Message From Director

It is an exciting and challenging time to be a journalist. Over the last three decades, we have seen unparalleled change in the news industry as digital technologies have fundamentally transformed the way journalists work while driving innovation in newsgathering, storytelling and business models. Now, as we witness AI disrupt nearly every facet of our lives, journalists are more important than ever in sifting through the explosion of content, finding patterns and establishing truth.

Journalism is critical to our human survival. It impacts lives, informs decisions, affects change, provides meaning, builds connections and reflects our society’s values, ambitions, failures and successes so that we may celebrate, learn and do better. And while I acknowledge that there have been recent setbacks for journalists around the globe, there have also been equally as many steps forward. I am optimistic that you, as a part of a new generation of trained journalists, will be equipped to face the demands of the future and find ways to forge ahead as you stand on the shoulders of giants. 

If you are a young journalist just starting out or a mid-career professional looking to change industries or acquire new skills, our MAIJS programme is designed to help you achieve your goals. We have crafted our curriculum to immerse you in a wide range of subjects that will provide you with fundamental reporting experience and technology skills, expose you to ideas that foster critical, analytical and creative thinking, give you the space to reflect on your own learning and assist you in identifying and harnessing industry trends.

Our MAIJS programme has two tracks: international journalism and business and financial journalism. In both, you will report Hong Kong stories in English across platforms using text, images, audio and video. You can also take classes in subjects such as international news, international relations, media ethics and law, China reporting, food and culture reporting, longform journalism, social media reporting, broadcast journalism, photojournalism, communication research, news translation and more.

Why Hong Kong? A hub for international finance and media, Hong Kong is extremely well suited for international journalism students and will provide you with a unique perspective on how both international and local journalists cover Greater China, Asia and the world. It is a dynamic and diverse city, and there are thousands of stories in Hong Kong just waiting to be told on everything from environment, society and politics to art, food and culture.

Our MAIJS students and faculty come from all corners of the globe, and while our curriculum is in English and designed to prepare you for work in international media, many of our graduates have transferred their skills to major local and mainland Chinese media. I regularly see MAIJS graduates' work in companies such as AFP, Bloomberg, TIME, South China Morning Post, Reuters, IFR Asia, HKIBC, The Standard, Ming Pao, TVB, HK01 and the Hong Kong Economic Journal to name just a few as well as in mainland Chinese media including China Daily, Jiemian News, The Paper, Tencent News, Shanghai Media Group, Xinhua, Phoenix TV and Caixin. I am proud to say that our graduates’ names also frequently appear on the lists of prestigious journalism awards, including the SOPA Awards and the Hong Kong News Awards.

Some of our graduates choose to apply their versatile language, journalism and communication skills to other industries, such as law, public relations, marketing and finance or go on to further studies in a variety of communication-related research programmes. A grounding in international journalism will prepare you for a wide variety of fields.

Whether you travel the world covering war and conflict, stay close to home telling stories in your community, report on global financial and economic systems or choose to utilize your expertise in a different area, the journalism training you will receive at HKBU will be essential to your career. Yes, there will be challenges. If you become a journalist, you probably aren’t going to make the list of the world’s richest people, but you will be building a rewarding and exciting career that helps people understand each other, informs them about important issues and contributes to the creation of a better world.

I look forward to welcoming you to Hong Kong Baptist University and the MAIJS programme.