Bhubaneswar: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched a one-year course titled ‘PG Diploma for Social and Behavioral Change’ at the Fakir Mohan University’s Nuapadhi campus Wednesday. In a programme organised on the occasion, the vice-chancellor of the university Santosh Kumar Tripathy made formal announcement regarding the commencement of the course under the Journalism and Mass Communication department. UNICEF Odisha CFO William Halon Jr attended the programme virtually along with Sabyasachi Pattnaik, chairman of the PG Council of the university, Sugata Roy, UNICEF expert, Bharatibala Pattnaik, head of the journalism and communication department, and former director of SCSTRTI and senior adviser AB Otta.
In the opening address, Bhartibala Pattnaik present information related to the course and encouraged all the students to enroll. The guests unveiled the brochure with details of the course while noting the importance of communication in social and behavioral change. “Instead of confining the course to the classroom, the students should use it to address various important and neglected issues in society,” said Pattnaik. The department head informed that a five-day workshop on puppetry intervention for maternal, newborn, and child healthcare is being organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the department. “The workshop is being held from December 11 to 15. Programmes are being organised to demonstrate various types of puppet making and traditional puppet-show, theme-based shows at nearby villages as a part of the social awareness campaign,” he said.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP