AUC witnesses the graduation of two cohorts of the Digital Media Diploma
AUC witnesses the graduation of two cohorts of the Digital Media Diploma (DMD).
On Tuesday, September 19, The Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated the graduation of the fifth and sixth cohorts of the Digital Media Diploma.
The graduation ceremony took place at the AUC’s Bassily Auditorium and was attended by the Dean of GAPP School, Noha El-Mikawy, the center’s director Hussein Amin and keynote speaker Samir Omar, who is the bureau chief of Sky News Arabia in Cairo, along with DMD instructors, media professionals, the diploma graduates and their families.
During her speech, El-Mekkawi expressed her happiness at the graduation of the fifth and sixth batches, stressing her full respect and appreciation for the media due to the important role it plays in shaping public opinion and illuminating the way for decision-makers, as well as defending rights and reminding of duties. She added that the Digital Media Diploma (DMD) contributes to honing professional and technical capabilities, enabling the graduates to be leaders in the rapidly developing digital world, in addition to strengthening their ability to keep pace with the digital age and all its challenges.
For his part, Amin emphasized the excellence of the graduates of the diploma as they have received a distinguished and rich program in all digital media specializations at the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism, which is the pioneer center in digital media in the Arab world. He explained that the diploma offers an integrated academic program and competitive content that meets international and technical standards through a group of professors and specialists in the field of digital journalism, which qualifies graduates to compete strongly in the labor markets in Egypt and the Arab countries.
In the same context, Amin indicated during his opening speech that the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism is committed to providing high-quality educational and training programs to meet the needs of digital media and is also keen to update and improve the content regularly to ensure that the center remains a pioneer in media education in Egypt and the Arab region.
For her part, Dina Saad, associate director for the professional development program at the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism, confirmed that the diploma, since its launch in 2018 and over the past five years, is a unique experience that witnessed the participation of students from different nationalities and the preparation of new generations of professional journalists and media professionals in digital journalism. Hundreds of journalists and media professionals have graduated and have been qualified to meet the requirements of the labor market and achieve their professional ambitions, she added.
Meanwhile, Saad explained that the curricula were updated in 2021-2022 to maintain distinctive training content that meets international standards despite the presence of many challenges over the past years. She also extended her sincere thanks to everyone who made the diploma a pioneer, most notably the director of the Kamal Adham Center, Hussein Amin, the trainers, teaching assistants, and the work team.
During the ceremony, keynote speaker Samir Omar, Bureau Chief of Sky News Arabia in Cairo, expressed his pride in participating in the graduation ceremony, stressing that the profession of journalism is a noble profession that affects public opinion’s perceptions and decisions. Omar also explained that the presence of a digital tool contributes to the speed of delivering the message and increasing competitiveness, in addition to delivering the message to the largest segment of the public.
The keynote speaker also urged the graduates to invest in visual and digital media and understand its potential due to its great importance.
Muhammad Samir, a graduate of the sixth cohort, also gave a speech on behalf of the graduates of the Digital Media Diploma, where he explained that the Digital Media Diploma is an enjoyable journey that extended for more than a year to gain experiences that helped the graduates overcome the fear of keeping up with the new digital world. He also pointed out that this journey was successful thanks to the clear, organized and sequential scientific content with the help of specialists who enjoy practical competence and scientific experience, a matter that had a profound impact on the development of their practical journey.
A total of 64 students graduated from the Digital Media Diploma’s two cohorts. They are mainly from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Libya, and Tunisia.
During the graduation ceremony, the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism honored all of the DMD instructors and teaching assistants as a recognition of their contribution and constant support to the Digital Media Diploma.