London calling: Azerbaijan s new journalists visit the UK with the omson Foundation

For the first time in their lives, ten journalism students from Baku missed celebrating Novruz - the Azerbaijan spring festival - with families and friends at home.

The students, all nearing the end of their degree studies at Baku State University, were in London for a week of journalism workshops and media visits led by the Thomson Foundation.

The week marked the culmination of the first New Journalists in Azerbaijan programme, during which a wider group of students received English language lessons by the British Council Azerbaijan and attended a series of Thomson Foundation journalism courses in Baku. The programme was sponsored by Access Bank.

After journalism and language training spanning more than a year, ten students were selected for the trip to London. For most, it was their first journey outside Azerbaijan.

Surprise But the students had a surprise in store when they were invited as special guests of the European Azerbaijan Society to London's Novruz celebrations at Kensington Town Hall. Over 400 people - mainly Azerbaijanis - were present for an evening of speeches, dancing and sampling of Azerbaijani dishes such as dolma and pakhlava.

During the week the students developed their blogging, photographic and social media skills while experiencing the sights of London by foot, Underground, bus and Thames boat. As well as visiting many popular London icons, the group toured Greenwich, with its world-famous Royal Observatory, viewed the Light from the Middle East photojournalism exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum and toured the London Olympic Park.

There was also a warm welcome at Azerbaijan House, a cultural hub for Azerbaijanis in London, where the students watched rehearsals for an Azerbaijani play performed by English actors and interviewed the centre's chairman Dr Ali Atalar.

Newsroom tours Media visits included a tour of ITN's London studios, the Financial Times and Guardian, where the group learned how the newspaper has developed into a global online service, leading the way in data journalism and pursuing a strategy of Open Journalism.

The workshops were based at the training facility of the Thomson Foundation's new home in Chancery Lane, London and the week was led by Thomson Foundation trainer Dan Mason.

Partners in the New Journalists in Azerbaijan project are the British Council Azerbaijan, Access Bank and Baku State University, with journalism training provided by the Thomson Foundation.

LINK:	http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/news-and-features/2013/03/28/london-c...
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