HKU Reopens Search for New JMSC Director

The JMSC is housed in Eliot Hall, which was built in 1914, three years after the founding of HKU.

The global search for the next director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC) has been reopened by The University of Hong Kong.

Heidrick and Struggles, an international executive search firm, has been hired to lead the effort to fill the position, building upon a previous search that was inconclusive.

Professor Ying Chan, the founder and current director of the JMSC, is due to step down in the near future.

Hong Kong University is seeking candidates with an outstanding reputation as either a scholar in journalism and media studies, or a journalist with an exceptional track record internationally and experience in high-level positions in major media organizations.

The job posting on HKU’s Human Resources website says ideal candidates will also have “substantial international experience, an advanced degree, teaching and administrative experience within a University setting, as well as an understanding of journalism practice in China and Asia”.

The new director will also need an understanding of how technology is transforming journalism and creating new forms of storytelling, and have a clear vision for JMSC’s future as a journalism school that is leading the way into the digital age.

Candidates are invited to submit their materials by email to hkujmsc@heidrick.com. More information about the position may be found on the HKU Human Resources website or in the job listing on Poynter Online. It is also posted on journalismjobs.com. Nominations for candidates are also welcome.

Applications close on May 1, 2013. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Since its founding in 1999, the JMSC has grown from 26 part-time students to a highly regarded centre currently offering full Bachelor of Journalism (BJ) and Master of Journalism (MJ) degree curriculums to 188 students – 110 BJ students and 78 MJ’s.

It was the first school in the world to include blogging in the curriculum, and continues to be at the forefront of integrating new media and technology with traditional journalism.

The centre’s groundbreaking research projects include the Data Journalism Lab, the China Media Project and the Health And Risk Communication Project.