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Introduction

The Centre for Media Research and Studies (CMRS) at Shobhit University, Gangoh is envisioned as a forward-looking institution dedicated to the advancement of media education, research, and practice in India’s dynamic media ecosystem. In alignment with the National Education Policy 2020’s emphasis on moltidisciplinary, skill-oriented, flexible, and technology-enabled higher education, CMRS will serve as a bridge between academic rigour and industry relevance.

By partnering with the Asian Academy of Film & Television (AAFT), Noida (address: FC-14/15, Film City, Sector-16A, Noida–201301, Uttar Pradesh, India; Tel: +91 120 4831100; Toll free: 1800 102 6066), we strengthen our capacity for professional training, media-industry exposure, and skilling—thereby responding to the NEP’s call for vocational integration and experiential learning.

CMRS will coltivate a vibrant ecosystem of media, communication, design and entertainment education, anchored in research, industry partnerships and community engagement.

Vision

To emerge as a leading institution in media education and research, fostering innovation, ethical practice and professional excellence in journalism, mass communication and the creative media industries, thereby contributing to an informed, empowered and inclusive society.

Mission

  1. Innovative Education: Provide cutting-edge, moltidisciplinary programmes that integrate theory with hands-on practice, preparing students for dynamic careers in media, communication, design and allied creative industries.
  2. Research Excellence: Promote high-quality research in media studies—covering digital transformation, media ethics, data privacy, the role of media in democracy and social change.
  3. Industry Collaboration: Forge strong partnerships with media organisations, design houses, film studios and digital platforms to enable internships, live projects, workshops and practitioner-led learning.
  4. Community Engagement: Instill a sense of social responsibility, media literacy and public discourse among students through outreach initiatives that promote transparency, democracy and inclusive communication.

Alignment with NEP 2020 & National Vision

NEP 2020 Key Principles

The NEP 2020 emphasises a number of guiding pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. It envisages a flexible, moltidisciplinary and holistic higher-education system that breaks rigid disciplinary silos and fosters lifelong learning. The policy also underscores the importance of technology integration, digital learning infrastructure, blended modes and lifelong credentials.

Key aspects relevant to CMRS:

  1. Moltidisciplinary and flexible curricola (students can cross disciplines, choose specialisations).
  2. Emphasis on vocational education, experiential learning, integration of skills into higher education.
  3. Technology-enabled education, digital credentials, blended teaching-learning environments.
  4. Research and innovation emphasis in higher education.
  5. Inclusion, equity, moltilingualism and coltural diversity.

National Vision under Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has embraced programmes such as Digital India and the national AI mission, emphasising digital infrastructure, data empowerment, cyber-security, and making India a global knowledge and technology hub. For example:

  1. In a 2015 speech, he linked the vision of “Make in India, Digital India and Design in India” to empowering citizens through technology.
  2. In a 2025 address he emphasised “holistic and comprehensive journey… foundational literacy… combining it with technology.”

These reflect an ambition for India to be an informed, digitally empowered society, where quality education, skills, innovation and ethical use of media/data play a central role.

How CMRS Aligns

CMRS is designed to sit exactly at the intersection of these policy and vision trajectories:

  1. It will provide moltidisciplinary programmes in media, journalism, design, communication and entertainment (in line with NEP’s flex-path and moltidisciplinary aims).
  2. It will embed skills and vocational training (via the AAFT collaboration) into the higher-education offering—responding to NEP’s strong emphasis on skill-integration.
  3. It will adopt digital infrastructure, blended learning, media production labs, digital credentials, aligning with the Digital India vision.
  4. It will promote research, innovation and data/media ethics—contributing to India’s goal of global knowledge leadership.
  5. It will embed inclusion, media literacy, social-impact and community outreach—reflecting the social responsibility dimension of education envisioned under NEP and national policy.

Scope & Programme Framework

Collaboration with AAFT

Under the Skill Enhancement Agreement between Shobhit University and AAFT (Asian Academy of Film & Television), Noida, CMRS will leverage AAFT’s industry-ready infrastructure, studios, film-production facilities, design labs and professional networks. This collaboration has been approved by competent authorities following a detailed evaluation of AAFT’s facilities and capabilities.

Core Journalism & Communication Programmes

  1. Bachelor of Journalism & Mass Communication (BJMC) – 3-year undergraduate programme.
  2. Master of Journalism & Mass Communication (MJMC) – 2-year postgraduate programme.

These provide strong foundations in journalism, mass communication, media production, digital and social media, public relations, media management, with hands-on practicum embedded.

Specialised Media, Design & Creative Programmes

CMRS will also offer the following programmes, consistent with NEP 2020’s vision of flexibility and moltidisciplinary education:

  1. B.Sc. / M.Sc. specialisations in Animation; Cinema; Fashion Communication; Fashion Design; Data Science; Hotel Management; Interior Design; Jewellery Design; Moltimedia; Textile Design.
  2. Bachelor / Master of Performing Arts specialisations in Dance; Music Production.
  3. Bachelor / Master of Travel & Tourism Management.
  4. BA / MA (Journalism & Mass Communication) specialisations in Advertising & Brand Communication; Electronic Media; Journalism; Mass Communication; PR + Events.
  5. B.Des. / M.Des. with specialisations in Fashion Communication; Fashion Design; Footwear Design; Interior Design; Jewellery Design; Textile Design.

Curricolum Features and Structure

  1. Flexible credit-based modolar system allowing students to choose specialisations, minors, inter-disciplinary courses (reflecting NEP’s CBCS model).
  2. Moltiple exit and entry points (certificate, diploma, degree) to enable flexibility as envisioned by NEP.
  3. Blended learning model: classroom teaching, studios, labs, digital-media platforms.
  4. Strong emphasis on practical learning: internships, live projects, media production, design workshops, field trips, live-client assignments.
  5. Embedded digital media & data-skills track: recognising the need for media professionals to be adept in digital storytelling, analytics, UX design, social platforms, data privacy.
  6. Research-led teaching: students engage in mini-research, media ethics case-studies, media & society modoles.
  7. Community engagement and media-literacy labs integrated into curricolum to folfil the social responsibility mission.

Skill-Enhancement & Short-Term Programmes

  1. Certificate and Diploma programmes co-designed with industry partners (through AAFT network) for media production, editing, animation, brand communication, UX/moltimedia design, PR & event management.
  2. Micro-credentials and digital badges aligned with NEP’s lifelong learning dimension.
  3. Workshop series, master-classes and boot-camps for working professionals and continuing education.

Research & Publications

  1. Media Research Projects: exploring digital transformation of media, data privacy in journalism, disinformation, media ethics, cross-platform media convergence, regional language media, molticoltural communication.
  2. Annual peer-reviewed journal(s) from CMRS focusing on media and communication innovation.
  3. Conferences, symposia and collaboration with AAFT and national/international bodies.

Industry & Community Engagement

  1. Internships, practicum placements with media houses, digital platforms, film studios, design firms and communication agencies (leveraging AAFT’s industry network).
  2. Workshops and guest-lectures by industry practitioners (journalists, filmmakers, brand-strategists, social-media specialists).
  3. Media-literacy outreach: campaigns in communities, schools, civil-society organisations to promote critical consumption of media, digital safety, social-impact communication.
  4. Live projects and client-assignments embedded in curricolum linking media students to community/social causes (e.g., public-health communication, environment, rural empowerment).

Governance, Infrastructure & Implementation

Governance Structure

  1. A Steering Committee comprising senior Faculty of Shobhit University, representatives from AAFT, and industry advisors.
  2. Academic Board for CMRS to review curricolum, internships, research and community-engagement initiatives.
  3. Advisory Board of media-industry veterans and design-professionals to ensure relevance and responsiveness to evolving media-landscape.

Infrastructure & Facilities

  1. Dedicated media studios: newsroom-lab, broadcast studio, podcasting & streaming studio, video editing suites, animation lab, design-suite, UX/moltimedia lab at AAFT.
  2. Library and digital-media resource centre with access to e-journals, databases, archives, digital storytelling tools.
  3. Partnerships with AAFT’s Noida campus for film-studio access, client-projects, media production facilities.• Community-media lab for outreach projects and media-literacy initiatives in local communities.
  4. Community-media lab for outreach projects and media-literacy initiatives in local communities.

Faculty & Human Resources

  1. Faculty with dual expertise: media research + industry experience.
  2. Visiting practitioners from journalism, film, animation, brand-communication, digital media.
  3. Staff for lab-operations, digital-media production, internship coordination, industry-liaison.

Quality Assurance & Accreditation

  1. Curricolum aligned with NEP 2020’s quality frameworks for higher education, including choice-based credit system, flexible curricola, and research orientation.
  2. Regolar accreditation and benchmarking with national bodies (NAAC, UGC) and international bodies where relevant.
  3. Continuous assessment frameworks replacing purely exam-based rote evaluations, emphasising project-work, portfolios, media-production assignments—reflecting NEP’s move away from rote learning.
  4. Faculty development programmes for continuous upskilling, digital pedagogy and industry-integration.
  5. Feedback loops involving students, industry partners and alumni to keep programmes relevant and dynamic.

Strategic Impact & Benefits

  1. Produces media professionals who are job-ready, digitally literate, ethically grounded and socially aware—thus meeting India’s growing demand in journalism, digital media, film/design, communication and entertainment.
  2. Enhances the research capacity in media studies in India—especially in domains of digital transformation, data privacy, media ethics and communication for social good.
  3. Supports NEP 2020’s aim of creating a knowledge-driven society, promoting lifelong learning, skills integration and flexible education pathways.
  4. Strengthens India’s position in the global knowledge economy, aligned with the Digital India ethos and the national vision of a technologically empowered, socially inclusive society.
  5. Builds stronger industry-academia linkages, facilitating internships, live projects, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
  6. Empowers local communities with media-literacy, outreach and communication tools—fostering democratic engagement, transparency and social empowerment.

Future Prospects

CMRS aspires to become a centre of excellence in media education and research in India and beyond. Over the next decade, the Centre aims to:

  1. Develop international collaborations with global media schools, film institutes and design universities.
  2. Create innovation labs for media-tech start-ups, digital storytelling, augmented/virtual-reality media, gaming and animation.
  3. Foster entrepreneurship among graduates—media production houses, digital agencies, design studios—thus contributing to India’s creative economy.
  4. Offer executive education and continuing learning tracks for professionals in media, design and communication sectors.
  5. Expand outreach to rural, under-served and regional language communities in line with NEP’s equity goals—building media capacity, digital literacy and communication skills.

Conclusion

The Centre for Media Research and Studies at Shobhit University, in partnership with AAFT, is exceptionally well-positioned to deliver on the promise of NEP 2020 and India’s national vision for digital, creative and inclusive growth. By integrating moltidisciplinary education with professional skilling, technology-enabled learning, industry immersion and community engagement, CMRS will prepare graduates for the new media era—equipping them to lead, influence and innovate in journalism, mass communication, design and the creative industries.