The Higher Education Review

With India having one of the fastest growing media and entertainment industries in the world, the demand for qualified media professionals is on the rise. That said, media and entertainment education still isn’t getting the necessary attention it deserves in India. Ever since its initial structuring, media and mass communication education has lacked proper guidance and support.

As a result of this, when compared to many other higher education streams, media and mass communication education in India still remains fragmented which is adversely impacting its growth potential. Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies with their media and mass communication programs aim to offer plethora of opportunities for aspiring students to experience world class media and mass communication education and make a name for themselves in the industry.

Building from the Ground Up
Founded in 1997, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions are the brainchild of Dr. O. P. Bhalla, a pioneering educationist and philanthropist. Manav Rachna has been able to make impressive strides not just in media and mass communication arena but in other higher education streams as well. Adding more about the inception story of Manav Rachna, Dr. Maithili Ganjoo, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Media Studies & Humanities, MRIIRS, states, “Manav Rachna is a big umbrella and brand within it there are lots of educational institutions.

We started first as an engineering college and we have grown stronger ever since. We got into media and mass communication education in 2009 when the media industry had a breakout year in India. Over the years, we have been front-runners when it

comes to introducing various innovations both in terms of curriculum and teaching pedagogies into media and mass communication education in the country”.

At a time when it was still in its nascent stage in India, Manav Rachna was able to create a full-fledged university system for media and mass communication education and by doing so, offer more industry-centric education to their students. To offer a wide array of course options for their students, the institute has designed a diverse program portfolio including BA Media and Communication, MA Media and Communication, and Ph.D – Media Studies at MRIIRS.

In the MA program, students will have the option to choose a specialization in any one of print and new media production, digital media production, and sports journalism and PR management. While their UG program aspires to help those students who want to immediately get into the industry, the PG and Doctoral programs takes a more research-centric approach. By doing so, the institute aspires to create students and scholars who can position themselves as think tanks of the media industry.

Zero Compromise on Quality
Manav Rachna acknowledges the fact that the media industry is based on technology and the technology evolves rapidly whereas when you look at the academia, it follows rigorous processes and formats which tends to be archaic and dated. Due to this, students can feel a bit lost when they first enter the media industry. To address this issue, the institute looks for faculty who have ample industry exposure.

This pursuit to have faculty with relevant industry experience allows Manav Rachna to come up with unique solutions for the academic problems they face. The institute also revise the syllabus on an annual basis which helps them to align their education with the changing requirements of the industry.

The next thing Manav Rachna prioritizes on is offering hands-on training to their students.

Students will have regular industry interactions and lab training to keep them up to date with the changing requirements of the industry. The institute makes its students work on live cases so that they can hone their skills. Furthermore, their professor of practice initiative allows their students to gain valuable hands-on training.

Talking more about the unique learning opportunities offered at the institute, Dr. Maithili Ganjoo says, “We have a very unique culture where we give major emphasis to experiential learning and problem solving. We have different activities that our students have to do which helps them to gain more sophisticated skills.

Imparting research-centric education to our students is a top priority for us. We have signed an MOU with Sony which allows our students to work with top-of-the-line equipment. In addition, experts from the company train both our students and faculty”.

Along with this, a well-rounded research and innovation ecosystem has been established at the Manav Rachna campus to give students the first flight towards a world of myriad opportunities. State-of-the-art research labs, Research and Innovation Clusters, Innovation and Incubation Centre, research projects, paper presentations, and sponsored R&D Projects contribute to groom young innovators in advanced areas.

The Manav Rachna Business Incubator set across more than 5,000 square feet area catering to the requirements of budding entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators. Over the years, more than 80 companies have been incubated at the Manav Rachna’s campuses across India.

Dr. Maithili Ganjoo Dean
This pioneering educator has more than two decades of industry experience with leading organizations like JWT, Ogilvy & Mather, Dainik Jagran Group and Group-M. A Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, she aspires to create a unique learning environment where students can thrive and excel.