The African Media Campus Foundation, an international, education-driven non-profit organization, dedicated to enhancing academic and skills-based learning for the media and creative industries in Africa, was launched on August 4th, 2021.
The Foundation’s flagship project is the creation of its first African Media Campus at the heart of MediaCity Mauritius. It will host a media technology school and a world-class university, integrated as part of the MediaCity hub with the primary aim of bringing the Foundation’s vision to life by connecting talent with industry.
Despite rapid growth, the media and creative industries on the Continent suffer from a major skills gap. Higher education and vocational training remain rare due to a lack of resources, equipment, and qualified trainers, thus stifling the emergence of African media talent. The Foundation seeks to fill this skills gap, by bringing the media industry closer to campus.
The Foundation will provide the access, resources and opportunities often lacking in media studies on the continent. Its ambition is to drive collaboration between industry and academia, to transform media studies in Africa.
Along with leading universities and key industry stakeholders, the Foundation will foster employability for a pool of young and enthusiastic graduates. Its work will include education infrastructure support, specialized scholarship awards, industry stakeholder collaboration, world-class university partnerships, and the sourcing of top-tier equipment.
Founder of the African Media Campus Foundation, Najib Gouiaa, said:
“Our ambition is to bring together industry leaders and the world’s best education providers to transform the media studies landscape in Africa. We believe in promoting educational programmes meeting industry standards and vocational training supplied by industry mentors, thus putting theory into practice and talent to work.”
The African Media Campus Foundation is an independent entity registered in Mauritius and funded by philanthropic donations from external donors, as well as institutional grants. Its Council and Secretariat will lead daily operations. They will be strategically supported by an Advisory Board, comprised of leaders from the academic, business and media worlds.
The Foundation’s prime location in Mauritius, at a crossroads between Africa, Asia and Europe, will facilitate its development as it will be able to leverage Mauritius’ well-regulated media industry, high-speed broadband connectivity, and booming education sector.