AJMI - Doha

As part of the “Media for Development Initiative”, Al Jazeera Media Institute opened a Digital Media Lab at Addis Ababa University with a help of a grant from Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Montaser Marei, manager of Media Initiatives Department, explained that the opening of the digital lab aims to encourage students of the Faculty of Journalism shifting to digital transformation. He added that the lab is not limited to teaching purposes, but it represents a platform for developing skills of students of journalism and media and all journalists in Ethiopia.

In turn, Dr. Abdulaziz Dino, Director of the Media and Communication Program at Addis Ababa University, said: "This lab will help enable our students to be well trained and prepared for what they will face in their actual professional career in the field of journalism, for this laboratory is what we need, a lot of thanks for the State of Qatar and also many thanks for Al Jazeera Media Institute.

The Digital Media Lab represents an important landmark in the history of Addis Ababa University and its transition to digital era, and to the development of journalism education in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Institute. The lab will contribute to promoting innovation and practical education, in addition to introducing modern disciplines into the curricula of journalism such as mobile journalism, data journalism and utilizing of artificial intelligence in news industry.