confucius Institutes & China’s Soft-Power Strategy.”

Wang said he looks forward to the challenges of his new position.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work even more closely with the Center on Public Diplomacy,” Wang said. “And I have big shoes to fill. Under professor Seib’s leadership, the center has become a global leader in the study and practice of public diplomacy. I will continue our efforts to strengthen the center’s leadership position around the world, and to make the CPD website the most comprehensive and informative resource on public diplomacy.”

The CPD board members look forward to working with Wang and making the most of his vision for the center, said Kimberly Marteau Emerson, chairwoman of the CPD’s Advisory Board.

“I have enjoyed working with Phil over the past four years and really appreciate the extent to which he has involved and re-engaged the CPD Advisory Board since his appointment,” Emerson said. “From the board’s perspective, his tenure was incredibly fruitful and dynamic, and I thank him for his tireless efforts to increase the center’s output and visibility.

“I look forward to working closely with Jay to ensure that Phil’s legacy is honored and that the center’s upward trajectory continues.”