Special Courses in Communication and Media at Pwani University
It’s a wrap!
First semester of the Special Courses in Communication and Media at Pwani University successfully completed
To conclude the successful first semester, a virtual wrap-up event took place on November 29th in the framework of the MCM project. MCM is a project from the University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe (HKA) from Germany in cooperation with Pwani University (PU) Kilifi in Kenya, which is sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
3 months of virtual teaching
Starting in September 2022, a total of 26 teaching units in 3 different modules took place within the framework of the Special Courses in Communication and Media. These “Special Courses” serve as a pilot project for the introduction of the Masters in Communication and Media at PU in September 2023. 12 students participated in the Special Courses and therefore are pioneers. They come from different fields of study such as Tourism Management and Hospitality, Business Management, English and Literature, Kiswahili, and IT and have taken the courses in addition. During the past semester, they gained skills in Technical Communication such as Social Media Management, Visualisation, Content Management, User Experience, Information Development and many more.
Since the 11 lecturers of the courses come mainly from Germany, Ireland and Switzerland, a majority of the courses took place virtually. Teaching in a virtual setting always comes with challenges. Nevertheless, through preparation of interactive content, the lecturers managed to inspire and motivate the students to participate.
Two lectures could be successfully realised on-site which was very welcomed by the students and provided extra fun.
Virtual wrap-up event with all lecturers, students, and organisational team
To wrap up the first semester and also celebrate the success together, a virtual event was held on November 29th 2022. 26 participants, including the students, lecturers and the organisational team were present. Together they reflected on the past semester and their achievements. Consistently positive feedback from the students confirmed the opinion of the team, that such an offer of courses with international lecturers is unique so far. The students have gained valuable skills in different areas, with which they can stand out from other applicants on the job market. “This has been an experience of a lifetime. I have gained a lot of skill that I could apply in my field of study as well as personal life…”, Victoria Mutune, one of the pioneer students expresses. In addition to the academic learning, deep friendships have also developed. Project leader Prof. Sissi Closs from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences concludes: “It is amazing how motivated the students were to participate in the courses and overcome any difficulties that arose. And we as a project team have also learned important things from the first pilot round, which will help us to improve the planned Masters.” Thank you to all students for their commitment and to the lecturers who made this success possible.
In January 2023, the second semester of the Special Courses will start, in which the content of the first semester will be further deepened. In September 2023, the Masters in Communication and Media will then officially start as the first study programme in this field in Kenya.
Published on December 5th 2022.
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