Fourteen young people, students of the tenth graduating class of the School of Advanced Journalism, are ready to join the journalistic community. On June 30, in a symbolic ceremony and in the presence of trainers, they received their long-awaited certificates of study.

Academic year 2015-2016 at the SAJ lasted ten months. These were ten months in which the students of the School of Advanced Journalism worked in the regime of a real editorial office. They wrote news stories, interviews, learned to film and edit reports for radio and television, prepared articles on political, economic, social topics, made their own journalistic investigations. Courses were held by the best journalists and experts in various fields, from Moldova and from abroad. “The SAJ asserted itself due to the quality of study and trainers who have been with us for ten years,” said SAJ Director Sorina Stefarta.

The event was also attended by those who taught SAJ students – trainers. They congratulated new graduates for their courage and perseverance and recommended them to build their future careers in journalism, strictly abiding by ethics and deontology. “Don’t betray your profession,” told them Alina Radu, Director of Ziarul de Gardă newspaper. “It is very difficult to make a name and it is very easy to lose it. Don’t let yourselves be manipulated. Be fair and honest with yourselves,” added Petru Macovei, Director of the Association of Independent Press.

Words of encouragement also came from trainers Vasile Botnaru, Nadine Gogu, Liliana Barbarosie, Alina Turcanu, Cristina Mogildea, Dumitru Marian, Ina Grejdeanu, Vladimir Bolea, Andrei Cibotaru, Dumitru Ciorici, Tatiana Puiu.

The event culminated with the awarding of certificates of study. It should be mentioned that this year, two students – Natalia Ghetu and Iurii Botnarenco – graduated from the School of Advanced Journalism with distinction.

The School of Advanced Journalism (SAJ) is a project of the Independent Journalism Center, initiated in cooperation with the Missouri School of Journalism (USA) and the Center of Professional Training of Journalists in Paris (France). The School has been conceived based on advanced postgraduate programs for journalists and created according to the highest international standards in journalism practiced in Europe and the USA. This year, the SAJ received financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy (USA) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).