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Mark Lodato, the dean of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, apologized in a statement Thursday for listing Hong Kong and Tibet in a list of countries alongside China in his Lunar New Year celebration email on Jan. 31.

In his apology, Lodato said his Jan. 31 message — addressed to all Newhouse students, staff and faculty — was meant to observe, celebrate and recognize the multicultural nature of the Newhouse community. Making the school an inclusive, welcoming and comfortable space for everyone is a top priority for him, he said.

“Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions around the world, including those in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, among others, and of course thousands of members of our Syracuse University and Newhouse families,” the Jan. 31 email reads.

Lodato said it was a “mistake” to include Hong Kong and Tibet alongside China in a list of countries, as it implies they are not part of China.

“I know that is incorrect. It was a mistake to present the list that way, and I apologize,” Lodato said.

Lodato said he had met with several students who shared concerns about the Jan. 31 message.

In social media posts obtained by The Daily Orange, several mainland Chinese students and alumni protested on Instagram against Lodato’s Jan. 31 message.

The students criticized the way the message separated Hong Kong and Tibet from China. They also expressed concern that Lodato’s email treated Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year as interchangeable.

A Tibetan student disagreed with them in a social media post, stating that they don’t consider themselves to be part of China, and mentioned human rights issues in Tibet.

“It is important for me to be exposed to multiple perspectives, and to continuously expand my knowledge as I work to be the best dean I can be for the Newhouse School,” Lodato said in the statement.

Published on February 10, 2022 at 6:19 pm

Contact Francis: btang05@syr.edu | @francis_towne