Ad-creative scholarship to elevate Sri Lankan advertising
It is hard to image a world without pictures, symbols, or signs. Visual communication is a prime directive of graphic designers. They play a key role in the transferal of information within society. AOD ( Academy of Design) - Sri Lanka's international design campus and IAAInternational Advertising Association Sri Lanka Chapter have come together to offer design degree scholarships for advertising professionals in a bid to elevate Sri Lanka's advertising standards, officials said.
One of the most advanced and internationally recognized degree programmes, AOD offers Northumbria University School of Design UK, BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree qualification which is an award winning degree programme, according to Karen Macleod, Principal of AOD.
" Ad- Creatives is AOD'S brainchild and contribution to the growth of Sri Lankan advertising industry and what we're offering the talented industry professionals is a chance to fine- tune their creative wits with a global degree programme taught by an internationally qualified faculty," Linda Speldewinde, Managing Director of AOD told the Business Times on the sidelines of the launch of this degree programme recently.
A panel consisting of AOD and IAA recommended professionals will select 10 exceptionally creative advertising professionals out of the applicants' portfolios, and they will start their education in May 2012. The programme will be structured in a part- time format so that professionals will be able to continue their careers parallel to their education. AOD will be accepting creative portfolios of advertising professionals with experience in a creative advertising/ graphics sector for three or more years. AOD will fund Rs. 1.1 million for each scholarship winner to complete their degree.
Ms Macleod noted that these scholarship winners will learn their craft which will combine creativity with commercialism, tradition with technology and information with imagination. " This degree programme aims to build professional designers and expert viual communicators revolved around the advertising industry with relevant modules ," she added.