The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting young Maldivians pursuing careers in journalism through a new Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts and the Maldives National University (MNU).

The agreement aims to enhance professional training opportunities and strengthen capacity-building in the media and arts sectors. The MoU was signed by Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Ibrahim Waheed and MNU Vice-Chancellor Dr Aishath Shehnaz Adam at a ceremony held in Malé.

Speaking at the event, Minister Waheed highlighted the importance of formal education in journalism, noting that most professionals in the field entered through passion alone. He emphasised that structured academic learning would strengthen journalistic standards and better equip young people to excel in the evolving media landscape.

MNU Vice-Chancellor Dr Shehnaz underscored the university’s role in providing quality education and practical training to support national development. Under the MoU, MNU will provide technical assistance to ensure training programmes meet Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA) standards, offer on-the-job training opportunities, and supply qualified facilitators.

The Ministry, in turn, will assist in identifying and recruiting participants for MNU’s media and arts programmes. The university has also agreed to subsidise part of the tuition fees for media-related courses to make them more accessible to young people.

The partnership reflects a significant step towards building a more professional and skilled media sector in the Maldives, aligning with the Government’s broader efforts to empower youth and promote excellence in journalism and the creative industries.