Fundação Getulio Vargas’ School of Communication, Media and Information (FGV ECMI) has just launched a Professional Master’s in Digital Communication and Data Culture Program. The first group of students will be selected in partnership with the Brazilian Business Communication Association (ABERJE) and the Itaú Foundation. The latter will offer 25 full scholarships, focusing on diversity and social impact. Preference will be given to professionals who work in the third sector.
FGV’s president, Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, together with the dean of FGV ECMI, Marco Ruediger, hosted a meeting with the president of the Itaú Foundation, Eduardo Saron, and the president of da ABERJE, Paulo Nassar, to celebrate the partnership.
The aim of the master’s program, which is scheduled to start in the second half of this year, is to train professionals with the expertise to work in different areas of communication and promote innovation in the data culture of organizations. According to Marco Ruediger, the dean of FGV ECMI, this is an area undergoing constant digital transformations and there is a growing need for professionals prepared to deal with these new challenges.
“For example, the impact of artificial intelligence is one of these challenges. It’s a very powerful innovation that could revolutionize the market and life as a whole, but it needs great caution and care to avoid misuse. It’s a technology that in the wrong hands would have harmful consequences for society and the job market. In fact, we have already seen this with the increase in fake news and image manipulation, among many other examples. We need professionals who are prepared for this future situation in which digital phenomena will penetrate our daily lives even more. The curriculum of our master’s program is adapted to this new world,” he says.
To celebrate the partnership and the program’s launch, the three institutions are holdinga seminar called “Dialogues That Connect: Communication in Building the Future.” This event will take place on May 7, at Itaú Cultural Center, 149, Avenida Paulista, Sao Paulo.The seminar will discuss the importance of strategic communication, especially in third sector institutions.
Social impact for the third sector
The Itaú Foundation, in partnership with FGV, seeks to encourage and promote the development of professionals in the third sector, among others, to meet the urgent needs of contemporary Brazil and generate social impact. It is with this aim in mind that the institution will offer 25 full scholarships to candidates in this area.
“We want this vital and cutting-edge digital communication knowledge to reach professionals who work directly with society’s social, environmental and economic challenges. We know that training is important in all sectors, but focusing the first edition of this program on these institutions is fundamental for the Itaú Foundation,” says Eduardo Saron, the institution’s president.
Strengthening the sector and developing careers
“This initiative between the three institutions marks a new moment for the field of digital communication in Brazil. It will strengthen the sector and contribute to training and career development for professionals in the area, as well as producing and disseminating knowledge in communication,” says Paulo Nassar, the president of ABERJE, who also serves as a professor at the University of Sao Paulo and on FGV ECMI’s master’s program.
The school’s Professional Master’s in Digital Communication and Data Culture will combine scientific knowledge with the practical application of theory and the solving of concrete problems. By stimulating students’ capacity for innovation, the program will enable them to work in different areas of the job market, while also opening up opportunities for them to carry out research and teaching activities. The course will last 18 months, divided into six academic trimesters. As it is part-time, the master’s degree does not require exclusive dedication and can be combined with students’ professional careers.