Journalism Education at Ukrainian Universities

Overview

IREX Europe is part of a consortium led by the BBC World Service Trust to improve standards through the Journalism Education at Ukrainian Universities program. The two-year project, funded by the European Union, is establishing the foundation for long-term professional exchange and educational reform triggered by the Bologna Declaration of 1999.

Project Activities

IREX Europe is launching its activities at the Kyiv Institute of Journalism (KIJ) and two pilot schools. These institutions are among the first journalism faculties in the former Soviet Union to pioneer educational reforms under the Bologna process. Teaching methods and curricula will be evaluated and successful models developed and expanded to Ukraine's other journalism training centres. The results of the initiative will also be widely disseminated outside the Ukraine.

The consortium will improve the standards of journalism education by—

• Bringing the journalism curriculum and teaching practices in line with EU standards.
• Improving the journalistic and teaching skills of university lecturers.
• Developing textbooks for distribution to universities across Ukraine.
• Forging stronger links between journalism students and the media industry.

Local partners will be able to apply the best practices from international experience, creating a blueprint for journalism faculties across Eastern Europe seeking to follow the same path.
IREX has been working in the Ukraine on media development and educational exchanges since 1992 and is implementing this project under the leadership of the BBC World Service Trust from Britain and in partnership with the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland; the Ecole Superieure de Journalisme in Lille, France; and the Marie-Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland.
Russell Peasgood, IREX Europe's representative on the implementation team, brings his experience as a journalist, manager and trainer to lead the "training the trainers" component of the project. This key element aims to ensure that university lecturers in Ukraine acquire the skills necessary to implement the new curricula and training programs for a new generation of journalism professionals.

Funders/Partners
		BBC World Service Trust
		Dublin Institute of Technology
		Ecole Superieure de Journalisme
		Marie-Curie Sklodowska University

Media Sustainability Index Europe and Eurasia:
The Development of Sustainable Media in Europe and Eurasia

Includes information on media sustainability in Ukraine.