 Hi, welcome to this open day. My name is Lorelai Hanevera and I am the convener for the Global Media and Digital Cultures distance learning program. So, let's just go ahead. So one of some of the characteristics of media studies at SOAS is first and foremost is quite an interdisciplinary program. We look at media from different approaches and really focus on the idea of the construction of the national and through media and criticize this approach too. And we it's a heavily theoretical course, particularly the first module, but then we also explore the methodology of doing research in media particularly qualitative research on media studies. And we also engage in some of the pedagogical debates of doing media and communication studies in general. And I think one of the main characteristics of doing media studies at SOAS is looking at it from a non Western perspective. So this is so as traditionally has a focus on on Asia, African Middle East, I would say now also we would include the study of the global south. And the way the program is is taught is through different sort of learning spaces so we do have a few tutorials. And students are encouraged to participate on electronic forums or e forums. And I would also emphasize that it is quite a independent study type of program where students are required to do the readings before engaging in the e forums. And that that sort of puts the ball rolling for for how we debate these ideas. Another aspect of the way the modules work is that usually we don't have very big groups, I would say maximum 25 students per group, and students are asked to engage in regular TV T's and these TV T's are on top of the weekly electronic forums that we have. And they are marked, that's how the mark for the module is is obtained. And throughout one module, we have 60 TV T's that the students have to develop. And they go from very basic and simple tasks towards the final activity for each module with tends to be a 5000 word essay so it does go in an incremental way for students to be able to develop their critical skills and their ability to write and engage in academic debates. Additionally, all the students that are enrolled in the distance learning program for media are also part of the activities that we would have and we would offer for media students in campus. So we have a weekly research seminar where we have researchers and PhD students that have done the research on gender and media studies, and they come presented to students so students can see how the topics and the themes they study can sort of be divided in the real world in an academic setting. So a bit more about the course structure. First and foremost, the program is through two years, and we have students are required to enroll in four different modules, and they are only allowed to take one module per term. So, for example, if you were to enroll in April, you would take your main course, your main module from April until I would say mid July. And then your next module, this is over a period of 16 weeks, and then your next module will begin again in October. So this is how the calendar goes from April. One taking April, one taking October, and they roll on every 16 weeks. In between those 16 weeks, students are also required to take what we call mini modules. And these are called mini dissertation modules specifically. They are about six weeks each. They are also four. And they help students develop their final dissertation, which is also part of how we will break them so they can complete the program. So, for example, the first mini module of the dissertation would ask students to think about how to develop their research question. What are they interested in writing their final dissertation about how are they planning to do it. Okay, through the four mini modules, students would be able to develop their dissertation and not have to think about the final dissertation at the very last moment and feel extremely pressured about how to accomplish a very good quality final dissertation. So the course structure is first and foremost, the first module, whether you enroll in April or in October for the program of global media and digital cultures students would have a core module where I am also the assistant cheater. This is a theoretical module but we do look at the theory and try to relate it to specific case studies. So I do encourage students to think about events that are taking place in today's world where they can see the ideas of the readings and the literature we're covering and how they would relate, you know, real life practice into these theoretical concepts. So with that students are required to choose from two compulsory modules. They can choose transnational communities and diasporic media or digital diplomacy. So transnational communities and diasporic media would look at mixed migration flows and how both immigrants refugees asylum seekers relate to media the use of media how media can impact identity construction. How they would relate to national identities to the idea of the national to do the idea of the homeland, as well as how diasporic communities would engage not only with media, where they come from but media where they are now and sometimes even develop their own diasporic media their own, their own relationships to that. In the module of digital diplomacy we look more at the idea of international relations and political communication. Particularly the way that both states and non state actors relate to icts so the internet social media and how these impacts the way international relationship international relations take place. The idea of soft power, developing propaganda in today's world with the media tools that are available now to both like state leaders but also the rest of the diplomatic core. Following that the third module would ask students to choose from electives from different topics. We're in the Center for global media and communications so they can choose that the topics around media and religion, media and development, media and gender, media and gender in the Middle East. And lastly, the fourth module, the last module, students are allowed to take a module from any other department at SOAS such as development studies, global diplomacy, gender studies and these allow students to be able to tailor the program to whatever is more interesting to them, and even to their professional practice if that happens to be also an important part of why why they're doing the distance learning course. So well, why is it important to study media in today's world. First it's because really media is central to the key debates that are taking place in politics. But generally in how we develop as a society in cold, how we develop culture, the idea of how we construct our own identities, both through social media, the internet, and in the offline world which now this divide has sort of based out because there's no, there's no real gap anymore. Yeah, basically we at SOAS like to think that media is embedded in everything we do. And it has a historical trajectory of constructing the nation state and impacting who is able to participate within that paradigm that still prevails to this day. And how individuals as well as groups develop their ideas of communities, how social media particularly has also broken this notion of communities, how it has fragmented audiences, increased political division contributed to populism in today's world. And also we look at the idea of media as economic, social and political entities so we look at the political economy of media, who owns the media, why it matters, who owns the media how media ownership affects media coverage, particularly in political events but also how media ownership affects, you know, the online world. So for example, digital capitalism and now social media and politics, how it affects democracy, how it can affect development, etc. So some of the things that you can expect from undertaking a master's degree at SOAS, I would say first is to gain the notion that media has a role in politics, but also in social and economic and cultural lives. We look at ideas around misinformation, bias, surveillance of media in today's world. And we also have a heavy component of looking at the idea of media and its relationship to not only digital activism and participation but in general to the development of grassroots movements and how that can maintain activism but also undermine it. We look at the idea of media and problems around representation, around providing voice to voiceless and participation and how that media can also undermine, you know, these ideas of representation. We also look at transnational connections, particularly around mixed migration flows, diasporic communities. We do look at media and conflict. So, particularly in this particular context of today, it is important to look at how media coverage can affect ideas of news bias, empathy, etc. And we do look at media and gender, the development of identity in general, media and development, as well as media and religion. And some of the outcomes that you can expect after doing a distance learning program and so as is that we do want students to develop critical skills and have knowledge on the rise of global media as part of capitalist structures and globalization process. We like students to understand the expansion in digital platforms and technologies within social, political and economic structures. So understand media as part of a broader context. And how there is sort of a dialectical relationship between the context in which media develops but how media at the same time affects that context and its its ongoing development. As well as we look at their knowledge, having knowledge on the relationship between politics and media, media power, media effects, media and nationalism and media and diverse cultures. So, basically, looking at media and the power relations that exist within media media as a hegemonic structure, media as a political entity, and media as part of being able to allow or to provide power and maintain power to people that already have it, but also media being able to diffuse that power to grassroots movements or people that haven't had traditionally been able to counteract those narratives. And also we look at the idea of the role that media has in normalizing inequality, differentiations along gendered racial, ethnic and religious lines, obviously so as having a tradition of looking at Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the global south. So we do look at how media has now, particularly with the internet and social media how we have this sort of duality where we still have hegemonic narratives and this discursive power, but how some of the populations have been able to take control of these media resources and challenge power and sort of counteract those traditional narratives too. So yes, as I said before, the structure is that we have four main courses and each course is 16 weeks total. It's going to be in October and April. Obviously not only 2020 or 2021, they go rolling. And then we have, sorry, the mini dissertation modules. We also have four of those as I said, and they help students to be able to develop and actually write their dissertation without having to wait up till the last moment. We also have the compulsory model modules that they can choose from such as digital diplomacy, transnational communities, and diasporic media. And then students are able to choose from module from the rest of the SOAS catalog in CISD, as well as media and religion media in the Middle East, media and gender to tailor the program to to suit their needs under own interests. And we see here, a few of the optional modules that students are able to choose from so media and development, gender and security in Africa contemporary themes in media and religion, gender and social inequality, contemporary global issues in media and gender, global diplomacy, mostly minorities and the state, mostly minorities in a global context, cultural diplomacy, diplomacy and power. Yeah, it is quite a flexible program that allows students to choose what they want to gain expertise in, and really be able to have in the end a degree in media but with the knowledge or particular knowledge about a certain topic if that's what they choose to do. I think now I'm happy to take any questions or doubts that I might not have tackled during the presentation. You can pop your questions on the chat, or you can also open your mic. You don't have to have your video open if you don't want to, but just to let you know that their recording is the session is being recorded so you know if you speak your voice will be recorded, but happy to read from the chat to. Hi, hi Pablo. No, that's fine, no worries. Do you still want to pop your, your question. Okay, a PhD. So I would say we. I'm not sure but we don't, I don't think we offer distance learning PhDs. Do you know for sure Rachel. I'm trying to think from the top of my head actually I don't think we do either I'll just have a quick look and see if I can see any further information on the web pages just bear with me one moment. I think I mean as someone that did an in campus PhD at so as I would say, it's not an offer. Probably it was done briefly during you know the peak of the pandemic times. But usually supervisors like you to be here to have continuous meetings and also to to supervise any progress that that is taking place and the only time when a PhD student is allowed to be away from so as is during the field for gear which usually takes place during the second year of the PhD. So the first year you would be able to develop your proposal and then have your examination to see if you're allowed to be a PhD candidate, and then for the second year, depending on what you're doing. You would be able to to go on for there for for your for your field work. Yeah, I mean. This, this particular session is for the master's program but I don't think it's it's an offer to do a PhD on a distance learning basis. Yes, you would, I think you would be required to move to London. I think what you've just said is correct I was just having a quick look to see if I can see anything else but I think the case is that even if there were certain elements that you might do virtually you would have to be living within London and kind of doing most of it just because of that contact that you would have and the support that you would have is something that we would look for you to be on campus so yeah you would need to move to London for that. I mean, I envy you a bit, Geneva is a nice place to live. Yeah, I think. Maybe the best thing is to approach the, the admissions office. And also, if you have a specific idea of who you want to be your main supervisor so your internal supervisor and discuss if that can be done. I think so it's quite strict but also in the case for example if you need a visa, obviously the home office requires students to stay in the country for a certain amount of time. You know, the visa at least that was my case as a Mexican student so. Yeah, so you should my advice for you is to contact some that the researcher so as that you would like to have as your supervisor and see if they are happy to still allow for you and to have a discussion with so as and that would be just like a specific not not sort of something that could happen, you know, broadly for all PhD students, but I, you know, give it a give it a try, because you never know maybe the supervisor would be willing to do it. So if you're looking at climate change I would definitely look. It does depend sort of the media department is small, but you could look at also the development studies department and at the top of my head I can't. Maybe doctors so we're seeing how but I would, I would really advise you to look at sort of the staff in the development study section and see researchers that either focus completely on climate change and environmental activities and things like that, or, or really look at someone that does research on social movements in general. And obviously there's always overlap between social movements and media. So they might be able to have expertise. And really like pop them an email, send them an email and say this is, you know, this is my, my track record, I'm so student I'm interested in this and see, see what happens from there, you, you know, you have nothing to lose. Do we have any other questions. Yeah, no problem. So just so that everyone's aware we are recording this session so what we will do is in a few weeks time you will get an email with this sessions recording. So you can have a little look back on it if you need to. But yeah, we'll give a few more moments just if you think of any more questions and then if not we can wrap up a little early. Yeah, and I mean I'm happy to. I don't know if I can give my email to Rachel or just pop it on the chat. And I'm happy to you know if you don't think of the question right now you can just send send me an email with a question and I'm happy to answer after that it's it's okay. Yeah, feel free to pop it in the chat if you want to and then if you're interested they can do and I'm sure there'll be lots of contact details when the recording sent out anyway as well. I'm just going to resend that for you because I think you sent that to. Oh, there we go. There we go. All right well if no one has any further questions and you've got the email address there. And if anyone does think of anything then they can get in contact. But if not thank you to everyone who joined us today and thank you for the great session. And we hope to see some of you on our courses very soon. Yeah, perfect. Thank you very much. Right thanks everyone take care now. Bye.