Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

and public relations studies. Students majoring in journalism and communication are required to take certain core courses, in order that they can grasp the essentials of this speciality as a whole and fully understand what is expected of a professional in the field. They can furthermore minor in one or two subjects to lay a better foundation for their future development in a chosen area. To facilitate professional training, the department provides the major students with a news editing room, a television studio, an audio studio, a darkroom, and a micro-computer laboratory. Students working in the TV studio The master programme launched since 1977 aims at training communication specialists who can make competent analysis of the operation of the mass media and communication activities. Emphasis is laid on research work and the study of the theories of communication. Students are required to take both core courses and elective courses, submit a thesis, and complete the programme in two to three years. For part-time studies, the programme wil l take three to four years to complete. Research Staff of the department have always attached equal importance to teaching and research. In the early days when the University ran a Mass Communication Research Centre and a Centre for Communication Studies, faculty members actively supported the research activities of the two centres and published a quarterly, The Asian Messenger, to present their research findings. In the eighties when the University established the Institute of Social Studies to promote and coordinate research in the social sciences, staff of the department obtained grants from the institute to initiate new research projects and develop collaborative studies in journalism and communication with overseas institutions. Such institutions included the Institute of Culture and Communication at the East West Center in Honolulu, the University of Washington, Southern Illinois University, the University of Minnesota, National University of Singapore, University of Mainz, and the National Chengchi University. More recent examples are universities in mainland China and research institutes in the UK and Europe. Research topics range from laws of communication in Hong Kong, the development of communication studies, new communication technology, to Hong Kong's mass media in the run-up to 1997, and reforms in journalism in China. Findings are regularly published in both local and international academic journals, and in a special column 'Analysis of the Media' in a local newspaper — The Hong Kong Economic Journal. Future research will continue to focus on three areas: Hong Kong, China, and international communication. Faculty members will also continue to attend international conferences to exchange information and expertise with scholars and professionals abroad, and to publish their academic papers in international journals. Student Activities and Achievements Press Practicum: All major students will, under the guidance of instructors, take part in the editing, publicaiton, advertising, and distribution of a practicum newspaper The New Shatin. A practicum publication in English is also being planned. A student organization, the Society of Journalism and Communication, started publishing its annual report since 1977, which carries academic papers written by faculty and students of the department. Another special journal about advertising, Pinpoint, is published by the students' Pinpoint Advertising Agency. The Society of Journalism and Communication also organizes seminars and talks to cultivate members' interest in this field. Students working in the editorial office of The New Shatin Silver Jubilee of Department of Journalism & Communication 21