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Ohio University students complete exchange programme

 

Nineteen students from the Ohio University in the United States of America ended their three-week exchange programme with the African University College of Communications  (AUCC) in Accra last Tuesday.

The visit, which formed part of the students’ credit class, was intended to broaden their knowledge and perspectives about the media, society and governance outside their country.

The students, who were in Ghana from December 16, 2013 to January 8, 2014, attended lectures on media, governance and African studies as part of their activities and also embarked on field trips to various parts of the country, including the Central Region.

They also undertook internships with some media houses, including the Daily Graphic, and some non-governmental organisations. 

At a send-off party organised by the AUCC, the Director of the Institute for International Journalism of the Ohio University, Dr Yusuf Kalyango, who led the students, expressed gratitude to the AUCC for the warm reception accorded them, saying the students enjoyed their visit.

The experience 

Sharing his experiences, Mr Joe Jackson, a student, said their visit was fruitful and an eye opener about Ghana and the African continent as a whole.

He said the trip had helped to erase misconceptions, false and negative impressions about Ghana and Africa, adding that he would not hesitate to share his experiences with family and friends back in his country to change their perceptions about Africa.

The Founder of the AUCC, Mr Kojo Yankah, said the visit formed part of the memorandum of understanding signed by the two institutions in 2011.

He urged the students to keep communicating with the AUCC students to maintain the relationship between the two universities and to ensure continuous sharing of knowledge and experience through the new media.

New media 

Mr Yankah added that the new media was an effective tool which needed to be adopted by the media in Ghana to enhance dissemination of information. 

To this end, Mr Yankah announced that the two institutions would organise a conference on new media this year to bring together media experts from around the world to brainstorm current trends and the way forward in modern media.

Furthermore, he indicated that an awards scheme would be instituted by the two universities to award journalists who made use of the new media in Africa. 

He reiterated an effective partnership between the AUCC and the Ohio University to enhance teaching and learning for the benefits of the two.

The visiting students presented gifts to some individuals and institutions which supported them during their trip. 

At the end of their visit, the students, who departed for the US on January 8, 2014, presented their observations and findings in the form of documentaries, write -ups, tweets and blogs which were disseminated through the new media.

 

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