Rabat – The oldest school of journalism, the École supérieure de journalism of Paris (ESJ Paris), has chosen Morocco to open its first online distance-learning in the Arabic language, journalism, and communication.
The ESJ Paris’s choice is driven by Morocco’s central position as the gateway to Africa and to the Arab world. Morocco has “all the technological resources for this type of online training,” according to the director of the institute, Jobin Guillaume.
“The ESJ Paris is implemented in Morocco since 2008, in association with the l’Economiste group,” said Jobin in an interview with Morocco’s state-owned Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
For him, the ESJ Paris’ presence in Morocco is the first successful implementation in an Arab country.
Speaking on the teaching modalities of the institute in Morocco, Jobin revealed that the online-training will bring together all the components of effective teaching. This includes video-debates, large online open courses, small online working groups, remote work, podcasts.
Jobin revealed that the speakers are all Arabic-speaking professionals, or journalists from a number of Arab countries.
In spite of their origins, backgrounds, and nationalities, the training is for anyone who wishes to deepen their knowledge of journalism. It aims to alleviate the travel burden that people may face such as border closures, financial issues, and family problems.
The director said that two lawyers and a neurologist are receiving remote-training at the institute this year.
The decision comes, however, after the majority of the world experienced lockdowns and restrictions, opting for remote work and online education instead of in-person.
The practice, which has been proven to be efficient, is not optional but mandatory as the situation dictates, explained Jobin.
Jobin specified that the institute also offers face-to-face training for students who can travel and do not need to work.
Founded in 1899, the ESJ Paris is among the world’s prominent schools of journalism.
In the 1920s, Mohammed Belhassan Ouazzani was the first Moroccan journalist to graduate from the school.
