International journalists recognized as Edward R. Murrow fellows visited Hamline to exchange questions and perspectives with students and professional local journalists about the craft.
Students and the fellowship honorees heard from MinnPost editor Elizabeth Dunbar and Pioneer Press editor and Vice President Mike Burbach about the state of journalism in Minnesota. After the sessions, President Kathleen Murray welcomed the visitors and students had an opportunity to engage with the 7 journalists directly. The event was hosted by the head of the Communications and English Department, Suda Ishida, in partnership with Global Minnesota and the State Department.
Greeting the visiting journalists, President Murray spoke about Hamline’s emphasis on career preparation for students and explained how the visit would benefit students who are considering careers in journalism.

“We are, in our nature, a liberal arts college with that kind of breadth of focus, but with a really intentional emphasis on career preparation,” Murray said at the event. “It helps our students both have that wonderful life of the mind in our classrooms, but always attached to what they’ll do after Hamline […] it also gives our students a chance to interact with all of you and learn from the experiences that you’ve had.”
Kicking off the event, fellows introduced themselves and gave descriptions of their careers and what has motivated their journalism. Rwandan journalist Yvonne Uwicyeza Nkaka is the director of Uwezo Online Radio, the only media platform run entirely by youth with disabilities, and spoke about how her experiences with radio have empowered her to empower others.
“I try to use my voice to speak for people like me,” Uwicyeza Nkaka said at the event. “When I’m speaking, it’s a kind of advocacy to show everyone that people with visual impairments can speak, and can do everything they want.”

Bulgarian journalist Dobrina Cheshmedjiva hosts and produces political and news programs for Bulgarian National Television. Tunisian journalist Mervet Chaktmi’s experience includes producing and reporting for Tunisian National Radio as well as broadcasting in Paris. Sri Lankan journalist Wasantha Pradeep Kumara Masinghege Don is the director of News1st, one of Sri Lanka’s largest private media news operations. Tanzanian journalist Maureen Odunga works as a correspondent for the Tanzania Standard Newspapers, focused on research-based news reporting. Mohammed Almubarak is the head of Super Station FM 99.7 in Kuwait and hosts the station’s Breakfast Show. Ahang Hussein Habib reports out of Iraq for KirkukNow, an independent online news service founded by independent journalists.

When the students were given time to ask the guests questions, journalists Hussein Habib and Cheshmedjiva quickly turned the discussion around on the students, and the majority of the session was spent hearing the student perspectives with follow-up questions from the visiting journalists. Cheshmedjiva asked why news media in the United States is hyper fixated on Taylor Swift, and about students’ favorite way to consume news. Hussein Habib asked for student’s opinions about TikTok journalists, and how social media will play a role in the future of journalism.
Odunga spoke directly to the crowd of students about the significance of journalism and gave advice to the attendees with journalistic aspirations.
“What I would like to advise you, as an upcoming journalist, since you are privileged and you are in a country and a society where freedom of expression is upheld the most […] you should embrace the opportunity, and then use all the resources that you have to do what is best for your society,” Odunga said.