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SAE Institute Announces International Launch of New 'Digital Journalism' Programme

SAE Institute Dubai, the world's largest creative media educator, today announced the international launch of a new Digital Journalism programme in conjunction with its industry sponsor JVC Professional.

The details of the programme were announced at a press conference in Dubai. The event was attended by Romy Hawatt, Senior Executive of the SAE Group; Guy Warrington, British Consul-General; Professor Zbys Klich, Director of Academic Affairs at SAE Group; Christopher Darnley, General Manager-MEA, JVC Professional; and Ahmad Al Hammadi, Assistant Executive Director of Support Services, Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI).

Commencing in Dubai on 25 April, the new course will be progressively rolled out in the UK, Germany and the US where it is scheduled for launch in October 2010. Other SAE locations in Europe and Asia will subsequently follow.

Guy Warrington, British Consul-General, said: "It seems inevitable that within a few years the vast majority of people in the developed world will carry some form of mobile communication device at all times. This trend will almost certainly rapidly spread into the developing world. This desire to receive instant reports and information will likely drive the demand for more Digital Journalists to create and collate content and broadcast rapidly from just about any location.

"Digital Journalism is highly applicable to the modern world, and, as the representative of the British Government, I'm delighted to be here today in support of SAE. The company has strong ties to the UK, and our cutting edge creative environment. It's great to see them launch this new strand of their innovative education programme."

Occasionally referred to as 'backpack journalism', digital journalism is a growing profession that sees independent journalists traveling to all corners of the globe to file their stories.

Romy Hawatt said: "We live in a world hungry for 24/7 news. Generating a constant flow of information calls for increased mobility, flexibility, quality and speed of delivery - factors that all come under the spectrum and scope of the new age digital journalist.

"Be it news, lifestyle, current affairs, or travel, it is a fact that the capacity to quickly capture, collate, edit and distribute information is significantly altering the style of reporting and programming globally. We recognize this need and opportunity and our new Digital Journalism courses are designed to train new-comers as well as skilled professional journalists. We believe this will help and enhance industry standards and create employment opportunities at numerous levels."

The press conference included a panel discussion on how digital journalism is contributing to the development of the media and communications industry globally. Ahmad Al Hammadi, Assistant Executive Director of Support Services, Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI, was among the experts who shared their views.

SAE's partnership with JVC Professional will allow students to utilize state-of-the-art technology to hone their technical skills in digital film as well as photography, sound and video editing, podcasting and blogging. Upon commencement of studies, each SAE student will receive a JVC HD digital video camera along with a MacBook Pro laptop equipped with the latest editing software.

Romy Hawatt added: "The seismic shift from the big expensive crews to individuals properly trained and educated in Digital Journalism will open a new world of opportunity. At SAE, we promise to produce a new era of writer, director, camera and sound operator, production assistant, producer, editor and dispatcher all rolled into one. Who knows, we may even completely redefine the role of the traditional journalist altogether."

Christopher Darnley, General Manager-MEA, JVC Professional, said: "SAE Institute Dubai is the leading creative media education provider in the world, and we are honoured to partner with them. Its educational programmes are in line with our products and technologies. The digital journalism course, in particular, is a perfect match for our company's products as the students will benefit from our seamless integration with the latest non-linear softwares."

Upon completion of the one-year programme, students will receive a professional diploma that will enable them to pursue a career in a vast number of areas including, news, lifestyle, special interest, publishing, online portals and broadcast such as radio or TV etc. This may be done as an employee or a freelancer.

Further information is available on dubai.sae.edu.

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Abou SAE
Established in 1976, SAE Institute is the world's largest and most prominent Creative Media education & training provider, located in 50 cities and 23 countries with world headquarters in Oxford England. SAE Institute graduates are prominent in the film and music industries, and many have achieved international acclaim, earning Oscar, BAFTA, AFI and ARIA awards.

SAE Dubai opened its doors October 2005 offering certificates, diplomas and degrees in the fields of Film Making, 3D Animation, Multimedia, Web Design and Audio Engineering.

SAE Dubai is endorsed by the Dubai University Quality Assurance Board (UQAIB) and a licensed member of Dubai's Department of Education, Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA), and its Film and Audio programmes are accredited by the New South Wales Department of Education in Australia.

SAE Institute also offers specialist business-to-business training and consulting services to all government and non government organisations via its Corporate Training Division.

For more information about the SAE institute, please visit www.sae.edu or call 800SAE.

For further information please contact:
Dina Samhout
Account Manager
Jiwin Public Relations
Tel: +971 4 375 5247
Fax: +971 4 368 8001
Email: dina.samhout@jiwin.ae

© Press Release 2010