Mongolia study tour opens new doors for digital media students
by Greg Chapman
CQUniversity’s Digital Media students have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience putting their filmmaking skills to the test during a study tour of the wintry streets of Mongolia.
Organised by Projects Abroad and funded by the New Colombo Plan, the seven students travelled to the Ulaanbaatar region for three weeks and gained valuable experience from local media organisations.
Mother and daughter Digital Media students, Shelly and Megan Baker undertook separate placements – Shelly with Mongolia National Broadcaster (MNB) and Megan with Mongolian in-flight magazine, Four Seasons and Eleven Eleven Records.
Megan said she was overwhelmed by the differences between Mongolia and home, and revelled in the country’s culture.
“The biggest highlight for me was walking to work every day and just taking in the feel of the city. Eventually I knew my way around quite well and it felt really cool to be able to leave for work, a usually totally mundane activity, in a place that was completely unfamiliar and exciting,” she said.
“Again, I think the biggest educational takeaway I got from this was the skill of communication. Everything I needed to know to do the job I came to do, I learned at uni. The really valuable takeaway was interacting with different cultures, values and traditions.
“I did travel with mum, which is what made the trip so special. I am so lucky to be able to study with my mum. It was she who convinced me to start studying with CQU in the first place.”
Shelly said sharing the experience with her daughter – with both doing the same course was a true highlight.
“(Another highlight) was definitely getting to know the people of Mongolia. The pride they have in their culture, the interesting customs they have that are so meaningful to them and so intriguing to learn about. The hosts, and the people we worked with were warm, friendly, and welcoming. I left feeling I had made lifelong friends.
She said without a doubt the tour and its opportunities boosted her confidence.
“The trip to Mongolia put me in an unfamiliar environment, working as an English News Broadcaster at the Voice of Mongolia. It was a new experience for me, although this field is not covered in the Digital Media degree, through it, I have built transferrable skills, skills that I now know, can take me anywhere. I walked away with the confidence in knowing I that I have learnt enough, I am good enough and even though there will always be more to learn, I can hold my own.”
Student Curtis Dean worked with private film production company iCityFilms, taking part in a video shoot for a cosmetics company.
“The Mongolia trip was extremely rewarding for both my personal and professional growth. The exposure to a culture so different was incredible,” he said.
Curtis said he also created a video travel documentary of the trip, including visuals of the places he visited to share his experience of Mongolia, which is generally an unknown location.
“This trip gave me exposure and professional experience in a potential job in my desired field, which taught me a lot with marketing video productions and publishing content. This has given me confidence in this work and more knowledge on how to run production smoothly,” he said.
Digital Media Lecturer Dr Andrew Couzens said the tour was a valuable experience for the students, academically and personally.
“The students who accompanied this tour were a really diverse bunch, and I think each took away something unique. I was in the privileged position of being able to read students’ reflections on their experiences, and in each I saw stories of both professional and personal growth,” he said.
“The biggest takeaway for many, I think, was the sense of how much they are capable of, and how rewarding stepping beyond their assumed limits can be.”
Dr Couzens said all the students experienced different work environments through a unique cultural lens and were immersed in media production activities from small startups to large state-owned institutions - experience that will be invaluable to their professional lives in the range of careers that the Digital Media course supports.
He said plans were being made to return to Mongolia with another cohort of students this year.
“Through the New Colombo Plan, we have been given an opportunity to run this study tour again in November. Mongolia is an incredibly welcoming country with a rapidly developing media industry, and I not only want more students to have the opportunity to experience that environment, but also to continue to build upon the many relationships that were established on this first trip,” he said.
WATCH Curtis’ Mongolia documentary film.
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.
