The University of Westminster has marked the 50th anniversary of its pioneering Media Studies degree – the first undergraduate course of its kind in the UK. The programme began with a celebration event and concluded with a two-day conference, bringing together students, academics, alumni and global media scholars to honour a half-century of media education.
The festivities began on 21 May at the University’s Marylebone Campus with an internal celebration that traced the department’s rich history and enduring impact on the field. The day was structured around a series of engaging conversations that reflected on the School of Media and Communication’s development and looked forward to the future of media education.
Professor Peter Bonfield, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University, opened the event, setting the tone for a day that explored themes of decolonisation, media practice, political economy and the experiences of today’s students.
Guests of honour were founding figures in the evolution of Media Studies, including Nicholas Garnham and Paddy Scannell, Emeritus Professors at the University of Westminster, who founded what is now the Westminster School of Media and Communication in the early 1970s.
During the event Professor James Curran of Goldsmiths, University of London, joined Westminster’s Professor Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History and former Official Historian of the BBC, and Professor Colin Sparks to reflect on their early work. They were also joined by colleagues from the early days of the subject beyond Westminster, including Emeritus Professors Christine Geraghty, Peter Golding and Graham Murdock.
The celebrations continued with a two-day international conference that took place between 22 and 23 May, hosted by the University’s Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). With over 21 panels, four keynote speeches and a plenary session, the conference examined the past, present and future of Media and Communication studies.
The conference was marked by four keynote addresses from internationally renowned scholars, each offering a different perspective on the challenges and possibilities facing Media and Communication today.
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