Media University in Pakistan to Open New Vistas
'Pakistan Times' National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Global changes have led to a point where watershed interventions are inevitable if the media leaders of Islamic countries as well as South Asia are to successfully survive the challenges of development and globalization over the next 50 years.

With the advent of the new century, the incursion on Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Palestine led to a conclusion that the Muslim states as well as the entire South Asian region needs better and fast communication skills for bilateral exchange of views with the rest of the world.

A global scan indicates that the Western countries are enjoying a massive expansion of media outlets in the context of convergence of media and other technologies along with hike of multi-skills of journalists and an orientation to servicing international markets. In contrast, South Asian media remains meek and weak, fragmented and localized.

Pakistan government's initiative of Media University is a timely leap into the future to cater to the dire needs of the media regime in shortest possible period of time.

President Pervez Musharraf has introduced an enabling environment in the country that led to a booming electronic media rise in Pakistan. The media-friendly policies of the government made this elevation easier for the media sector.

The latest technology enables country's media houses to leapfrog over the analogue equipment phase, and an associated spirit of media entrepreneurship can be traced within the country.

Pakistan, under the visionary leadership of President Pervez Musharraf, has unveiled a major leap towards setting up of the first-ever Media University of South Asian region.

This would also be the first media varsity within entire Muslim World which is reflective of the statesmanship of the President.

The gigantic task of the media university has been designated to no one else than dynamic Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani.

The Minister has almost completed his homework and the university would be launched in September this year.

"The Media University would be the first-ever media varsity not only in the Muslim World but entire South Asian region and it would be at par with the international standards.

This modern institution would be a joint venture of the Ministry of I&B and Higher Education Commission (HEC). The university would cater to the growing needs of well-trained media professionals and would play a pivotal role in the development of media sector," said Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz are committed to the freedom and development of the media sector and new initiatives are being taken to facilitate the journalist community to make this sector more dynamic and vibrant, he said and added that the varsity would bring a revolution in the communication sector.

"The matters pertaining to faculty members, courses, education and other facilities as per modern trends have also been finalized. The university would also collaborate with the leading international media varsities for short-listing of courses, faculty members and other relevant areas so as the students could be imparted quality education at par with the international standards.," said the Minister and added that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure the capacity-building of the media professionals and provision of better human resource as well as infrastructure in the media sector.

It has been learnt that the Ministry of I&B would soon launch DTH (Direct to Home) Service in collaboration with the private sector which would introduce revolution in the field of information in Pakistan.

"As the media is most powerful medium of the modern age, the varsity would prove to be a milestone in producing well-trained journalists. It would also cater to the growing needs of the present and future in the field of communication. The government would strengthen the media sector upto a level that no future government would be able to suppress it," he said.

The university would specifically meet the growing needs of electronic media and skilled and innovative professionals from Pakistan and other Muslim states and the entire region would be able to harness their abilities, he added.

As per the available details, the University would be established in the federal capital, having its satellite campuses in all the four provincial headquarters. Initially, faculties of Mass Communication and Media Development, Acoustics and Broadcasting, Performing Arts and Media Technology, and Digital Media and Graphics would be introduced.

It has also been learnt that the Government of Pakistan is considering possible collaboration with the Communication University of China and Colorado University of USA. The international experts would soon visit Pakistan to give their valuable input in this regard.

The Information Minister said that the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) has already launched pilot project of Electronic News Gathering (ENG) which aims at providing electronic feed and visual service to the private TV channels.

The Minister said this service would soon be expanded to the district level. To a question, Senator Durrani said that the media and development go together and the rapid national development is also linked with rapid growth of journalism in Pakistan. He said the government is actively exploring all possible options to ensure skill development and capacity building of the journalists for quality journalism in the country.

He said that Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) has decided to provide lands for the Media University and its satellite campuses in all the four provincial headquarters. Minister Information Muhammad Ali Durrani also said the government would provide scholarships to those individuals who obtain a Masters Degree in the field of journalism for acquiring the degree of PhD, thus introducing a new breed of young and dynamic journalists.

Hailing the initiative, HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman said the establishment of the Media University is a timely step into the future and the HEC would willingly provide full assistance to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in equipping the varsity with most modern equipment, faculty members and facilities at par with the international standards.●