Young Afghans Rush to Study Media

Part of InternewsNext, a series highlighting 30 youth-led media initiatives.

More than one hundred youths participated in the inaugural entrance exam to apply for Nai Media Institute’s Diploma in Media. (credit: Internews)

Journalists are faced with few opportunities in Afghanistan for increasing their knowledge and technical skills. For the first time in Afghanistan, aspiring journalists, broadcasters and media managers have the opportunity to partake in a highly practical radio, television, print and new media curriculum at the Nai Media Institute’s Diploma in Media.

More than one hundred youths participated in the inaugural entrance exam. With limited number of seats inside the Institute, some applicants had to be seated outdoors to take an open-air entrance exam. 91 students made the cut and were enrolled in the ground-breaking two-year program. The classes commenced in March 2012.

Nai Media Institute, an Internews partner, educates broadcasters equipped to face the challenges of the rapidly expanding media landscape in Afghanistan. “It is so exciting to see dedicated students choosing the Nai Media Institute for their education. The curriculum we have developed integrates radio, television and new media skills with the aim of creating media leaders of the future,” said Nai Executive Director Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar.

The institute is a first-rate training facility that provides students access to a radio station broadcasting on FM 94.1; fully-equipped radio, voiceover, and television studios; the multimedia computer lab; and a range of large and small teaching rooms for lectures and group work.

“Students practice what they learned here. As I see them put theory into practice, it makes me proud to work here," Mr. Omer Mohammady, a lecturer at the Institute.

The facilities and curriculum at the Nai Media Institute provide students with hands-on experience that ensures excellence in the next generation of journalists and broadcasters in Afghanistan. Nai is funded by the United States Agency for International Development under the Afghanistan Media Development and Empowerment Project (AMDEP) program administered by Internews.