Center for Media and Communications Studies at Central European University
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With the technical assistance of the Stanhope Centre, Central European University has established a Center for Media and Communications Studies (CMCS) in close cooperation with Budapest Technological University.

The task is to design a project in media and communications studies that is consistent with the high and historic goals of CEU, that has the potential of strengthening existing academic and research programs, that does not draw down scarce existing resources and that has the potential to attract greater financial support. Built into the architecture of the project is taking advantage of accession into the European Union and building further productive ties to European and American institutions. The project will demonstrate ways that CEU can, despite challenges and hardships of growth, still innovate, adapt to new curricular and research opportunities, and strengthen its role in the region and in the larger world.

Why media and communications studies? The CMCS takes advantage of great existing resources at CEU (OSI Archives, existing faculty interests), potential global focus on the subject, the history of the region. A focus on media studies reflects the current social importance and cross-disciplinary scholarly aspects of the subject. A CMCS is a vehicle for attracting graduate students, for refining and strengthening current efforts. CEU can be, through the CMCS, part of existing and developing international networks of scholarship.

Research and Academic Development

The CMCS emerges from the Center for the Humanities and, at least in its first years, would be an integral part of it. But the CMCS will have strong ties to the Center for Policy Studies at CEU and to the departments of law and political science.

CMCS will help bring talent and scholarship to CEU in the media field through strategic alliances in Hungary, the region and globally. At the foundation is a strong tie with the Budapest Technology University. In addition, a group of young scholars and lawyers in the field, many with prior connection to CEU, have been identified who can strengthen existing resources.

The CMCS will start with the benefit of one of the strongest research archives, globally, in the media field: the Open Society Archives (OSA), a vital resource for CEU. The mission of the Archives has been to obtain, preserve and make available research resources, largely media-related resources, for the study of Communism and the Cold War, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. These include, among many others, the records of RFE/RL and broadcasting archives from conflicts in the 1990s in the Balkans. The proposed CMCS will provide another opportunity to shape alliances and attract researchers who will mine this invaluable material. With the growth of global interest in public diplomacy, the CMCS will help forge links with institutions that are encouraging scholarship in this area.

The design of the CMCS is to work together with and benefit various components of CEU, such as the Center for Policy Studies and its scheduled degree program. Building on these pillars, the CMCS draws on existing strengths of CEU--namely, the CEU Humanities Center and Center for Policy Studies--and seeks to augment them through visiting faculty and researchers.

CMCS as part of a global network

One element of the CMCS design strategy is to shape close ties with similar centers or departments. The hope-already with some prospect of success-is to gain research fellows, visiting faculty, cooperative applications for research funding and other benefits of collaboration. This strategy, then, is to develop close ties with departments of communication (and other disciplines such as law) in the US that seek to strengthen their international ties, and faculties in Europe that wish to respond to greater opportunities for networking. These alliances may produce joint research projects, possibilities for visiting students and exchanges. This strategy is aimed, in part, at increasing the number of US and European graduate students at CEU. The following institutions have already indicated their interest (and in many cases enthusiasm) for some degree of working together:

• The Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
• University of Barcelona
• Department of Culture and Communication at NYU (including specific interest in the OSI Archives)
• Faculty of Law at University of Oklahoma (possible sending of law students)
• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (Squadron Program in Media Law and Policy)
• Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the Centre for Socio-legal Studies (University of Oxford)
• European University Institute
• University of Amsterdam (IVIR)
• Stanhope Centre for Communications Policy Research, London (Stanhope provided technical assistance in the formation of CMCS)

It is likely that there can be ties with the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California.

Another strategy of the CMCS is to strengthen CEU's regional role. For example, the development of CMCS might lead to a more substantial CEU role in shaping or improving media studies curricula in transition societies. Even in its inchoate stage, CMCS has already helped develop a media lawyers network in the Balkans and the Caucasus that will enhance professional growth. CMCS might function to help train regulators in the media field within the region. A final academic alliance is within Hungary itself. CMCS will work with ELTE and Technological University, and there has already been strong support for this effort.

Concrete Steps in building a CMCS

Initial concrete undertakings are as follows:

1. Supporting scholarship and academic pursuits related to media topics.
2. Setting up an Advisory Board to help foster support and guidance to the CEU Center for Media and Communications Studies.
3. Working with the Center for Policy Studies to set up a fellowship program for media and communications studies as well as to assist in the development of a new master's program with a media theme.
4. Hosting a spring 2004 workshop and/or conference with the intention of giving further shape to the objectives of establishing a CMCS at CEU, convening the advisory board to help direct the activities and interests of the CMCS, and attracting interest in the academic and professional community in Europe and abroad needed to anchor the CMCS.
5. Building upon the experience and history of PCMLP's and Stanhope Centre's training and summer school programs and to use Budapest and CEU as a base for hosting future opportunities for scholars and professionals to further their intellectual and career development in the areas of media and ICT issues.
6. Working with the CEU Consulting Center and providing guidance and expert opinion on projects related to research and development related to media and information law and policy.
7. Designing and helping to administer an academic project to attract visiting students at the appropriate level from US and European universities.
8. Serving as a resource for a Regional Media Lawyers' Association by providing a forum for rule of law development and continuing legal education for media lawyers in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Governance

During its initial year or years, the CMCS will be under the wing of the Center for Humanities at CEU. Professor Monroe Price will serve as the Chair of an Advisory Group for which there have already been a number of acceptances. It will combine representation by CEU faculty with involvement of a group of internationally recognized scholars and representatives of cooperating institutions. Already, there has been an application for funding to the EU as part of a Network for Excellence.

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Program Director and contact person: Gyorgy Petocz