Journalism educators’ networking conference begins at ULAB

Journalism has changed and so journalism education must adapt the change to remain relevant.

Speakers made these observations at a two-day conference on media and journalism education in the country that has begun at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) in the capital, Friday.

The Department of Media Studies and Journalism at ULAB organised the conference titled “Communication and Journalism Educators Network (CJEN) Bangladesh Fifth Networking Conference 2022”, where communication and journalism educators from different universities in the country took part.

ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Imran Rahman inaugurated the event. In his inaugural speech, he said the authorities of the university had strong commitment to promoting media in the country. So, the Media Studies and Journalism Department always try to prepare its graduates by updating its courses and curriculum in consultation with stakeholders from the media industry on regular basis.

Addressing the session, MSJ Department Head Professor Jude William Genilo said the media and journalism education institutions must think critically about their roles, and know their strengths and weaknesses today.

“We at the ULAB try to prepare our graduates who are equipped with knowledge and skills needed in their real-life professional work,” he added.

In the plenary session, “What is wrong with journalism education in Bangladesh”, Professor Jude called for building a strong network among media and journalism educators in the country to share experiences, expertise, and to enhance research and scholarships on the field.

In the session, ULAB MSJ Assistant Professor Dr Abdul Kabil Khan presented findings of a research on “What I wish my faculty would do and not do for my career development.”

In another plenary session, a roundtable discussion titled “The future of media industry- new approaches and business models” was held.

Bangla daily Somoyer Alo Executive Editor Harun Ur Rashid, Jamuna TV Special Correspondent Mohsin Ul Hakim, online news portal Bangladesh Times’ lead mobile journalist took part in the discussion moderated by MSJ department senior lecture Nandita Tabassum Khan.

Deutsche Welle (DW) Media Services GmbH Program Manager Dr. Esther Dorn-Fellermann, and DW Akademie Program Director in Bangladesh Priya Esselborn also attended the event.

At the first day of the conference, three research papers were presented, and two roundtable discussions were held followed by a cultural event.