Kyrgyzstan: Summer Academy in Bishkek

Twelve journalists, twelve weeks, four countries and three types of media: on August 6 the Summer Academy certificates were handed out in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Between May 17 and August 6, the cooperation project between DW-AKADEMIE and the OSCE Academy gave journalists from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan the opportunity to deepen their skills in the areas of print, radio and online.

“With the Summer Academy project we want young, talented journalists to support the idea of quality journalism in Central Asia and, in the mid-term, to become trainers for colleagues in their own stations,” explains Matthis Winkler, DW-AKADEMIE project manager and trainer.

Following a one-week introduction, the journalists were given two weeks of training in each medium and an additional week in each to independently research and produce reports. The reports focused on ethnic conflicts, the environment and the economy. In Week 11 participants could choose a medium to independently research and produce a further report. The results were discussed and evaluated in the final week.

The six best Summer Academy participants were given a special award. This autumn they will travel to Germany to participate in the advanced workshop ‘Reporting Germany’. “While selecting the winners,” says Winkler, “we looked at their journalistic skills but we also looked at how much they had participated during the project.”

German financing for the Summer Academy is provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Foreign Office. The Summer Academy is to be held again next year and will be expanded to include a television module.