Professor Georgette Wang, dean and chair professor of the School of Communications, Hong Kong Baptist University

The reality of the global village is here to stay. Satellite link-ups, 24-hour news channels and immediate online access to up-to-the-minute reports about what is happening on the other side of the world. These are now an accepted part of our everyday lives and have created a new demand for media professionals able to satisfy the insatiable hunger for information.

In Hong Kong, with its strategic location in China and at the heart of Asia, a vision to become a true hub of the global media community is taking shape. And, it is acknowledged that the support of local universities will be needed to train aspiring journalists for a career in the media spotlight.

The vision is, perhaps, exemplified by the appointment of Professor Georgette Wang as dean and chair professor of the School of Communication at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). The Paris-born and US-educated media scholar has researched and written widely on the impact of globalisation within her field and can now put some of her ideas into practice.

Explaining the school's role, Professor Wang says, "Our goal is to serve the media and communications industries in Hong Kong and beyond." Pointing out that many media companies are now transnational businesses, she adds, "We see ourselves as a local institution within the global scheme of things and make sure we do not miss out on the larger picture, by focusing too narrowly."

The school's prime objective is to train students to be good communicators which is essential in any media role, says Professor Wang. This skill will be of use not only in the media but also within the community and in many other types of work. Professor Wang's own case serves as an example: her training was in journalism but she became an academic administrator. "The training, though, was not wasted," she says. "It taught me to think clearly, organise my ideas and write well."

After a spell as a professional journalist in Taiwan, Professor Wang obtained both Master's and PhD degrees from universities in the US before taking up a series of research and teaching appointments in Hawaii, Taiwan and Hong Kong prior to accepting her current position.

To enable HKBU undergraduates to get an in-depth understanding of the fast-paced media world, the School of Communication offers a choice of five areas of specialisation: journalism, cinema and television (CTV), digital graphic communication, PR and advertising and applied communication studies. The journalism option is further sub-divided into three concentrations covering broadcast, Chinese and English language journalism.

The curriculum is designed to cover both professional skills and conceptual studies and there are also programmes for postgraduates. Unsurprisingly, most of those studying for a Master's degree already have a few years' work experience behind them.

"They have hands-on experience but realise they need to understand the theoretical framework so as to have a more comprehensive view of things," notes Professor Wang. "Undergraduates, on the other hand, are more interested in skills-oriented courses, which will help them to get a first job, and prefer modules which give a head start for their professional education."

Professor Wang is constantly considering areas for possible improvement. "We are now looking at changes in the curriculum to allow for a minor in another subject," she reveals. "A larger percentage of course units could be in complementary studies in order to give students a broader perspective." Students of cinema and television might take literature or music as a minor; those taking newspaper journalism might pick business or sports.

The school also intends to accept more students from around the region, including from mainland China and Malaysia. The CTV department, in particular, recognises the large market that Greater China represents and is keen to establish closer contacts overseas. The first evidence of this new approach is that applications from 23 mainland students are now being considered.

Course information

Jobs for all A graduate employment survey done by HKBU Student Affairs Department shows that, of the HKBU School of Communication's 152 graduates in 2002 all, besides those opting for further education, quickly moved into full or part-time employment. The average monthly salary for those working full-time was around HK$10,500 with graduates who had majored in English language print journalism taking home the best pay. Graduates pursuing media-related jobs should be willing to gain broad-based experience by, for example, working in print journalism before moving into television, or starting off with a Chinese language publication, even though their preference may be to write in English. The overwhelming majority of holders of journalism degrees begin as reporters, producers or anchors for the Hong Kong media before moving up. Those taking the CTV course option find work in film, video production and television as well as in arts administration and education. Digital graphic communication graduates usually go into anything requiring computer-mediated communication technology with jobs as 3D animators, interaction designers, information architects and graphic designers. There are openings for those who specialise in applied communication studies as communication officers in private or public organisations while graduates equipped with the PR and advertising major are generally snapped up by the bigger advertising companies or can put their PR skills to use as media relations officers, copywriters or account executives.

Taken from Career Times 2004/04/23