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| Journalism Students returned from Australia with boosted confidence |
| New understanding on radio, photography, interview skills and the chance to hear from renowned international academics and journalists marked the trip of Sohar University’s journalism students to Australia. A brief meeting with the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova was one of the several highlights of the trip. The Director-General was the key note speaker at the UNESCO PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2010 conference organized by the University of Queensland and the School of Journalism and Communication. |
This year the conference theme was Freedom of Information: the Right to Know. More than 300 participants attended the Global Conference held early May in Brisbane. In 2009 in Doha, Qatar, the annual conference focused on the importance of media in communicating across cultural differences.
During the two-day convention the Sohar University students had a productive get-together with Guy Berger, the head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, Grahamstown in South Africa, and one of the most active member of the World Journalism Education Council.
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Dr Ulla Carlsson, Professor and Director of the Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research and the International Cleaninghouse on Children, Youth and Media at University of Gothenburg in Sweden expressed her delight to meet the Sohar students. She was presented with a photography book illustrating Batinah region.
Enjoying a social occasion with Professor Stephen Quinn of Deakin University advanced the Sohar University’s students eagerness to make the trip a social, cultural and intellectual success. They heard experiences from the field with Nigel Brennam a freelance photojournalist recounting his suffering during the 15 months he was held hostage in Somalia.
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The students visited Channel Ten television station and participated on a 90 minutes radio programme talking about the Omani culture and the Sohar University. The students exchanged email addresses and notes with journalism and communication students from China, Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia and professionals from the Asia Pacific.
Michael Bromley, Professor and Head of the School of Journalism and Communication, together with his staff and several UQ’s post graduate students, gave full attention to Sohar University students including organising a series of tailored workshops on journalism skills. The experience boosted students’ confidence and opened doors for networking and future endeavours.
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| Professor Michael Bromley and his team together with SU students |
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| Professor Ulla Carlsson, from Sweden, with a coffee table book illustrate the Batinah region |
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| Students produced and participated on a 90’ school radio programme |
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| Professor Guy Berger, from South Africa, talking to SU students aside of the Unesco conference |
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