The school's commitment to international education began with its founder, Walter Williams. Before founding the Missouri School of Journalism, Williams earned international recognition as publicity superintendent of the first World's Press Congress at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. During his illustrious career, Williams presided over gatherings of the Press Congress of the World in Switzerland, Washington D.C., Hawaii and Mexico. He traveled the world planting seeds of journalism education, especially in Asia.
Today, the school works regularly on training programs with media organizations, and on curriculum development projects with educational institutions. More than one-third of its faculty has traveled overseas in the past year to conduct training, present research or work directly with faculty colleagues at other universities.
Training
Missouri School of Journalism faculty are involved in formal mid-career training programs around the world and at home. Sessions are conducted for private news organizations, for university professors in programs undergoing curriculum reform and for groups organized by foundations or governmental organizations.
Recent examples include work at the Guangzhou Daily Press Group, where professors have provided training for newly-hired employees each of the last three years; work with the Mongolia State University and the Press Institute of Mongolia, where six Missouri professors have visited over the past three years; and work at home with groups of eight journalists from Bulgaria and six journalists from Montenegro.
