Connect Exchange Programs : A Critical Component in Media Studies for Indian Media Schools

This article addresses the objectives, philosophy, and need assessment of connect exchange programmes (CEP) in media studies. It underlines the importance of CEPs as an effort to mitigate the chasms created by a discriminatory, hierarchical, and fragmented society. Simultaneously, this article questions how CEPs can contribute to the paradigm of media studies when the institutions of media and media Studies still abide by the vision of age-old understanding of the constitution of Media and its function. This article raises a pitch for viewing media studies as a discipline with an integral commitment to society and social issues rather than relying upon the training of ‘graduates' to fit in the needs and demands of the job market. This article emphasizes that how a CEP can contribute to the making of a ‘universal global citizenry