Expansion: QAU to establish media school

Aimed to be a top class media institute with modern facilities and top-notch faculty.

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) is set to establish what it calls a “state-of-the-art” media school. The school will be funded by foreign donors, said Dr Masoom Yasinzai, the vice chancellor (VC) of QAU, in an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune.

“Media in our country has expanded to a large extent and there is a need to bring professionalism in the field through modern technology and methods,” he said, adding that the media school was part of the university’s expansion plan.

He added, “It would be a top class media institute with TV studios, radio station and other basic facilities for the students, who will be able to work in media organisations soon after completion of their studies.”

The admission policies for the school will be the same as other departments, with region-wise quotas for admissions. The university administration had held several meetings with foreign donors and the proposal will soon be made public, the VC added.

The media school will harness the university’s links with foreign universities and well-reputed faculty members from abroad will be invited to deliver lectures, he added. These professors will also train Pakistani journalists.

“We are [also] in contact with veteran Pakistani journalists to get their input in this regard,” Dr Yasinzai added.

The vice chancellor also revealed plans for law and pharmacy schools at QAU. The university has already applied for registration from Pakistan Bar Council, he said. Retired judges and senior lawyers will be part of the law school and the university will follow the coursework approved by the Higher Education Commission.

The professor said that the social sciences departments of the university were “very strong” and would be very helpful for media and law studies. The pharmacy school will start from July next year and students will be able to study towards their doctorate at the school and receive a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the end of the five-year programme.

The vice chancellor reiterated the university’s stance to be less dependent on public funds and generate funds through its own resources instead, by harnessing links with the private sector and donors.

Earlier, the university approved an engineering and medical school.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2010.