American University of Beirut Launches New Digital Media Academy

American University of Beirut

The American University of Beirut has inaugurated a new digital literacy academy, with the aim of bridging the academic gap in digital media studies, which so far has lagged in the region.

The three-week Media and Digital Literacy Academy of Beirut, a joint initiative between AUB’s Media Studies Program and its Regional External Programs, will be open principally to professors and students from the Arab world. The inauguralsession of the event, held this month, hosted 50 media professors and graduate students from universities in Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.

The program is also sponsored by the Open Society Foundations, a U.S.-based grant-making organization that promotes democracy and social reform.

“Digital media literacy has become a staple of education all around the world, except in the Arab region,” said Jad Melki, director of the Media Studies Program at AUB . “We hope to bridge this gap, particularly since media literacy is very important to help solve many of the social and cultural problems we face in the region.”
He added that a good grasp of media literacy was crucial for citizens to better understand how the media affect their lives and their societies.

“It can also help turn citizens into critical consumers and producers of media so they could actively participate in national and global dialogue using digital media. They can then act as responsible global citizens and civic participants in their cultures,” he said.

The academy is conducted in Arabic, with instructors and professionals teaching advanced digital and media literacy concepts and debate skills to Arab university instructors and graduate students, with the hope that these teachings are then disseminated to their respective institutions.

This year’s academy saw many international speakers and trainers, mostly from the U.S., including Renee Hobbs from the University of Rhode Island, Ahmad al-Rawi from Erasmus University, Susan Moeller from the University of Maryland, Paul Mihailidis from Emerson College, Moses Shumow from Florida International University, as well as Stephen Salyer, president of the Salzburg Global Seminar.