By Kiana Magdalova

The long-expected future has come! The arrival of the digital future was announced officially to the media on 5 November in the Congregation Hall at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) under “Life Gets Better from Yesterday” Project. This sensational statement directly referred to media representatives with 25 of them having become students of the new Digital Future of Journalism program.

Digital Future of Journalism program is a joint project of SCM’s Corporate Foundation for Development of Ukraine (areas of activity: contemporary education, health of the nation, cultural heritage) and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. As founders of the project say, the project is supposed to initiate better practices making the basis for the development of a new society.

The program represents a 10-month post-graduation course for journalists. The study is free of charge. Once individual media projects are presented successfully, the students will receive certificates, although the program doesn’t provide any degree or credit. Under the program the students will learn the latest international media practices and convergence (diverse technologies merging as a result of their rapid development and interaction). This cost-consuming program (investments made by Foundation this year have come up to approximately UAH 2.8m., financing will continue within the following 3 years) might be an undeclared preparation of the Ukrainian society for a wide interest to the media market on the part of powerful holdings.

Founders of the program took the responsibility to declare that it would not be a copy of dedicated trainings conducted by wide range of Ukrainian and international organizations. The program is intended for specialists aged under 35 with 1-3 years of media experience. Expertise and resources accumulated by Mohyla journalism school as well as experience of the invited international lecturers will help ensure that student knowledge and skills meet the best global standards. This will improve professionalism of the Ukrainian media industry.

The media have already paid significant attention to the project, which is evident judging by the high demand and big number of applicants. Moreover, the media covered the course and conditions of the contest as well as all project events. (The next issue will feature interview with S.M. Kvit, president of NaUKMA).

Address of Sergey M. Kvit (president of NaUKMA) to journalists:

“You all work in media and you know that it is hardly possible to launch a new media project on time. This is something from science fiction. So, it was not an easy matter for us to complete preparation of the present project in a timely manner. I will tell you a secret – project managers have left the lecture room, which will see first project students, at 4 a.m. today. Many times did I emphasize the crucial importance of the project. I am a journalist myself, Vyacheslav S. Bryukhovetsky, sitting next to me here is a journalist too. Moreover, the project is not just intended for individuals. It is vital for NaUKMA in general as it confirms our achievements in the area of establishing a new generation of professionals and journalists in particular”.

Vyacheslav S. Bryukhovetsky (honorary president of NaUKMA and president of Kyiv Mohyla Academy Revival Charitable Foundation):

“I believe we have opened this new school of journalism just on time, I don’t mean the physical ability to enter the lecture room, I mean vital significance of the school. These days journalism is open, but to my mind the freedom we enjoy opens the way to being irresponsible, unscrupulous and shallow. I don’t favor restoring censorship and total control, for I have experienced it myself. New media appear and thus responsibility of every journalist increases. To my mind, your study at this school will encourage your new creativity”.

Svetlana Panyushkina (Project Manager of Foundation for Development of Ukraine):

“We have been working on the program for a year involving worldwide known media consultants and setting the tasks for them – to define problems of the contemporary Ukrainian media market, analyze its current needs, and establish conditions which will be a powerful incentive for development of the media sector. The result of their efforts is the program which we are opening for our students. The program is focused on digital technologies, but we will not just teach to use digital technologies. We aim to show how to create a new content and a new audience by means of these technologies and satisfy its information needs. Wide interest of applicants signals the program was launched just on time. The committee had to consider a lot of applications. We are not going to stop at what we’ve achieved so far”.