USC Annenberg School For Communication and Journalism

2025 World Bank-Annenberg Summer Institute
June 2 ‐ June 13, 2025
Reform Communication: Leadership, Strategy & Stakeholder Alignment
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Description

We invite you to participate in the annual World Bank-Annenberg Summer Institute on communicating reform at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. During the program, participants will learn the most recent advances in strategic communication and best practices for achieving reforms.  This highly interactive course equips participants with the tools, techniques, and tactics required to build coalitions for change, mobilize public support and navigate the political environment.

Join us in Los Angeles for a one-week or two-week course.  The first week of the WBASI focuses on the political economy of communication reform that is analyzed through case studies from the World Bank. The focus is on using communication with a variety of stakeholders to assist reforms through changes in political will, organizational will and social will.

During the second week, we offer more interactive and experiential learning opportunities, building your skills in emerging technologies like AI, and using communication metrics to measure impact.  Examples come from social media messaging and marketing, working with the entertainment industry, creating communication campaigns, and developing storytelling skills for the future. Classes are taught by experts from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and industry professionals.

Distinguished Instructors of the World Bank-Annenberg Summer Institute include:

 

Distinguished Instructors

Patti Riley

 

Ernest Wilson

 

Shellee Smith

 

Sumir Lal

 

Masud Mozammel

 

William Swartout

Sheila Murphy

Tom Hollihan

Sina Odugbemi

Joe Arvai

Eric Eisenberg

Jessica Fishman

Willa Seidenberg

Vince Gonzales

Matthew Leveque

Session Information

June 2 ‐ June 13, 2025

Tuition

  • Registration includes daily instruction, meals during sessions (breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks), and a site visit.

  • The fee does not include airfare, lodging, or other living expenses.

  • A non-refundable $500 deposit is required upon acceptance and is applied toward tuition.

  • Payment due 6 weeks from date of acceptance

Cancellation and Refunds

Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500 to secure their seat in the World Bank-Annenberg Summer Institute. The deposit will be applied to the total cost of the program. All cancellation requests must be made in writing to shellee.smith@usc.edu.  Any tuition paid for the WBASI will be refunded, not including deposits, if processed before May 1, 2025.

For more information, contact:

Shellee Smith
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
shellee.smith@usc.edu

Umou S. Albazzaz
External and Corporate Relations – Multilateral and International Affairs (ECRMI)
World Bank Group
ualbazzaz@worldbankgroup.org

Housing

Dorm Options:

Step into the ultimate student living experience at Nemirovsky & Bohnett Residential College - the pulsing heart of USC Village. Unwind in fully air-conditioned apartment-style rooms, each featuring a choice of one or multi-room configurations with kitchens and shared hallway bathrooms.  Snooze in comfort with extra-long twin beds, complete with a linen packet, pillow, and blanket.

Escape to a summer paradise at USC Village - the ultimate destination for a life-enriching experience. Immerse yourself in a vibrant community of students who are on the path to greatness. Open since 2017, USC Village is a stunning 15-acre extension of the University Park Campus, designed to inspire and enhance your the college experience. Enjoy a world of amenities and dining options, all within easy reach, as you explore the USC community and beyond. Make lifelong connections in the sun-drenched central piazza, where community and friendship flourish under the open sky.

If you prefer to stay at the USC Hotel instead of Nemirovsky & Bohnett Residential College, please contact Shellee Smith at shellee.smith@usc.edu to reserve a room.

Apartment Style:  air-conditioned one or multi-room apartments; shared bathrooms in the apartment.  Each room with 2 extra-long twin size beds.  Linen packet (pillow case, top and bottom bed sheets, 2 bath towels and facecloth) is provided along with pillow and blanket.

  • $62.00 per person per night + 14% LA City bed tax = $70.68 per person per night @ double occupancy, two people per room sharing a multi-room apartment
  • $82.00 per person per night + 14% LA City bed tax = $93.48 per person per night @ single occupancy, one person per room sharing a multi-room apartment
  • $92.00 per person per night + 14% LA City bed tax = $104.88 per person per night @ single occupancy, one person per 1 bedroom apartment.

USC Hotel:

If you are interested in staying at the USC Hotel which is located across the street from the USC campus, 

Please click here to reserve a room at USC Hotel

Here is the contact info for USC Hotel:

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Testimonials

“The idea of having a program that focuses on the business of governance and then embedding communications as being central to the process of delivering reforms appealed to me greatly.”
Tunji Lardner
West African NGO Network
“I absolutely would recommend this program to any communications person in the business…in the public sector…in private sector, or in an international organization like mine.”
Tunya Celasin
World Bank/Turkey
“Communication is key to almost everything we do and this is a course that will make you a powerful communicator in almost all contexts.”
Louise Agersnap
World Health Organization