Our Future Journalists Cover Practical Training Program

Summer is a productive time for future journalists studying at Astrakhan State University, as they have to cover a one-month practical training month.

Regular practical training is an integral part of teaching future journalists professional skills and competencies at Astrakhan State University. Each professional discipline is of practice-oriented character. Already during their 1^st term at the Department of Philology & Journalism, our students gain propaedeutic experience: they visit TV studios, editorial offices of newspapers and magazines, and PR departments of companies together with their professors. Since their 2^nd year, they have to cover practical training programs. After signing an agreement with the Astrakhan 24 TV channel and in accordance with the syllabus of the Chair “Media Resources Management” that is established on the base of this TV company, our 2^nd-year-students can realize their practical skills and present themselves as creative young journalists. In particular, Zhaslan Seitov, one of our students, has been offered to work as a journalist of the Astrakhan 24 TV channel and to try himself as a co-presenter in the Ethnic Guide TV program.

Long-lasting and mutually feasible cooperation links ASU’s Department of Philology & Journalism with the Lotos TV Radio Company (the top media company of Astrakhan Region), which is a traditional base of practical training for our future journalists, who try to participate in the news preparation process actively. Andrey Sukharev, one of our students, has been offered to work as a reporter of the Mobile Reporter section.

Our students get practical training in print media as well. The Kaspiy Publishing House is going to employ Nikita Kuznetsov, who has covered a summer training program there.

International links are another essential aspect of practical training. A group of our students mastering the specialty “International Journalism” (Andrey Shevelyov, Natalia Kolieva, Naida Arslanova, Chinara Gasanova) has gone to Turkey this summer; they are being trained at the TRT channel in Istanbul.

Our students’ interest towards their future profession helps them choose themselves where to cover a training program. Elena Gorbacheva has taken part in a contest arranged by the Free Russian-German Institute of Political Journalism; she became one of ten Russian students selected by the German Embassy to Russia to work at a radio station in Hannover.

All-year-round practice has also been introduced at the Department of Philology & Journalism. This form of training has been tried for several years. During a whole academic year, our students improve their portfolios by taking part in covering various projects in Astrakhan Region. The Department of Philology & Journalism provides its students with a wide range of opportunities of professional growth, as the academic process for our future journalists combines theory and practice in the most efficient way.