Courtesy: The Shardans
Author: Mr. Shaheen Nazar, Senior Faculty in Department of
Mass Communication, Sharda University
Recently I accompanied my son to Delhi’s Ashoka Hotel where he was to participate in the National Youth Parliament event organized by The Times of India. Times Now was to record the debate which was later televised nationally. I was just one of many guests and barely knew anyone personally. But to my pleasant surprise I received a warm welcome by one of my students who graduated only this year. Preeti was representing her event management company which had been managing the entire event on behalf of Times of India.
For a teacher, it is a matter of great satisfaction that his students are doing well. The other day another student Prakhar Singhania visited our department as someone heading a PR company. He was in Greater Noida in connection with a business deal. He graduated in Mass Communication from Sharda last year and soon got a job in a PR firm. Less than a year on the job gave him the confidence to the extent that he decided to quit and launch his own company. He is doing so well that he was able to give job to one of his juniors and even offered internship to two others.
Shailja Shukla was a classmate of Preeti. She called us to inform that she has joined Pioneer newspaper. It may be an ordinary news for others. But for us, at the Department of Mass Communication, such pieces of information give us a sense of pride and strength. It’s a matter of great satisfaction that most of our students who graduated and post-graduated during the last two years have either got jobs or launched their own ventures.
The Department of Mass Communication was perhaps the smallest unit when Sharda University was launched in 2009. It had no identity of its own as it was part of the School of Business Studies. Those who chose to become part of the department had to struggle for recognition even within the campus. Four years down the lane it is part of a separate school that goes by the name School of Art, Design and Media Studies.
With the strength of nearly 150 students, a fully developed studio for audio and video productions, a computer lab for print productions and a strong team of experienced faculty, the department can boast of a name of its own.
Our students have been doing internships in major media houses since day one. This year BBC and Hindustan Times were added to the list, besides production houses of Mumbai and Delhi. Two of the MJMC students who worked with BBC were the happiest persons in our department. Apparently, they did well to the extent that the period of their internship was extended to two months, although from our side the requirement was only for one month. Another student sent to India News for internship was offered job even though he is yet to complete his studies. Same is the case with two other students who were sent to production houses in Mumbai and Delhi. Both of them were requested to extend the period of their stay and offered jobs once they finish their education.
The Shardans newspaper produced by Mass Comm students is another development that deserves special mention. Started as a two-page practice journal, it has evolved into a publication that has caught everyone’s imagination throughout the university. With color printing, it has emerged as some sort of a face of the university.
The credit for everything that we have achieved so far goes to our students. Let’s take this as a milestone and set new goals
