Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launches New Media Academy in Dubai

Graduates of the online learning academy will receive an internationally-recognised certificate on completion of their programme

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, tours the New Media Academy in June. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, tours the New Media Academy. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, tours the New Media Academy in Dubai on Monday. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chief executive of Emirates Group, and Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, attend the launch of New Media Academy. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched a media academy in Dubai on Monday.

The New Media Academy aims to train the future workforce to be leaders in the increasingly growing field of digital marketing.

Sheikh Mohammed toured the new facility on Monday, saying it would act as an educational centre for all things related to new media.

"Today, we launched the New Media Academy, an institution created to equip new generations of media professionals with digital media skills. New Media is a new science … it has its tools and its secrets, and we want our talents to be at the forefront of this," he said on Twitter.

The academy will train media professionals in the public and private sector and develop social media content creators

Though the academy has a physical campus, it will provide career-oriented educational programmes through digital masterclasses, that aim to nurture social media content creators and develop them into innovative resources in digital marketing and social media.

The curriculum was developed by experts in social media and digital marketing and will be delivered by internationally acclaimed specialists including Duke University’s Matt Bailey, among the world’s most sought-after internet marketing experts; Juan Pablo Sanchez, Masterclass Educator at top 10 digital programmes; and Caleb Gardner, the former US President Barack Obama’s lead digital strategist.

Instructors also include representatives of the four new media giants Facebook, Twitter, Google and LinkedIn.

The New Media Academy will open on July 7 with interactive online masterclasses in digital marketing, social media and content creation open to full-time employees and international students.

“The academy will train media professionals in the public and private sector and develop social media content creators. The new media provides job opportunities and supports the development process," Sheikh Mohammed said.

On Monday, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of the National Media Council, said the academy was a great addition to the country's education and media sector.

"New Media Academy Media ... contributes to honing the skills of young professionals and empowering them with knowledge and expertise to ensure optimal use of new media technologies," he said.

Rashid Al Awadhi, the former senior vice-president for marketing and communications at Dubai International Financial Centre, was appointed as the chief executive of the academy.

"Through my role, I aim to utilise my experience and an accelerated pursuit of knowledge in the ever-changing digital sphere to achieve the long-term goal of the academy, which is to create the next generation of full-stack digital professionals," he said.

The first course on offer, from next month, is the Impact Digital Creator Program.

This aims to train groups of 20 social media content creators to become full-time content creators. The two-month programme, spread over a wider three-year Talent Development strategy, will provide customised curriculum for students to follow up their progress, develop lifelong digital skills and enable them to create innovative and meaningful online content.

The Social Media Management Development programme, to be launched on August 2, aims to upgrade the digital skills of 100 full-time media professionals in the public and private sector.

The academy’s curriculum is designed to foster the development of both hard and soft skills to enable students to lead a successful career in digital marketing.

Participants must complete 190 hours of learning to graduate from the programmes. This includes 110 hours of classroom instruction, 30 hours of e-learning, 15 hours of expert talks and 35 hours of projects.

On completion, graduates will receive an internationally accredited certificate issued in the UAE upon completion of the programme.

Pre-register for both programmes on the New Media Academy website.