Media students to hone their skills as members of Media Association

Miri – 17 April, 2012 – A new club exclusively for students taking the Mass Communication course at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) was launched at the university campus recently.

Called the Media Association, it was formed with the support of the School of Business, and particularly its Department of Media, Culture and Communication, to give the students an avenue to apply what they learn in the classroom and hone their technical skills in the areas of cinematography, video editing, photography and journalism.

The launching was attended by the Dean of the School of Business, Professor Francois Therin; Head of the Department of Media, Culture and Communication, Ngu Ik Ying; as well as other media lecturers and about 35 media students.

In his speech during the launching, Professor Therin said he hoped the students would take full advantage of the learning opportunities the new club presents to give themselves that added edge when seeking jobs after graduation.

Professor Therin also assured the association that it will have the continued support of the School of Business for all its activities. Ngu and media lecturer Tharshni Kumarasamy have been appointed advisors to the Media Association.

Echoing Therin’s sentiments, Ngu said the media association was a new initiative by the Department of Media, Culture and Communication to provide a platform for students to engage in media-related extracurricular activities and she encouraged the students to make the most of the opportunity to further develop their skills and experience.

The newly-installed president of the Media Association, Amy Lim, announced that the club is planning an educational trip to Singapore for its members, as well as media workshops and practical outings in its programme of activities for the year.

Members can take up one or more practical lessons in the fields of cinematography, video editing, photography and journalism offered by the club. The committee members in charge of the fields will serve as supervisors to guide newer members in acquiring and developing technical skills in their respective areas.

The Department of Media, Culture and Communication in Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business, was originally set up in 2003. In the years since, it has been growing steadily in terms of staff and student numbers, and has established a reputation nationally of being a leader in media studies, particularly in the field of cinematography.

Its courses are technology-centred and give students real opportunities to work with commercial-level equipment and produce real work for print, film and television. As the courses provide ample opportunities for practical learning and exposure to industry practices, students can build substantial portfolios of work experience even before they graduate. In addition, academic staff maintain close contact with industry, ensuring the courses are at the cutting edge.

Curtin Sarawak’s media students have won numerous national awards and prizes for short films and documentaries in film competitions such as the AFP Short Film Awards, Program Karyawan Muda, Detik-detik MH, IGEM Dare to Dream Challenge and MUFORS Road Reels Short Film Competition – a testimony to the high quality of teaching and learning within the Department of Culture, Media and Communication.

Media Association President Amy Lim giving her speech to the new members.

Dean of the School of Business, Professor Francois Therin, at the launching.

(L-R) Wong Kee Fong, Abel Wong, Siah Shin Ning, Joanne Ting, Amy Lim, Ngu Ik Ying, Jonathan Mah, Professor Therin, Julius Tan and Tharshni Kumarasamy launching the association.