Getting the hands-on experience
THOSE thinking of pursuing a career in radio and film should check out the Department of Communication at HELP University (HU).
It recently launched its radio station for students who are interested in getting hands-on experience in film and radio broadcasting as a career option.
“The HELP Radio station was set up to promote learning in an exciting and appealing way, while giving students practical, hands-on experience with the latest broadcast equipment. The benefits are endless. We aim to also hone their communication, creative thinking, interviewing, research and writing skills as they are guided to broadcast on air,” said Department of Communication head Ajinder Kaur.
She added that projects in the pipeline included the broadcasting of current happenings and socioeconomic issues, holding debating and chat shows, giving students pre-recorded tutorials for various courses offered as well as gener- ating podcasts for the university website.
The idea was mooted last September with the support of HELP University vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Paul Chan and chief executive officer Datin Chan-Low Kam Yoke. The studio for radio became a reality this year.
However, as Ajinder explained, the film studio was set up in June 2012 for Communication students, complementing subjects such as Introduction to Film, Writing for Documentaries and Writing for Broadcast and New Media.
The Communication students currently use the studio for shooting short films, photography, sound recording and video editing. Both the radio and film studios are located side-by-side on the fifth floor of Wisma HELP. The radio studio has been soundproofed to ensure smooth radio broadcasts.
Radio Studio Project team leader Lau King Ming, who is also HELP University radio network president, plans to stream live broadcasts through HELP University’s website. He also hoped to expose the pioneer radio crew to training modules for the technical aspects of broadcasting and in this way, be ready to run regular broadcasts on the HELP website.
Dr Chan said he hoped that the station would be licensed to broadcast worldwide.
“The biggest portion of our budget is spent on advertising. The money could be channelled to students instead if they can come up with ideas for marketing campaigns,” said Dr Chan.
HELP’s Bachelor of Communication (Honours) is a three-year programme that emphasises on practical application in contemporary settings of the communication industry.
“Critical thinking is another recurrent component in all our communication subjects. We stress on the importance of having natural curiosity and creativity for a communication career,” Ajinder said.
“Practical training through internship is also a requirement. This guided learning experience is a culminating experience where students have the opportunity to apply the principles and skills learned and demonstrate competency under the guidance of a specialist in the field of communication,” added Ajinder.
To complement the Honours degree, HELP communication students are required to write a thesis that should essentially focus on a contemporary issue in a local setting.
Upon graduation, students will be awarded a Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Marketing Communication, Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Public Relations or Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Media Studies certificate.
The media studies programme takes an integrated approach and a broader look at media in all its forms, so that graduates are prepared for both traditional and nontraditional media careers.
With the breadth of communications careers, the market for communication graduates looks promising.
Options for credit transfer to renowned universities in Britain and Australia are also available through the Bachelor of Communications (Hons) programme pathway.
For more details on the next intake on May 13, visit www.help. edu.my, call 03-2094 2000, or e-mail marketing@help.edu.my