Conversation with Dr. Syed Nawaz Ahmad, Joint Dean of the AAFT School of Journalism & Mass Communication

 Dr Syed Nawaz Ahmad is the Joint Dean of the AAFT School of Journalism & Mass Communication. A distinguished journalism professional, he brings over 20 years of extensive experience in media and academia. He has held key editorial and reporting roles at leading newspapers like Hindustan, Amar Ujala, and Rashtriya Sahara. Dr Nawaz has also excelled in broadcast journalism, serving as a news producer and anchor at the UAE-based radio station Hum FM and collaborating with All India Radio's renowned Yuvvani program. He is committed to equipping future media professionals with practical skills and a strong ethical foundation for success in the media industry. He had an engaging conversation with Shiksha about a variety of topics, like the teaching methodology adopted at the institution and the curriculum of the institute, among various other topics. The conversation that followed was:

Q. What is the difference between the teaching methodology in your institute and others?

A. Teaching at AAFT School of Journalism & Mass Communication goes beyond textbooks. At AAFT, we strongly believe that teaching methodology must be seamlessly blended with newsroom simulations, media lab works, role play, demonstration and industry-changing requirements. At AAFT, practical knowledge is integrated into all our modules. We believe in experiential learning where students learn by doing.

Q.How are you preparing your students to be industry-ready? 

A.Students are imparted knowledge that is essential to get the foundations right. At AAFT, students are trained through workshops and real – time news experience, and technical skills are also taught well. Students are trained to display communication skills, strong ethical values, storytelling abilities, and digital content creation, integrating new technologies in the media ecosystem.

Q. What quality do your students have that other college students lack? 

AAFT learners are confident communicators, they have sound technical knowledge, and are early adopters of technology. Students display strong ethical values, exceptional storytelling ability, and potential as future journalists, entrepreneurs and content creators.  Students learn by doing and get hands-on production expertise, which sets them apart in professional environments.

Q.  Do you think the curriculum of the courses taught in your institute fits the requirements of the industry? 

Yes, the curriculum is aligned with industry requirements. At AAFT, we regularly update our curriculum as media is a dynamic field and every technology intervention can change the media scenario, so the students must be aware of the recent developments in media.

Q.Is your college receptive to innovation, technology, science & entrepreneurship?

A.Absolutely. AAFT motivates innovation through technology-enabled classrooms, AI-integrated media training, master classes, workshops and industry visits. The college has appointed industry veterans as its industry deans, who regularly meet with students to brief them on upgrading their skill sets required by the industry.

Note: The views expressed in this article are of AAFT and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.