Industry-Academia Dialogue at J.C. Bose University: Calls for Greater Focus on Practical Training in Media Education

A high-level Industry-Academia Dialogue was held during the two-day National Conference on “Media, Society and Public Discourse in the Digital Age” organized by the Department of Communication and Media Technology, J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA, Faridabad. The session focused on bridging the gap between media education and industry requirements, with strong emphasis on shifting from theory-heavy to practice-oriented learning.

Vice-Chancellors of several universities, senior journalists, and corporate communication leaders participated in the candid and productive discussion.

Prof. Pawan Singh, Chairperson of the Department, welcomed the dignitaries. The session was moderated by Prof. Ravi K. Dhar, who set the tone by stating that the department’s name “Communication and Media Technology” aptly reflects the broad and multidisciplinary nature of the field.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rajive Kumar praised NEP-2020 as a milestone in transforming education. Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, supported this view and highlighted the successful model of skill-based education. He also appreciated J.C. Bose University’s state-of-the-art media studio, built specifically to provide hands-on training to students.

Senior journalists expressed serious concern over the current state of the media. Amit Prakash (former Zee News) said there is a severe shortage of good editors and ground-zero reporting, with anchors replacing reporters. Harshvardhan (Zee News) remarked that “reel” has overtaken “real” in today’s journalism. Shishir of Hindu Business Times noted that no institution can create a journalist on its own and CUET alone cannot identify true talent.

Jaideep Karnik emphasized that there is no shortage of jobs in journalism, but students need continuous small-group training. Representatives from Amar Ujala suggested using CSR funds for joint research and development with universities. Shriram of Penguin Publishing called the current grading system divisive, while a speaker from Capital TV observed that students are more interested in short 3-month internships than in long-term career building.

Media expert Yogendra Chaudhary stressed that teachers are not fully aware of current industry needs and called for close collaboration between academia, industry, and government. Saurabh Bhardwaj of Voice of Faridabad pointed out that even after completing a three-year degree, students possess almost zero practical knowledge. He demanded a complete reversal of the present 80% classroom and 20% practical ratio.

The session concluded with a powerful remark by senior journalist B.V. Rao, who said: “India’s real problem is not unemployment but the unemployability of youth.” He urged young students to focus seriously on skill development and advised media houses to conduct rigorous testing before hiring.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rajive Kumar welcomed all suggestions and assured that the university would seriously work on implementing them.

The dialogue was attended by Dean (Academics) Prof. Atul Mishra, Dean (FLAMS) Prof. Anuradha Sharma, Prof. Rajesh Kumar, Prof. Sanjeev Goyal, NHPC Finance Head Mahesh Sharma, Corporate Communication expert Abhay Kumar Singh, and conference coordinators Dr. Rahul Arya, Dr. Sonia Hooda, and Dr. Akhilesh Tripathi, along with faculty, research scholars and students.