News

By Special Correspondent, CMU

Eight (8) Masters students of the University of Dar es Salaam School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) have joined a distinctive international exchange programme in journalism in Oslo, Norway, thanks to the Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation (NORPART) project for extending this opportunity to UDSM.

The students, who are in their second year studies of the Masters of Arts degree in Mass Communication at UDSM-SJMC, will be intensively acquainted with media-related theories and practical knowledge and skills at one of the prominent journalism higher education institutions in the Scandinavian countries, the Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet).

The eight students will attend the programme in two groups: three of them for two years, August 2022 to June 2024, which will also qualify and uniquely offer them (another) Masters degree in Journalism and Media Studies. The other five students will be there for three months, from February to April, 2023.

Speaking about the programme, the Dean of SJMC, Dr. Mona Mwakalinga said the exchange initiative was very significant to the journalism students selected in particular and SJMC in general for it will impart international knowledge and skills in media studies as well as offer useful exposure.

“We are looking forward to having our students exposed to various new skills and techniques, especially in the areas of new media and digital technologies, which are very paramount for their career and our school's practical aspects”, said Dr. Mwakalinga.

Expanding journalism and media studies horizons

Meanwhile, the project coordinator at SJMC, Dr. Eva Solomon said the 5-year (2022-2026) NORPART project whose focus is on expanding horizons in journalism and media studies aims at improving the quality of journalism especially by conducting capacity building to young journalists in various professional aspects and standards.

“The main goal of the project is to enhance the quality of higher education of journalists in six partner countries: Colombia, Nicaragua, Norway, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda through mutual students’ mobility and cooperation”, said Dr. Solomon.

She further noted that it was for the first time the School of Journalism and Mass Communication of the University of Dar es Salaam, is getting involved in this significant NORPART international project.

Dr. Solomon said the Masters students who have been selected for the programme include Theodora Uisso, Theodora Munisi and Caroline Malewo who form the group that would be in the programme for two years, and earn them another Masters degree; while those who would stay for three months in Norway include Teddy Mparanyanga, Gloria Kavishe, Theresia Mbulumi, Kennedy Phillip and Tulinkisa Ndelwa.