University of Embu launches media training course

The University of Embu has established a media training department.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Daniel Mugendi said that media training at the institution is a market-driven initiative for Embu County and the larger region.

He said the agriculture-oriented institution has ventured into different courses progressively to meet the demands of an academic thirsty population in the area.

Prof Mugendi observed that the university had grown from 2,000 students to 9,000 in five years.

“Agriculture is our core focus, but the market demands led the university management to start a media school that started with a master’s programme and a bachelor’s set to begin in September. Engineering and Medicine courses will begin by next year,” Prof Mugendi said.

Speaking at the university, the Vice-Chancellor said that the institution would soon launch a television and radio station to enable students gain practical skills while still learning.

He further added that a blended approach of online and face-to-face teaching enables the accommodation of students from across the country.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic research at the university, Prof Kiplagat Kotut, said the programme was started after research showed there was a demand for such training in the region.

“We have found out that the demand to offer the course at the bachelor’s level is also high and we are now waiting for the approval by Commission for University Education to have the first bachelor’s intake in September 2022,” Prof Kotut said.

The programme’s developer, Dr Kemunto Omoke, a linguistic and communication scholar said the programme had also integrated the aspects of ICT and modern challenges in mass communication.

“We note that the world is changing, and we need communicators who can match the new demands which learners and practitioners need to understand. It means that our graduates will now be able to perform IT functions without necessarily relying on another person,” Dr Omoke Said.