Kenyan participants during a session with executives of Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College (SFTC) in China. Photo/COURTESY.
SHANGDONG, China, Sept 14 – A three-week seminar for journalists and media professionals of Kenyan journalists and other media professionals organised by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China has yielded a long-term cooperation, that is aimed at knowledge sharing.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, Vice -President of Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College that organised the three-week trip, Professor Zhou Houcai, said that Kenya and Africa by extension is a good friend for China and pledged the institution’s continued cooperation with African countries.
He also challenged the 21 participants to take advantage of the better knowledge of China they have acquired during their three-week study tour in their work and contribute to promoting friendly cooperation between China and African Countries.
“I hope you can be the image of the cooperation between China and Kenya in the news media. Our College will continue to devote itself to the development and innovation of radio and television trainings to meet the opportunities brought by new technologies,” he said.
“First I hope you will take back and apply the knowledge and skills that you have collected and learned from here and keep in touch with our professors, the media managers to share your achievements and experiences. I also hope you will bring your advice, expertise and techniques of news media back to China,” Vice President of SFTC told the 21 media representatives who included editors, journalists and officials from government departments, including regulatory organs involved in the new media such as the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK).
Capital FM’s Associate Editor Laban Wanambisi, who wrote this article, took part in the visit.
Kenyan journalists and media professionals pose for a photo with officials from Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College. /COURTESY.
The core topics deliberated on included the Introduction of China’s National Conditions, Media Fusion Status and Future in the Background of Globalization, the Communication Art of All-media against the Background of Globalization, The International View of Media Integration in the All-Media Age, News Transmission in the World, Practice and Thinking of News Broadcasting of State News Agency, Application of New Technology of VR/AR and 5G in News Broadcasting, Current Situation and Future of China-Africa Film and Television Exchanges.
From 2012 to date, officials said, SFTC has successfully organised over 90 foreign aid training courses for 2,075 participants from 106 countries.
Former Capital FM Deputy News Editor and Anchor Laura Walubengo was named as the Country’s Contact Representative.
Walubengo, who is currently the New Media Community Manager at CGTN, will among other things be responsible for enhancing communication flow between the College and media enterprises in Kenya and will be the principle point-person during the organization of return visits by the College officials to Kenya.
The contact Person will also cultivate overseas business representatives or managers for enterprises from both sides; conducting ChinaAid training programs for Kenya and establishing an investment and trade platform between Shandong Province and the News Media in Kenya.
“This is a reflection of true friendship between the two countries. The visit has increased our interest in the role China is playing in developing and building a strong and productive relationship with our homeland as we recognize that our value as partners is based on our enduring ability to unite and achieve sustainable development goals,” Walubengo said following her appointment.
Hellen Maina, a News Producer with Royal Media Services, who delivered an appreciation speech on behalf of the group said the visit was not only for sight-seeing but also aimed at developing a long-lasting networking relationship geared at utilizing the skills and experiences gained in China.
“A combination of classroom discussion and field visits were also applied to the programs; participants have chance to visit Shandong Internet Media Group, Rong Media Centre, Phoenix, Qingdao Televison Station, among other broadcasters and media houses in Beijing and media enterprises and industrial parks,” she said.
Participants had study tours to Beijing, and Qingdao, Shandong Province to enable them have a better understanding of historical sites of the cities and get the whole picture of China’s media landscape under the converged media background.
Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College (SFTC) is a state institute of higher education under the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province, whose strength lies in its professional expertise in cultivating talents for international trade and foreign languages service.
As an affiliate of the provincial Department of Commerce, it has been working in close partnership with foreign trade companies in the province and constantly upgrading its expertise in foreign trade.
STFC, which was founded in 1964 as one of the earliest schools in China, specializes in international business education.
It currently offers three-year full-time programs and various short-term part-time training programs, and serves as an e-learning outlet for several universities, with recent focus on outsourcing training, named as an Outsourcing Talents Training Base of Shandong Province.
2014 and 2016 witnessed the establishment of Tai’an Campus and an off-site campus in the US, officials said.
Currently, over 11,000 students attend SFTC full-time.
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