In the spring semester of 2018, School of Journalism and Communication RUC officially launches the "Belt and Road Initiative" Global Journalism and Communication English Master Program.

This is the first full-time master's program launched for media reporters from countries and regions along the “Belt and Road Initiative” . The first batch of 17 students come from media organizations in 17 countries and regions including Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, and the Philippines.

The “Belt and Road Initiative” Global Journalism and Communication English Master Program is jointly established by School of Journalism and Communication RUC and the China Public Diplomacy Association, aiming to cultivate students’ international perspectives, academic literacy, cross-cultural communication skills, and media communication practice skills. The project is a two-year teaching system in English completely. The teachers are mainly from School of Journalism and Communication RUC. In addition to the daily teaching in classroom, there are practice sessions such as report practice, research visits, and summer internships.

At the launching ceremony on March 1, Prof. Du Peng, Vice President of Renmin University of China stated that RUC always attached great importance to communications and cooperation with countries in the Asia Pacific region and Africa. This program can further deepen the friendship among China and other nations and regions. Liu Yutong, Counselor of the Department of Public Affairs of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, believed that the launch of this project will provide journalists from various countries with more opportunities to understand China’s politics, economy, society, and culture. “In ten months, you will visit more than ten provinces in China. I believe you will benefit a lot.”

The first session student, LEMMENYANE, from Botswana’s “Sunday Standards” , hopes to get more advanced modes of communication and improve his writing skills through this program. OMUNU from the South Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation hopes to deepen communication with Chinese media and journalists and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. Phanouvong, who is from the Lao Batayan News Agency, wants to explore the reasons of the rise of China and bring the experience of China’s development to his own nation.

The "China Development Research and Media Exchange Project" was also launched on the same day at School of Journalism and Communication RUC. 46 foreign journalists from 43 countries in Africa and Asia will participate in nearly 30 cutting-edge lectures and media salons on the political, economic, social, cultural, and news media concerning China. Entrusted by the China Public Diplomacy

Association, School of Journalism and Communication RUC has undertaken these lectures and media salons since 2015. It trained 93 media reporters from 41 countries and regions along the “Belt and Road Initiative”in the last three sessions.

Since 2014, School of Journalism and Communication RUC has successively held four short-term visits and exchange programs for foreign journalists from Pakistan, Indonesia, Africa, and South Asia-Southeast Asia to promote the communication and cooperation. The People’s Daily reported this in February 2018 (People's Daily: Taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to promote the specialization of regional education personnel training), and pointed out that the “Belt and Road Initiative” countries have become the growth point of foreign students studying in China. At the same time, this practices also push colleges and universities to in line with the international standards and enhance the level of educational internationalization consciously or unconsciously.

"In the future, School of Journalism and Communication RUC will develop more global educational programs concerning journalism and communication. And the college plans to implement international projects for undergraduate, master, overseas, and cross-department in multiple dimensions. The "Belt and Road Initiative" Global Journalism and Communication English Master Program endeavors to resolve some of the problems that exist in the internationalization of tertiary education in the ‘Double-First Class’ construction”, said Professor Hu Baijing, Executive Director of School of Journalism and Communication RUC.

Professor Hubai Jing’s Views on the “Belt and Road Initiative” Global News Communication Master Program

Q: How did the "Belt and Road Initiative" Global News Communication Master Program start?

A: As reported by some media and analyzed by some experts, there are shortcomings in enhancing the “Belt and Road Initiative” education program, such as the lack of training for talents with international background, limited output of human resources and innovative technologies, which are irrelevant to higher education and vocational education courses. These are precisely the issues that journalism and communication education in Renmin University needs to solve as much as possible in promoting the internationalization of education in the construction of “Double-First Class”. In the context of exploring relevant issues, the launch of the “Belt and Road Initiative” global news communication master's program in English not only responds to national initiatives on the “Belt and Road Initiative” education, but also seeks to promote multi-civilization exchanges and cooperation.

Q: What are the main enrollment targets of the "Belt and Road Initiative" Global News Communication Master Program?

A: The students recruited are mainly the key staff of representative media of countries or regions along the “Belt and Road Initiative”. This is committed to solving the problem in the development of the “Belt and Road Initiative” education, that is, “Educational exchanges are mainly transporting students abroad. In this way, Chinese culture outputted is fragmental, and the output of human resources and innovative technologies is extremely limited.”

The media is the ambassador of the dialogue of civilizations, and it is the bridge linking multiculturalism, the community of human civilization, and individuals in the era of globalization. The enrollment targets of this project are of particular importance. They are lighting people who can illuminate the parts of human civilization that most need to communicate and cooperate.

Q: What are the main characteristics or goals of the “Belt and Road Initiative” Global News Communication Master Program?

A: This master's degree program is based on the college’s continuous mid- and short-term training, relying on the media for in-depth exchanges of different countries and different civilizations, and focusing on long-term strategic cooperation. The most important goal of the project is the sharing of the culture, the improvement of vocational concepts and professional competence. It is different from the basic curriculum and responds to the reform of vocational education reform. In the process of this project, we share the public opinion work of Chinese media, especially the concept and experience of the new media with foreign practitioners. And at the same time, we learn from them the unique experiences and practices in their countries or regions. Such a master's degree program not only mutually promotes the professional development in the field of journalism, but essentially improves the communication and exchange of culture between different countries.

Q: What is your expectation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" Global English Communication Master Program and students of it?

A: I hope that through this project, students from all countries will be able to fully understand China and truly report and evaluate China. We also hope that we can understand the true media environment and the real world through them. This is a process of mutual listening and equal talking. There is nothing more fundamental and more important than maintaining an effective dialogue among civilizations.