Joe Szabo Public Speaking Engagements

Today was very interesting! Thank you. And I felt you were so kind.

I found the lecture very mentally stimulating.

Joe's presentation of graphic commentary brought wide smiles of appreciation to the students of Burma, who are no stranger to graphic images that punch, entertain, and editorialize truthful messages better left unspoken. It would be great if he could teach a few weeks here. He would have full classes.

The "Great Room" was filled. Thirteen of my students attended what proved to be a very interesting presentation. Mr. Szabo provided a fascinating survey of world public opinion about the United States. He engaged the group. Mentioning that he was on a Russian hit list certainly aroused curiosity! There did not seem to be a thesis. Nevertheless, all of my students felt they gained by attending and think Mr. Szabo is a valuable resource.

Joe--your presentation at Wagner College was truly amazing.  I have wanted to be a journalist for so long, but I grew discouraged with the profession because my parents have told me that it is difficult to find a job in the field.  Although I knew this, I still wanted to pursue it; but I didn't.  After listening to you speak and witnessing all of the wondrous places you have visited, I grew truly inspired.  You are one of my biggest inspirations and I will pursue journalism because that is what I want to do--thank you.

Mr. Szabo is a bright, charming fellow, who puts you at ease immediately. He has a great personality and can discuss any subject. His material was very well organized and presented.

"I thought that Mr. Szabo's artistic expression of global perspectives on the American society and culture, was very explicit, thought-provoking, and intellectually stimulating"

"I received nothing but positive feedback. Joe was great to work with and easy to accommodate. We had a nice attendance for the event and it was great to see lots of questions from both students and staff. We plan on booking Joe again once our Upper Bucks Campus is completed."

It was a remarkable presentation about outside views of America. 

"Thanks for your inspiring lecture! Your research and collected material is not only wonderful, but also very intriguing. You are collecting valuable data from our globalizing world. Your findings can initiate more research and/or provide new evidence on cultural dimensions as well as cultural imperialism (e.g. my research on horizontal globalization). In fact, I would love to use some of this collected material in my upcoming classes on Globalization: Pathway, "Globalizing Myself" and "Paradoxes of Globalization and Culture."

"Do foreigners truly hate America — or is there something more to the 'anti-Americanism' phrase we've heard so often?... Turns out we're the nation people worldwide love to hate, hate to love, and sometimes — just sometimes — love outright because they hate to hate us. In short, the answer is complicated, nuanced, ever-changing and continually worth exploring. That was the point of the 'International Perspectives on the American Experience' roundtable discussion held at Montgomery County Community College."

"Everyone who met Joe or saw the talk tremendously enjoyed his visit."

“ I found Mr. Szabo’s presentation absolutely fascinating. He showed us images of the U.S. that I have never seen before. I found it very broadening, I would definitely attend another presentation by him”

“It was a very interesting and informed presentation. Knowledgeable presenter.”

“The presentation was very interesting. I enjoyed it very much. A lot of it was new knowledge to me!  Some more information about the process might be interesting, mainly because I’m interested in qualitative research and processes. However, it might not be as pleasing to other types of audience”.

“I enjoyed the presentation very much. I think it’s nicely crafted, informative, and interesting”.  

“Mr. Szabo’s presentation was captivating, not only because it showed the reality of America’s image in the world, but it presented a reality of that image alongside a comedic interpretation of it.”

"Mr. Szabo's conglomeration of cartoons from abroad provided a more compelling visual expression of ideas commonly expressed [only] through words."

"Your lecture opened my mind to new ideas."

“For the lecturer — the recipient of a dozen international awards — the promotion of cartoonists' rights and freedom of the press all over the world is one of the key missions."

"Thanks for coming to BU and getting our community all excited about your presentation. It was a great lecture, very artfully and humorously delivered."

Joe Szabo's lecture was interesting, wide-ranging, and politically and historically compelling. It opened students' eyes to the way that America is perceived, and it allowed them to question assumptions about their country and themselves. The cartoons were well chosen and gave incredible insight into America's role and identity in the world.

“Joe Szabo has a treasure chest full of great ideas, stories, images and experience. He shares it willingly, wittily and with the intention of creating global understanding. He’s a sensitive and knowledgeable speaker who delights his audience, no matter what size crowd or what the venue. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, Joe shares wealth beyond belief!

We can’t wait to have him back!"

“I could have listened to Joe Szabo all day! He was great. This is exactly the kind of lecture every student studying creative arts needs to hear!”

"Our students, faculty, and staff, along with members of the public, very much enjoyed your evening lecture... you [were] cultivating the ongoing dialogue of current and future civic leaders.

Please know that we hope you will make the Institute your satellite office on future trips to New Hampshire. Our door is always open to you."

"What Global Political Cartoons do is to reflect more of the popular mood rather than the diplomatic views of a political leadership.  The popular mood can be much more critical of the policies of the United States than that of a government's.  Political cartoons can also be ahead of their time in the sense that frustrations reflected in them may be implemented in policies later."

"The students and faculty in attendance really enjoyed Joe’s presentation. It gave us an eye-opening look at the way others perceive America."

"Great presentation."

"Joe's presentation offered a fascinating perspective on the ways, good and bad, that America is viewed around the world.  The number of places he has visited and the range of people he has interviewed in order to gather his data are truly remarkable.  It is easy for Americans, living in a vast country with oceans on either side, to forget about our impact on the rest of the world.  The visual images that Joe presents remind us of the many things for which we are admired, envied, feared, and resented."

"I think Joe Szabo has the makings of a very fascinating book."

"Szabo explored an area of interest to many of my students. The perceptions of  people from other cultures of America, despite the “relative” nature of their perceptions, reflect important ideas... Szabo got a good discussion going and he did a fine job in his presentation.  He is good at responding to questions."

"I thought his presentation was a fascinating look at the rest of the world’s perceptions of America.  It’s important for Americans to examine their role in the world as the world understands it.  Szabo’s lecture made me feel much better informed about the relationship between the U.S. and our global neighbors."

"I was so pleased with how successful the event was that I devoted one of my classes the next day to discussing the talk.  I even brought in a film about Naji al-Ali, the Palestinian cartoonist who was killed in London in 1987.  We watched the film in class and discussed the politics of art and cartoons in the Middle East, which was a topic we normally would not have covered.

Joe Szabo provided a unique and stimulating presentation that my students absolutely loved.  I could not get them to stop talking about it the next day. Szabo provides a perspective of the United States that students rarely, if ever, see: a U.S. that is loved, feared, and reviled around the world all at the same time."

"The students were most impressed with the presentation."

"The presentation was refreshing. While most speakers focus on the negatives of American perception around the world, Joe Szabo's presentation gave what I believe to be an unbiased account. For all of the times that America has muddied its feet in other countries' business, we have also offered opportunity and prosperity [even] to emmigrants from those very countries. America has done a lot of wrong in the world since its inception, but we have also done more good than any other country in the world during our brief history. Szabo's presentation showed balance, and the audience seemed to really appreciate it."

"Both Hofstra students and faculty who attended the session were quite enthusiastic about it and felt like they learned much from Joe Szabo. The moderator was so impressed that he said we should invite him back!"

"Balanced presentation of both, pro- and anti-American cartoons and comments. So balanced, in fact, that the a viewer must draw his or her own conclusion. Szabo's exhibition did a thorough job of laying out all feelings and grievances the international community has toward the United States and would behoove American citizens to allow these feelings to resonate."

"Joe Szabo's lecture on the image of America abroad was not only timely, it was also entertaining, provocative, and even moving.  Mr. Szabo is really onto something important in this project, and American students in particular will benefit from the insights he's gathered traveling the world. There was a nice turnout for his lecture, which was very thoughtful and interesting.  I plan to order his books for our library, and we really look forward to his current book once he's finished it."

"We thoroughly enjoyed your presentation here on campus.  The remarkable diversity of your images was impressive and gave everyone something to think about. I would encourage other liberal arts colleges to invite you for a similar presentation." 

The following represents a variety of student reactions:

 "It was enlightening to see other people’s views of the United States.  I enjoyed seeing the wide range of political issues covered. I would like to know what the United States would have to do in order to change foreigner’s opinions about the United States."

 "I particularly enjoyed this presentation.  In our increasingly globalized world it is extremely important to be aware of the image our country presents to the rest of the world.  Likewise, I think it’s a very interesting message; as they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and these images clearly spoke for themselves – no explanation necessary."

 "The lecture was very rewarding as it showed a powerful way of conveying political ideas and beliefs which might, in fact, reach out to more people due to the visual and sometimes emotional nature of cartoons.  The most striking part of the lecture was the presentation of various works of international cartoonists on the image of America, which showed that, in general, the view that the world is currently holding of this country is quite negative. It was interesting to note that the images were very much linked to the culture and politics of the artist’s country or origin and to the way America has, to some extent, positively or negatively, influenced that country.  Mr. Szabo’s lecture was an effective reminder of the way images can mobilize [even a] whole nation to support a certain view of a country and the ensuing foreign policy vis-à-vis that country."

"Joe's presentation draws attention to the enormous power of political cartoons and humor as a means of reflecting and shaping popular opinion. His address is thought-provoking and points to a serious lacuna in the study of politics. At the same time it is full of humor in itself. My students found themselves both entertained and stimulated."

"I found you philosophic and meaningful!  I have learnt so much from you. Thank you so much!"