Joynicole Martinez, an expert from the USA, spent a whole week at the Institute for the Humanities and Information Technologies (IGUMO). She visited classes and exchanged experience with students.
For many years, Joynicole Martinez has been a member of the Peace 50 international community of women leaders co-founded by Marina Volynkina, Rector of IGUMO. Dr. Martinez is a long-time friend of our Institute. She has communicated with students and professors online several times. Finally, the IGUMO team had the opportunity to meet the American expert in person.
Joynicole Martinez is a person of many talents having unique experience in various fields. She is a role model of dedication and concern for the world. She is a distinguished scientist, epidemiologist, Master in Business and International Relations, staff writer at the Carolinian Newspaper, Forbes expert, and mother with a large family.
Having such a long list of achievements, she spoke with the IGUMO students on a wide range of topics on equal footing.
Professional Ethics in Design
The Faculty of Design of IGUMO hosted a meeting devoted to professional ethics. Since communication is the designer’s main task, Joynicole Martinez discussed with the students what communication should be like.
A designer speaks with his or her audience in a visual language through colour, composition, and textures. He or she is responsible for an open and honest dialogue, which ceases to be so if lies appear in it.
Joynicole Martinez provided Design students with an example from her own experience. A graphic designer whom she engaged in launching her website plagiarized someone else’s work. That person not only approached the task irresponsibly but also devalued the work of the entire team and exposed the overall business to reputational risks.
Professionals in any field including design should always start a dialogue with the truth. Joynicole Martinez believes that honest communication can change the world for the better.
Power of Collaboration and Cultural Diplomacy
Joynicole Martinez discussed another important topic with the students of creative fields of training. That was the power of collaboration. The expert believes that the solution to any problem can be found through cooperation.
Cultural diplomacy makes it possible to reduce the distance between people and states. It demonstrates high efficiency in the fields where government structures fail. The thing is that cultural diplomacy focuses primarily on the unification of people, bringing them closer together, and establishing dialogue among them.
Joynicole Martinez called the Days of Contemporary Art (DOCA) international festival, which IGUMO has been implementing for nine years, a good example of cultural diplomacy.
"Artists from all over the world share their vision on important issues with the audience. As a result, it turns out that we are not that different. New ways of cooperation emerge thanks to that understanding of our similarity”, she commented.
The Design students talked about their experience in creating group projects. As they noted, collaboration leads to better creative results.
The Pandemic Problem
As an epidemiologist, Joynicole Martinez had to work 20 hours per day in a hospital when the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic. She couldn’t see her family in person and couldn’t hug her children and husband. Joynicole Martinez lost many relatives during the coronavirus pandemic. That is why the topic is so meaningful to her.
At each meeting, IGUMO students asked her questions about the coronavirus, vaccination, and common myths to get first-hand information.
The epidemiologist returned to the topic of honesty and took responsibility for the lack of reliable information at the beginning of the pandemic. She believes that is what had created a global distrust of medical advice.
As an expert, Joynicole Martinez explained why the COVID-19 could not be brought under control even if following all the safety measures. She told about how to get rid of the effects of the disease and why a vaccine doesn’t guarantee 100% protection against infection. At the same time, she emphasized that a vaccine makes it much easier to overcome the infection and reduce the burden on doctors.
Students learned about the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA and compared that to Russia’s experience. They discovered many similarities in tackling the global problem in the two countries.
Immersion in the Educational Process at IGUMO
The week at IGUMO was not limited to such meetings only. Joynicole Martinez visited classes, saw classrooms created by designers, and immersed herself in the educational process.
Photography students under the guidance of their curator Vadim Gushchin held a photo shoot for their guest. They made a whole series of portraits for Joynicole Martinez.
Designers together with Elizaveta Zemlyanova, Dean of the Faculty of Design, met Joynicole in their studio. They helped her make a lino print, which she promised to place in her interior.
Olga Baranova, art historian, gave a guided tour of Zaryadye and its contemporary art exhibition for our American guest.
Even after a week, the students did not want to let Joynicole Martinez leave and invited her to come to IGUMO again. The students thanked Joynicole Martinez, Marina Volynkina, Rector of IGUMO, and Nikolay Gavrilov, interpreter and IGUMO graduate, for the series of meetings that made the whole week unforgettable.
Translated by Nikolay Gavrilov
20.10.2021Ïðîñìîòðîâ: Array
Marina
Volynkina