A fine blend of theoretical and practical learning proves instrumental for a successful career in media, says Dean

In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Dean of Heritage Institute of Management and Communication, Vijay Prakash talks at length about the scope of their Journalism and Mass Communication programme. Moreover, he discusses various initiatives taken by the institute that helps students realise their true potential and enhance their creativity. Professor Prakash has vast academic and industrial experience. He is also a Member of the Awards Selection Committee of the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, Department of Science and Technology.

Read the excerpts of the interview below:

Q: What are the salient features of the teaching methodology adopted by your college? How does this differ from others?

A: In addition to classroom studies, we leverage holistic learning through educational tours, outdoor shoots, parliament visits, and live interviews of parliamentarians, celebrities, and public figures. We give special emphasis on the practical implementation of various rules and concepts through group tasks and case studies. Self-assessment using individual assignments is also a regular practice here. Students take frequent lectures to hone their computer and language skills in labs and social classes. The live studio exposure is another remarkable feature to improve students’ presentation skills. And, in all the media and journalism courses at HIMCOM, industry experts conduct interactive training programmes to accentuate the students’ personality.

Q: How are you preparing your students to be Industry ready?

A: HIMCOM focuses on 360-degree learning. On the one hand, students get opportunities to realise their academic & professional potentials under the mentorship of highly experienced faculty; on the other hand, they regularly interact with industry stalwarts and get real exposure. A fine blend of theoretical and practical learning proves quite instrumental in beginning a successful career in media. Besides, students enjoy an ideal learning environment to nurture their overall personality. Therefore, one of our greatest priorities is to equip our campus with state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced learning devices, and a wide range of resources that support students throughout their academic careers and bring a remarkable difference in their learning experience. Also, they get practical exposure in the state-of-the-art TV Studios, TV Newsrooms, Assignment Desks, Output Desks, NRCS (Newsroom Computerized Systems), Ingest Department, the Teleport system of News Time 24×7.

Q: What are the qualities you are looking for in student applicants? What qualities do they need to do well in your course?

A: First of all, a candidate should have the passion for media and journalism; it shouldn’t be their second choice. Then, we check their level of interest through the All India Mass Communication Aptitude Test (AIMCAT). In this test, their awareness about General Awareness, Social Dynamics, and Social History is examined with objective as well as subjective questions. The question paper also comprises questions on Public Debates knowledge, International Affairs, Current Affairs, Analytical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, Language Proficiency, and Comprehensions. Regarding their enhanced performance, while taking up the course, they must attend the classes regularly, actively participate in group assignments, extract the very best from the training programmes, and must follow the suggestions for their teachers and mentors.

Q: How do you ensure that your course curriculum is up to date and meets industry requirements?

A: At HIMCOM, we boast of the curriculum and pedagogy that keep us ahead of the competitors and help our students to shine while pursuing their professional goals. In Delhi-NCR, we are the pioneers of making media education most advanced and futuristic. HIMCOM is proud of having some precious gems of society in its advisory board. They are all seasoned professionals from diverse backgrounds and hold significant positions in their respective fields. Time to time, they share their valuable suggestions and recommendations with us which help the college in developing the most relevant and updated curricula for various courses. Besides, we participate in various national and international conferences, seminars, and webinars to keep ourselves updated regarding the most recent trends and developments in the industry and according we update the syllabi.

Q: Is your college receptive to innovation, technology, science & entrepreneurship? How? Could you cite some examples of these?

A: At HIMCOM, we boost students to experiment and innovate with different forms of communications and help them explore their creativity to the fullest. Our labs and studios are equipped with cutting-edge gadgets and devices like I-MaC and MAC Pro Editing Machines with FCP (Final Cut Pro), Sony 4K Camera & Studio DSR Cameras. We also have fully-equipped studios with Online Edit, Graphics, PCR and MCR, Offline Video Editing Bay for news, documentary, short-films, ad-films, corporate films, IT Centre for online research, content writing, online publishing, web journalism, graphics, page-layout & design for printed media, and a lot more.