KAS ASIAN J-SCHOOL SUMMIT 2014

“Challenges in Journalism Education in Asia’s Emerging Democracies”

February 6-8,2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

German political foundation “Konard Adenauer Stiftung” (KAS) organized three days long KAS Asian J-School Summit 2014 in Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia  from February  6-8, 2014.Leading media  academics and KAS partners from India, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia participated in this summit while President Rural Media Network Pakistan  (RMNP ) Ehsan Ahmed Sehar also attended.

Asian J- School Summit was held in KAS office Cambodia while the accommodation was provided to all delegates in Frangipani hotel. Summit started on February 6 at 1.PM with the welcome and introductory remarks of  Torben Stephan, Director Media Programme while Andreas Oldag, journalist and lecturer Suddeutsche Zeiting, Germany was the keynote speaker who delivered his  lectuer on the topic ” Why Quality in Journalism Matters “Acting Director Department of Media and Communication  at Royal University  of  Phnom Penh, Cambodia  Ratana Som highlighted ” Innovations in DMC ‘ New Curriculum in detail. Host Director KAS Denis Schrey briefed the participants ” how to achieve financial sustainability “He and others speakers also responded to the volley of  questions of  the participants.

February 7 was fixed for 20 minutes presentation for each journalism school. Acting Director Department of Media and Communication Royal University Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Associate Professor & Executive Director Konard Adenauer Center for Journalists (ACFJ) at Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines multimedia presentations were based on the topics of ” The Mission of DMC” and ” Distance Learning from the Philippines” while Senior Executive Vice President ,Nation University, Thailand Dr Duangpom Arbhasil,The Statesman Principal Journalism School, India Ravindra Kumar and Principal National Management College Myanmar Professor Dr Than Win briefed the participants on topics ” Trends in Journalism in Thailand “The Focus on Print” and ” New Ways in Myanmar” with multimedia slides.

President Rural Media Network Pakistan Ehsan Ahmed Sehar delivered hard copies of his presentation “Glaring Absence of Female Journalists in Rural Pakistan” among all participants while he informed participants and organizers about RMNP’s press freedom and training programmes besides providing the data of Pakistani’s print and broadcast media. He spoke on topics, gender discrimination in Pakistan, working condition for women and female journalists training. President RMNP stated that ,only three percent of all journalists are female in Pakistan and often without much authority while in Bahawalpur region a home of 12.5 million people not a single female journalist exists. He added that 70 per cent Pakistani population live in rural areas while Pakistani media is urban oriented. He said that rural societies in Pakistan are highly segregated and in the grip of feudal lords. Men cannot report about women’s issues due to cultural barriers, so the women ‘s perspective is missing in news coverage. He responded questions of some participants and presented RMNP’s training manuals to Mr. Torben Stephan,Director Media Programmes KAS, Asia.

Workshop was organized on February 8, which was conducted by Dr Violet Valdez. She presented her ideas, ” How can Asia’s J-Schools Work Together for a Good Education in Journalism”?Asian journalism schools heads took active part in this brain storming session, while Mr. Torben Stephan Director KAS Media Programmes Asia concluded the closing session and told the ways to participants ” How can KAS Support a network of J-Schools in Asia”? In the end of these above mentioned two sessions, leading media academic institutions from five Asian countries reached an agreement to form an unprecedented regional cooperation on media education and training in the region.The five are the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism (ACFJ) at Philippines’ Ateneo de Manila University, the Statesman Print Journalism School from India, Nation University’s Faculty of Communication Arts from Thailand, Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Department of Media and Communication (DMC) from Cambodia and National Management College in Yangon, Myanmar.They will collaborate to complement their media courses and enable students to study across the five countries, exchange teachers, and introduce a new pan-Asian knowledge based curriculum. The members agreed on naming the network “Alliance of Asian Media Schools (AMS).Participants visited the historical palace of the King in Phnom Penh and attended the cruise dinner in Mekong river.

Before their departure,delegates from Pakistan. Myanmar and Philippines attended DMC magazine launching ceremony in the Royal University, Phnom Penh on the invitation of Mr Som Ratana Acting Director department of Mass Communication in which Prime Minister’s son was the chief guest. Ms Christine Schmutzler, Som Ratana, Colin Meyn, Denis Schrey and delivered the speeches and lauded the role of DMC in the promotion of quality journalism in Cambodia.Magazines awards were distributed and students and guests watched a video show.