Growing into the School of Future Media, a letter to the JMSC community

Dear students, alumni, and friends of JMSC,

I am thrilled to share with you a major strategic advancement of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC): our transformation into HKU’s School of Future Media. I am delighted to bring this news to you ahead of our public launch in the coming months.

Approved by the HKU Senate for establishment on October 1, 2025, the School of Future Media comprises three divisions: the foundational Journalism and Media Studies Centre, the Division of Documentary and AI Filmmaking, and the BA in Global Creative Industries programme, which has joined us from the Faculty of Arts.

This new School is supported by both the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts. While the JMSC remains the foundation and anchor of the new School, the expanded structure will provide a more flexible and robust platform for us to collaborate across faculties. We will also be able to harness the full range of HKU resources to grow, outreach, and foster multidisciplinary pursuits. 

For 26 years, since its founding in 1999,  the JMSC has been at the forefront of journalism education in Asia, graduating students possessing integrity and top expertise. Our graduates now thrive not only in the news and media industries, but also in many other fields, such as business and finance, philanthropy, and academia across the globe. 

As many of you would know, the JMSC has long grown beyond our designation as a “centre.” While the MJ and BJ remain our core components, our scope has significantly expanded. We introduced documentary film production courses in 2009, which developed into the Master of Journalism in Documentary Filmmaking Specialisation (MJ-DFS) in 2024. 

Our commitment to innovation continues. In September 2023, we launched the course “AI and Media Applications,” becoming one of the first university programmes in Asia to teach responsible use of AI in film/video making. Works from the inaugural class were accepted  for local and international festivals. We are now developing a full programme that would integrate cinematic art and AI to train a new generation of visual storytellers.

We take great pride in our BJ and MJ programmes even as the news industry is contending with adverse economic forces and rapid technological changes. Moving forward, our pedagogy and education programmes must keep evolving to respond to the profound shifts in the news and media eco-system, across Greater China and in the world. With the establishment of the new school, the JMSC will remain intact at Eliot Hall. Our commitment to journalistic excellence, critical thinking, and impactful storytelling is stronger than ever. 

In an era of ubiquitous AI-generated content, what sets our graduates apart will not be just their technical skills, but also their deep-seated ethics, narrative craft, and the commitment to social good. We will continue to build bridges between the timeless power of great story telling and the cutting-edge technology that enriches it.

For our current students, the transition will be seamless. You will graduate with the same degree you are now enrolled in: Bachelor of Journalism (BJ), Master of Journalism (MJ), and the Master of Journalism in Documentary Filmmaking Specialisation (MJ-DFS). 

For our alumni, you are part of the proud legacy of the JMSC, and now the School of Future Media. We will count on your passion, expertise, and support as we scale new heights in this exciting new chapter. 

I am incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities the new school will open up for our entire community. We will strive to produce future-proof graduates, while grounding ourselves in the present. As we prepare for the official launch, we will share further updates on events, workshops, and our evolving programmes.

With very best wishes,

Professor Ruby Yang
Director
School of Future Media