Google to Fund Data Journalism Scholarships for 2012-13 at the JMSC

Google will fund two full-tuition scholarships for Master of Journalism candidates with solid computer technology backgrounds.  The scholarships will provide support for the field of data journalism, one of the new areas of focus at the JMSC.

Funding two scholarships for the coming academic year

The scholarships are designed to teach journalism to computer scientists and specialists in related disciplines who are interested in pursuing a media-related career, and in developing digital journalism tools for newsgathering, storytelling, data analysis and data visualisation.

“As technology develops at break-neck speed, the industry needs developers and programmers who are knowledgeable about journalism,” said Professor Ying Chan, Director of the JMSC.  “We need them  to  help develop new ways of telling stories, analyze massive amounts of data and develop web and mobile applications for news delivery.”

As part of the programme, successful candidates will participate in JMSC data journalism research projects.

The scholarships will cover full tuition for the 2012-13 academic year, and will be awarded on the basis of academic merit or outstanding experience.  “We are grateful for the support from Google, which helps the JMSC advance the frontiers of journalism education,” Professor Chan said.

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science, information engineering or a related discipline, and must demonstrate competency in computational problem solving, computer programming and database management.

Applicants with knowledge of data mining, data visualisation and digital storytelling will have a definite advantage. Those with innovative ideas or entrepreneurial talents are particularly encouraged to apply.

Scholarship holders will study the core and elective courses offered by the JMSC and  may also take elective courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering’s Electronic Commerce and Internet Computing Programme.

The application deadline is May 31, 2012.

For further information, visit http://jmsc.hku.hk/mjadmissions.

To apply for a scholarship, please contact Jason Hui at 2219-4113 or e-mail jmscmj@hku.hk.