Press gang: college kids get a helping hand

A new partnership between China Daily and Fudan University hopes to nurture young journalistic talent in China.

The joint program with one of the city's top universities will offer aspiring journalists the chance to develop their skills and gain practical job experience through competitive China Daily internship placements. Students will also have the chance to land permanent jobs with the newspaper upon completion of their internships.

"I hope this new project will attract more fresh talent and strengthen our news teams at China Daily, at both our foreign and domestic branches," said board member Wang Hao. "If students make it into our talent pool, they will be trained to work in print and online news. They may even have experts help them find suitable jobs after they complete their internship."

China Daily will also provide interns with professional guidance and access to various journalism-related courses and seminars. English majors or European-language majors will also be considered as the newspaper plans to expand its offices to Europe in the future.

Formally inking the contract between both parties at a signing ceremony at Fudan University, Cai Dafeng, deputy head of the college, said the partnership will further encourage those wanting to serve Chinese media in the future. Similar sentiments were echoed by Yu Zhenwei, an associate professor with the university's journalism department.

"During their internships, students can build on what they have learned in the classroom by putting those skills into practice. They can also learn things that cannot be learned in a classroom," said Yu. "It is a great opportunity for them to learn which profession best suits their talents."

(China Daily 05/08/2009 page14)