Fulbright Scholar and Chair of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications’ Department of Communication Studies Kehbuma Langmia has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

In late February, Langmia will travel to Kosovo where he will complete a weeks-long project at the Department of Education that aims to provide best practices in communications and thought leadership around social media practices to Kosovo’s educators.

According to a press release issued by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Langmia is one of more than 400 U.S. citizens who annually share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program. Langmia said this honor is something that speaks to the quality of faculty the University has. 

“Fulbright is a very competitive grant and it’s not just an honor for me, but an honor for the University, especially the School of Communications,” said Langmia, who has extensive knowledge in information communication technology, social media and Afrocentricity.

Langmia edited the first edition of the Black/Africana Communication Theory in 2018. With more than 18 published books and 15 peer-reviewed journal articles, Langmia has been considered a top scholar in African and African American communications publications.

During his time in Kosovo, Langmia looks forward to helping their leaders understand the power of social media, especially for youths in education.

“I really want to work closely with them to help them understand more about the cyber world and how they can carry out certain activities through social media like conflict management and correcting misinformation,” Langmia said, “[The] success with the project will be having developing countries really see the impact social media has on how they engage with and lead constituents. Used properly, social media is such an effective way to communicate, especially with younger generations who almost solely use it.”

Per the State Department, recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected based on academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

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