Chair’s Remarks: Dr Kundan Aryal, Head of the CDJMC

I am delighted to welcome you to the Camera Building of the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (CDJMC).

I extend a warm welcome to TU officials, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Executive Director of the Department of International Relations and members of the Executive Council, heads of various central departments, friends from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka, media educators from diverse institutions in Nepal, and journalists. AND, most importantly, my beloved students and faculty members. 

This location itself reflects the long and relentless journey of media education in Nepal. After nearly five decades of pioneering efforts in media education, Tribhuvan University now aspires to establish this department as a center of excellence in journalism and mass communication. Transitioning from a cozy environment within the Humanities Campus, we moved to this facility last year with the aim of broadening research and teaching opportunities in mass communication and reforming journalism education to align with the ongoing changes in the communication landscape.

The history of journalism in Nepal, marked by struggles, upheavals, and advances, spans over a century. For at least the last eight decades, it has served as a communication lifeline, contributing significantly to Nepal’s socio-political sphere. Today, on one hand, the information and communication ecosystem has undergone a tremendous transformation, especially since the start of this millennium, a process accelerated by the restrictions on physical mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, journalism's role in delivering verified, fact-checked, and well-edited content with high ethical standards has become more critical than ever.

In 1954, Wilbur Schramm, a pioneer in modern communication studies, observed: “We have come 180 degrees from a theory of the passive audience to a theory of an active audience” (The Process and Effects of Mass Communication, Eds. Wilbur Schramm & Donald F. Roberts, p. 11). As we near the end of 2024, in the midst of the digital era, his concept of the "Fraction of Selection" highlights the critical need for delivering thoughtfully curated and responsibly edited content to serve the public good and minimize potential harm. Journalism schools, like ours, have a pivotal role to play in addressing this responsibility.

While every new technology is a double-edged sword, digital advancements demand their responsible use. Journalism schools must adapt to evolving technologies, their impact on human behavior, and societal changes. When Nepal first recognized the need for formal media training in the 1970s, neither the advanced technology nor the actively engaged audience we see today was widely envisioned. Today, if we claim to prepare professionals for the contemporary world, we must adopt innovative pedagogies and foster creative understandings of the field.

CDJMC is committed to hosting discussions, exchanging ideas, and producing scholarly publications alongside vibrant and effective classroom teaching. We are making this humble effort, despite limited resources, because the Nepali media community looks to us to bridge the gap between the classroom, the newsroom, and emerging communication domains. From our side, we strive to develop competent communication professionals and researchers.

The Central Department views the Kathmandu Conference on Communication and Media, 2024 as another milestone in its journey. From our modest beginnings, we believe we are progressing in the right direction, fostering meaningful exchanges and collaborations now and in the future.

Although the Vice-Chancellor could not join us today due to Senate obligations, I am grateful for his encouraging message for our conference. My sincere thanks go to the Center for Media Research (CMR) for their hard work in bringing this conference to life, the leadership of Tribhuvan University for their support, and my colleagues and students at the department for their dedication.