Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai yesterday launched its first Bachelors in Media classes on its new premises at the Dubai International Academic City.
Professor Gary Martin, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Murdoch University, Australia, attended the event as a special guest. The first batch of the Bachelors programme including other courses will consist of 28 students from different parts of the region.
Professor Martin said market research has revealed the need for more trained journalism professionals in the region to meet the demand from the growing media industry not only in the UAE and the Middle East but also in other surrounding areas such as India and Pakistan.
In addition to its main campus at Perth, Murdoch University has established international centres in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
"We offer our students a chance to do a double major. What we are trying to do is link courses together to study a double major, such as mass communication and commerce," said Martin
Speaking about other centres of the university, Professor Martin said: "Students in the Singapore centre or at Perth don't actually study media alone.
"They can choose to study media and commerce, environment management with public relations, or marketing management – a part of the commerce major – and media as powerful combinations that go further towards specialisation.
"Our ultimate vision is to have a range of programmes so that students can mix and match [courses] according to their professional interests." The Murdoch study centre in Dubai is currently looking at different programmes other than the traditional mass communication and commerce offerings, said Martin. "Based on market research, we hope to rather develop a course profile that meets the region's needs," he said.
The university's courses are offered in English and are licenced by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.
Professor Martin said: "This programme is not tied to a particular culture. The greater cultural diversity we have the better for our students and our staff. In fact we would love to see students from other centres coming to Dubai and vice versa, to have a media experience across Singapore, Malaysia, Australia as well as the UAE. A similar student exchange dynamics will help them know more about the media in different countries.
"We are confident that in the next few years the Middle East will witness more media organisations not only in Arabic but also in English. We believe we are one step ahead, preparing our students for the future."Institute's vision-Murdoch University International Study Centre, Dubai, is a core branch of Murdoch University based in Perth.
The Murdoch International Study Centre will offer a Bachelor of Media with specialisation in radio, and screen and sound, as well as a Bachelor of Mass Communication with specialisation in print and broadcast journalism.
Professor Martin said: "The expansion into the Middle East is in line with the university's vision to be present in different regions outside its Australia campus. The UAE was a logical choice to establish the International Study Centre due to its strong growth and the extensive government support in developing educational facilities, such as the Academic City.
" Murdoch University was founded in 1973 and currently ranks in the top eight in Australia for research intensity. The faculty at the Dubai centre consists of Australian staff, in addition to Murdoch graduates. "We are trying to ensure that staff have had some form of Murdoch experience to connect the campuses across the board," said Martin.