Würzburg, November 22, 2005
From the 2006 summer semester, students at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences will have a unique and forward-looking opportunity for specialist journalistic training and further education. Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp, publisher and chairman of the supervisory board of one of Germany's leading specialist publishing companies, the Vogel Medien Group, is setting up a new endowed professorship there, which will provide an urgently needed link between different areas: from technical expertise to media theory and media practice. The career opportunities for graduates of the future Würzburg course in "Specialist Journalism with a Focus on Technology" are very good. Graduates with an application-oriented education based on sound scientific theory are in high demand in the media market. The reason for this is the explosive growth in technical innovation - and the associated steady growth in the market for special interest titles and specialist journals as well as the popularization of scientific topics in daily newspapers, radio and television.
The program is aimed at students of engineering or technical degree courses on the one hand and graduates of humanities subjects on the other. The former can expand their technical knowledge through a supplementary course of study, which includes specialist journalism seminars and exercises, and acquire a state certificate from Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences. Humanities students, on the other hand, have the opportunity to acquire both specialist journalism and technical qualifications as part of a postgraduate Bachelor's degree course. These latter students on the new course, who first have to go through a selection process, are given an overview of all technical areas and in-depth knowledge in one technical area. It is also possible to study part-time; two years of professional experience are required.
This Würzburg combination of journalism and technology is unique. In any case, only three universities in Germany (Bonn-
Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Gelsenkirchen University of Applied Sciences and Bremen University of Applied Sciences) offer specialized journalism courses.
Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp: "The fact is that journalistic craftsmanship alone, but also pure technical expertise, is not enough for our industry. A combination is essential. Today, an engineer must be able to formulate well and understandably; a journalist, on the other hand, must understand the technology in order to be able to write about it. That is why the aim of this course is to train people who can act as a link and mediator between the latest expert knowledge on the one hand and users and decision-makers in industry on the other - because that is precisely what makes good technical journalism. With this in mind, I am delighted that my idea could be implemented in our region at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences with the support of its President, Professor Heribert Weber. Incidentally, the importance of the media professorship is also reflected in the fact that it is supported by the Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft."
Information on the Vogel Foundation:
The Vogel Foundation was established in February 2000 by publisher Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp and his wife Nina Eckernkamp-Vogel. It promotes education and training, art and culture, healthcare and supports people in need. One focus is on promoting vocational training in all areas of communication and journalism, particularly in the fields of journalism and the new information and communication media.
If you have any questions, please contact
Dr. Sabine Rohlff
for the Vogel Foundation
Head of Communication
Vogel Business Media
97064 Würzburg
Phone +49 931 418-2590
Fax +49 931 418-2860
E-mail: sabine_rohlff@vogel-medien.de
