CARIMAC Open Week to showcase student productions

CARIMAC will host its inaugural open week during May 11 to 14, 2010 at the Faculty of Humanities and Education on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).  The aim of the event is to allow final year students to present their work to various special interest groups including media and communication industry representatives, prospective employers, future students of media and communication who would like to find out more about what is involved in the CARIMAC programme.

According to Dr. Canute James, Director of CARIMAC, “The open week is an activity geared towards not only helping our current students establish a link for professional reasons but also giving us a chance to showcase our students’ work in an organized week of activities.” In the past various groups of students would stage presentations specific to their particular area of study in media and communication. With the advent of the CARIMAC Open Week, the presentations are scheduled during the final week of the academic semester giving all a chance to attend each other’s presentations.

The inaugural event, which is being held under the theme “Promoting Media and Communication Scholarship”, will showcase the work of students in the various academic programmes offered by the Institute.  In the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts programme in Media and Communication, final-year productions from the specializations in Print and Online Journalism, Broadcast Journalism- Radio and Television, and Multimedia will be featured. Students of Social Marketing and Public Relations will also present their work on various campaigns and special events they implemented during the academic year.

In the graduate Masters of Arts programmes in Communication Studies and Communication for Social and Behaviour Change, both graduates and finalizing students will present their research projects. The projects cover topics ranging from emergency response communication during disasters to the use of information communication technology in agriculture.

In addition to the student presentations, faculty members of CARIMAC will also present their current research. At this year’s open week, faculty research on financial journalism, alternative media and investigating information-seeking habits will be highlighted.  The week will end with a special session on the use of social media in training in media and communication featuring a panel of social media and education technology specialists and CARIMAC graduates.

CARIMAC is the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication. It is the department responsible for academic education and training programmes in media and communication at the University of the West Indies. It caters to students mainly from the English-speaking Caribbean.  The CARIMAC Open Week is being promoted as an annual event to be held the second week of May, the usual end to the second semester at the UWI, Mona Campus.

For further information, please contact, Olivia Bravo, Marketing Officer at CARIMAC.  Telephone: 9772111.