Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University, in collaboration with the Communication and Journalism Educators’ Network (CJEN) Bangladesh, invites media, communication and journalism schools and departments in Bangladesh to participate in the AGILE project to co-design, adapt and implement an extracurricular course titled: Managing Stress and Trauma in Journalism.
AGILE is an EU-funded global consortium initiative aimed at strengthening journalism education worldwide. Under this framework, Fojo Media Institute will support journalism education in 13 countries, including Bangladesh.
About the Project
This pilot initiative aims to explore how journalism education can better prepare students to manage stress and trauma, both when reporting others’ trauma and handling their own stress. An extracurricular course will be adapted and tested in collaboration with journalism schools in nine countries across the world and tailored to fit local realities.
The current Bangladeshi context presents a variety of challenges for journalists – from reporting on man-made and natural disasters and human rights violations to specific safety threats such as intimidation and online harassment. Despite these difficulties, mental health and emotional resilience are rarely included in journalism training. This course aims to address that gap by fostering resilience and providing practical tools for reporting.
Course Objectives
The course will help students:
- Understand trauma and its effects on sources, victims and journalists themselves,
- Apply best practices for trauma and stress reporting,
- Learn to manage stress and build personal resilience.
Suggested format and delivery:
- Structure: 6 sessions x 2 hours,
- Setting: classroom-based, delivered either as an extracurricular module or integrated into existing coursework,
- Approach: co-developed with Fojo and other journalism educators, combining academic instruction, industry insights, and practical tools,
- Customisation: Journalism schools are encouraged to adapt the course to fit their local and institutional context,
- Implementation period: 2026-2027.
Fojo Media Institute will provide:
- Facilitation guidance and draft course structure,
- A digital toolbox on stress and trauma for educators,
- Access to expert guest lecturers (journalists, psychologists, etc.),
- A grant of €2,500 per year for two years (2026–2027) to support course delivery (5000 EUR in total),
- Capacity building opportunities with other universities in Bangladesh,
- Opportunities to participate in learnings events to further improve and develop the course annually.
Expectations from Participating Schools:
- Adapt and implement the course locally,
- Collaborate with Fojo and other educators. Roles and responsibilities will be outlined in a separate agreement,
- Provide feedback on course content and format,
- Narrative and financial reporting.
Eligibility
Media, communication and/or journalism schools or departments at accredited Bangladeshi universities with:
- A commitment to gender-inclusive journalism education,
- Experience in curriculum development,
- Capacity to manage small international grants and reporting.
How to apply
Submit the application by filling in this form Open Call: Extracurricular course on Stress & Trauma in Bangladesh
The deadline is 30 November 2025. The application will be received by Fojo and assessed together with CJEN.
The application should include:
- Your motivation to join the initiative,
- Expected contributions and benefits,
- Your school or department’s capacity/experience to participate,
- CV of the faculty applicant,
- Endorsement from your department head, dean, registrar, pro vice chancellor or vice chancellor.
Selected universities (around 7 to 8) will receive guidance on how to manage the grant and deliver the course. For further questions about the application process, contact Jude Genilo at jude.genilo@ulab.edu.bd, CJEN Executive Committee Chair and Pro Vice Chancellor at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).
Fojo looks forward to your application and working together to strengthen journalism education in Bangladesh.
