January 28, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 08, 1428

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LAHORE: Jan 27: The Punjab University’s institute of communication studies (ICS) and Oslo University College’s (OUC) faculty of journalism, library and information science, Norway, have entered into an agreement to facilitate exchange of faculty and students to promote research and developments.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by ICS director and faculty of behavioural and social sciences dean Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh and OUC’s journalism faculty director Trine Sofie Mathiesen here on Saturday.

Ms Mathiesen was accompanied by OUC’s faculty members Dr Thore Roksvold and Dr Robert W. Vaagan.

The OUC comprises 27 public sector colleges and has a total enrolment of about 10,000 students.

Talking to Dawn, the visiting delegates said both the institutions were already collaborating under a Letter of Intent but this MoU would strengthen relations in a big way.

“As there is a sizeable Pakistani community living in Norway, it is very important to make collaborations here in Pakistan to enhance inter-cultural understanding and dialogue.”

“There is such a huge Pakistani community in Norway that sometimes Norwegian politicians come to Pakistan for their election canvassing campaign,” they said.

As the collaboration between the two institutes would grow, vice-dean Dr Roksvold said the next logical step would be harmonisation of curricula by adding text and titles from set of courses being offered at the ICS. He said the exchange programme for faculty as well as postgraduate students would be in place in a year.

Last year, the delegates said, OUC’s Prof Elizabeth had visited and served the ICS for over four months, while

Prof Mugheesuddin Sheikh had served the OUC. They said the students had taken Prof Sheikh’s lectures very well, which sometimes continued for over three hours.

Recognising the educational and cultural exchanges that can be achieved, they said both the institutions would develop further mutual understanding and undertake all those measures to boost the exchange programme. These institutions would also offer working facilities for visiting faculty members and students.

The MoU said both the institutions would be required to review the exchange programme on a regular basis to make appropriate modifications and identify new opportunities for cooperation in research and development and exchange of students.

Answering a question, the delegation members said there were around five per cent Pakistani students studying media and journalism at OUC. They said Pakistani students were more inclined towards disciplines like medicine, pharmacy, bio-technology and engineering. However, Dr Roksvold said this trend was now changing and more and more students from Pakistani community were joining the journalism programme.

Dr Roksvold said the faculty of journalism in collaboration with Sweden’s Orebro University was offering a two-year programme in global mass communication for foreign students. He said the Pakistani students having done their three-year bachelors degree could apply for the programme.

Dr Vaagan said the delegation was impressed to see that local newspapers were very vibrant as they carried international reporting and pictures. In Norway, he said, regional and local newspapers were doing well, while net journalism was in high demand. He said his college was also offering net journalism and video journalism.

The delegates said they had visited the institute and were very much impressed to see the facilities and equipment in its different sections, including PU Radio FM 104.6, TV studio, audio video/computer lab and post production unit of PU TV.

They said facilities at the ICS were on a par with the educational facilities at OUC and other European universities.

They said they had also received briefing from Prof Sheikh about institute’s PhD, MPhil, Masters and BS (Honours) degree programmes.

Prof Sheikh told the delegates that the institute was also offering market-oriented postgraduate diplomas in TV production and multimedia arts. He said the institute had won Unesco award for PU Radio’s performance at Azad Jammu and Kashmir after catastrophic earthquake two years ago.

He said the institute had already developed internship linkage with leading media organisations at home and abroad. The DW Radio and TV had offered internship programme for the ICS students, which could turn into a job contract for those who would excel during the internship.

The delegates said they had also met vice-chancellor Arshad Mahmood as well as interacted with the ICS faculty members.