After almost three years of UNESCO’s support, the Omar Bongo University (Libreville, Gabon) officially launched on 10 January 2011 the Department of Information and Communication Sciences (Département des sciences de l’information et de la communication, DSIC).
The Department will start with a two-year Master’s programme in journalism and communication while research programmes are planned for the future.
The content of the journalism programme is mainly based onUNESCO’s Model Curricula for Journalism Education. First published by UNESCO in 2007, the Model Curricula represents a generic model that can be adapted according to each country’s specific needs. It takes full cognizance of the social, economic, political and cultural contexts of developing countries and emerging democracies, highlighting the connection between democracy and journalism.
DSIC is open to students with at least a Bachelor degree as well as to professionals with appropriate field experience. The Department being the first within the University to offer a professional Master programme, almost 100 students have already applied.
UNESCO will continue its support to DSIC with the organization this year of a training workshop on higher education pedagogy.
