GIJ launches 60th Anniversary and Endowment Fund

The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has launched its 60th Anniversary, aimed at connecting alumni, students, corporate Ghana, and numerous friends and supporters of the school.

The Institute also launched both a Digital Media Hub project and a GHS100 million Endowment Fund.

The Hub would be equipped with digital media departments such as Research and E-library, as well as centres for digital audio-visual, online news and current affairs, graphics and adverts design, as well as digital print production.

Dr Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, Minister for Business Development who launched the project said journalism was a noble and rewarding profession, thus, one must take it without regrets.

Dr. Mohammed, also alumni, advised the public not to be deceived that journalism was not a better profession, because, the work of journalists impacted on society.

He urged the media to also focus on entrepreneurship because journalism and media practitioners could also own businesses and make themselves great as they make people and companies.

The Minister pledged to support the endowment fund with an amount of GHC50, 000.00 and charged others to contribute to promoting the school.

Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo GIJ Rector said the celebration was to solicit funds and also pull earnings from the endowment fund to build an international digital media hub as well as establish a global standard that matches the best programmes in journalism and communication education.

He said school aims at strengthening its technological and programme capacity to offer journalism and communication education that gives students the required skills and competence for the current media landscape.

He explained that the international media hub would provide departments such as an E-library and Research, training, Digital Audio-Visual Centre, Online News and current affairs, among others as well as training.

Prof. Kwansah-Aidoo basing on the theme of the launch; “Celebrating our Past and Inspiring our Future”, said: “we are to celebrate a storied past with the hope that the future will bring even better prospects and many more stories of groundbreaking achievements”.

He urged the public to be active participants in their quest to make GIJ an even better Institute than it has been so far for it to continue to serve its vision and mission for many years to come.

Prof Ansu-Kyeremeh, Chairman of the GIJ Council, said the Institute aimed at strengthening its technological and programme capacity to offer journalism and communication education that gives students the required skills and competence for the current media landscape.

The explained that the GIJ Endowment Fund would be managed by a Board of Trustees, composed of corporate partners, eminent persons, media practitioners, faculty members, and notable alumni, among others.

He appealed to all supporters and stakeholders of the media industry to help support the fund by making donations in order for the Institute to realize the vision for this initiative.

Dr Lawrencia Agyepong, Chairperson of the 60th Anniversary Committee said for six decades, the Institute had focused on journalism and communication education and had been credited with producing the majority of Ghana’s media professionals, corporate communicators, advertising and public relations practitioners.

Sixty years ago, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah founded the school to produce journalists who would play a key role in emancipating Africa from colonialism. Today, well-trained and ethical communicators are just as critical for achieving Ghana’s democratic and developmental goals.

The 60th Anniversary celebrations will feature exciting activities through to October 2019 including exhibitions, public lectures and an academic conference, health walk, fundraising events, and culminate in October with an alumni homecoming, grand durbar, and gala.