Thanks to a well-connected Michigan State University alumnus, 21 MSU students participating in a mass media study abroad program in the United Kingdom recently held a mock press conference with one of the U.K.’s most powerful political figures.
On June 17, Chris Grayling, a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice since 2012, fielded questions about a new British law allowing court cases to be televised in the U.K. for the first time.
Joe Videan, an advertising executive now living and working in London, coordinated the visit. As a student in 1982, he was on the MSU program when the Hyde Park and Regent’s Park bombings occurred in London.
“That experience shaped who I am today,” Videan said. “It’s essentially why I decided to move and work abroad.”
Videan said he wants to ensure other Spartans receive equally life-changing experiences while they’re abroad. Today, he works as a consultant and creative director for TBWA, an international advertising agency.
In addition to serving as a faculty consultant for MSU’s study abroad program, Videan teaches advertising courses for Syracuse University.
Taking place in England, Scotland and Wales, the mass media program is the longest-running study abroad program offered by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. It’s led by Susan Carter, a professor in the School of Journalism, and Troy Hale, an instructor in Telecommunications, Information Studies and Media.