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The 3rd edition of the University of Media, Arts and Communication – Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ) Academic-Practitioner Conference was last Thursday held in Accra.
Organised by Level 300 top-up Public Relations (PR) students of the Faculty of Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing (FOPAM), the conference, which was held on Thursday, was under the theme, “Synergy for Transformation”.
It had the Director at the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development (DRID), UniMAC, Professor Etse Sikanku, lecturer at the Department of PR of UniMAC-IJ, Mr Iddrisu Fuseini, and a lecturer at the Marketing Department of UniMAC-IJ, Mr Nii Nookwei Tackie, as some of the speakers.
Others were the Manager of Public Affairs, Nuclear Power Ghana, Mrs Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao, and the Senior Corporate Affairs Officer of Bui Power Authority, Mr Mawuli Fui Kwadzovia.
The aim of the conference was to bridge the gap between academia and practice in the field of communication, arts and media, and their relevance to the organisational world.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, who was represented by the Dean of Studies of UniMAC, Dr Rebecca Ohene-Asah, said the theme for the conference resonated with the efforts of the university to align academic insight with practical application.
He explained that the synergy between academic research and industry practice would not only enhance the relevance and impact of academic programmes, but also drive innovation and growth of industries.
The Vice-Chancellor called on universities and institutions of higher education to continue to foster collaborations between academia and industry to help drive innovation and growth.
According to the speakers at the conference, it was important for industries to tap into and make use of academic research, provide training for employees, and offer opportunities for students to develop their skills through internship programmes.
Prof. Sikanku, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, said “there needs to be a close relationship between academia and the industry. They need to form a synergistic relationship to the benefit of both parties”.
He explained that the synergistic relationship between academia and industry would lead to better professional practices and inform the kind of teaching and learning that took place in the classroom in terms of the process, methods, and tools used.
The Director of DRID also urged students to be determined, improve their writing skills, build their knowledge, and remain disciplined to be able to practise what they had been taught in the industry.
Mrs Vittor-Quao entreated the students to take up internship and practical training programmes with organisations while they were still in school to help develop the necessary skills needed by the industry.
“Industry should meet academia halfway with the challenges by making provisions for training. Have the brain and paper certificate so you are distinct from others,” Mr Fuseini added.
BY PRECIOUS NYARKO BOAKYE
