Salzburg Global Fellow Israel Campos reflects on friendship, belonging, and the moments that shaped his time at the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change
This article was written by Salzburg Global Fellow Israel Campos, who attended the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change session on “Belonging in the Age of Machines: Reimagining the Soul of Media" in July 2024.
I usually take time to process significant experiences like the Salzburg Media Academy. I think this time to reflect is like a current that tries to calm the waters of my emotional river. It’s this current that washes away the uncertainties along the way and allows me to read the past with greater clarity, with “eyes to see”, as we say in Portuguese.
Therefore, looking back at my experience at the Salzburg Media Academy and its potential impact on my future still seems a challenging task. Luckily, amidst this difficulty, I still have moments, tears, people, and some memorable conversations to write about. During the two and a half weeks of the Salzburg Global session, it was on the train from Munich to Salzburg where I did much of my reflection on what it meant to be part of this cohort and this session.
From the window of that train, during the three back-and-forth journeys I had to make, I thought a lot about Taylor and Shashank - the two brothers I gained during my time in Salzburg. I thought about them, our silly conversations, and our serious discussions. It was through them, during a long night of conversations (after being denied entrance at a club) in a lonely Irish pub, that I found my place in the Media Academy.
In the second week of the session, I had to return to Lisbon to defend my dissertation and eventually earn my master’s degree. The days leading up to that important day were tense, with long hours in Schloss Leopoldskron’s library rehearsing my presentation. Dark skies over Salzburg viewed from the window of a historic palace, but never alone.
Returning to Salzburg with the degree I had spent two years working towards was emotional - not so much because of the feeling of accomplishment (as I said, it takes me time to digest these things), but because of the reception from other Fellows at the Media Academy. The happiness on each of their faces made me understand what I hadn’t been able to grasp until then.
It’s this back-and-forth of emotions that defines my experience at the Media Academy - a powerful blend of shared moments, profound lessons, and unforgettable embraces. Each exchange, every smile, and all those long conversations left an indelible mark on my heart. The Media Academy wasn’t just a chapter in my life; it was a symphony of connections, a dance of souls that will stay with me for a very long time.
This article was featured on Medium, which includes more coverage from the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change session on “Belonging in the Age of Machines: Reimagining the Soul of Media.”
The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change is an annual program that convenes emerging leaders in media fields to build networks for positive change. If you would like to find out more about the Academy, please email , Faculty Chair and Program Director.
