Manipal University and Whistling Woods International, India offer MBA in Media and Entertainment

May 23, 2008 - PRLog -- Manipal Education, India’s leading education group, in association with Whistling Woods International, an initiative of the well-known and acclaimed film maker, Subhash Ghai, is introducing a two year MBA degree in Media and Entertainment, for the first time in India.

In the recently concluded FICCI Frames, PWC has projected that the Indian Entertainment industry would be a Rs. 1 trillion industry by 2011 with a CAGR of 18%.  If this growth is to be achieved or exceeded, skill sets with appropriate management capabilities would be needed, more so because of increased participation of corporate entities in media. Manipal Education, having identified a niche market is introducing this programme and has tied up with Whistling Woods International to provide the technical support and also conduct the industry internship and training.

The 2 year MBA Program in Media & Entertainment will have specialization in Film, Broadcasting, New and Interactive Media and Event Management. The first year of the Program would be conducted at the Manipal University campus in Bangalore, covering all General Management Subjects and Media Case Studies. And the second year of the Program will consists of ‘Hands On’ training at the Whistling Woods premises located at Film City, Mumbai. The MBA in Media & Entertainment will be granted by Manipal University on completion of the course.
Shri Subhash Ghai speaking on the occasion said, “We have admired the growth of Manipal Education and its contribution to education.  We are happy that they are moving into higher technical areas that would support the kind of explosive growth in entertainment that the IT sector has shown in the last few decades.  Whistling Woods International, which has partnered with major technology players globally, and enjoys goodwill in the industry, is pleased to offer value to the students through its industry programme while adding value to education offered by Manipal Education. We are looking forward to a meaningful association”.
Speaking on the occasion Anand Sudarshan, MD & CEO of Manipal Education said, ““The new generations of youngsters are looking for education in areas of high growth and opportunity, and Media offers both the scope for creative and managerial growth.  We are confident that students would seek this opportunity to further their prospects.  We are pleased with the industry tie-up offered through Whistling Woods International which is based in the heart of the Mumbai Film Industry
The course begins in July 2008 and admissions are open.  Details are available on www.whistlingwoods.net and www.manipal.edu.



About Whistling Woods International
Promoted by Subhash Ghai, Mukta Arts Ltd & Filmcity Mumbai, Whistling Woods International is Asia’s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute. WWI provides world-class education in all technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and television through 2-year, full-time residential programs in 8 specialisations namely Acting, Animation, Business of Film & Television, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Screenwriting & Sound.

The full-time faculty of Whistling Woods International is a body of academics and industry professionals(like Subhash Ghai, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajen Kothari, Anjum Rajabali, etc), with regular guest lectures by leading film-makers, actors & technicians (like Rakeysh Mehra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Ashok Amritraj, Shyam Benegal, Madhuri Dixit, Govind Nihalani, Farah Khan, Makrand Deshpande, Suhasini Mulay, Neeta Lulla, Rajkumar Hirani, Nagesh Kukunoor, etc).

The curriculum is a unique hybrid of curriculums of several world-class film schools worldwide and Indian sensibilities of film-making. As part of the 2-year program, each student undergoes a 6-month ‘Foundation program’ in which each student learns and does ALL activities related to film-making. This enables the students to have a strong base or foundation in film-making in addition to mastery in their chosen specialisation.

Whistling Woods is also highly committed to ensuring that its students move out of the school into highly creative and rewarding areas of employment both in India and overseas. Placement partnerships have been initiated with several leading media organisations like Adlabs, Arab Media Group (UAE), Anirights Infomedia, Channel V, Mukta Arts Ltd, Percept Picture Company, Pixion, Prime Focus, Sony Entertainment Television, William Morris Agency (USA), Zee TV and several more.

WWIL has initiated affiliations with several international film schools. Some schools that we have finalised tie-ups with are Griffith College Australia, Seneca College Canada, The Norwegian Film Institute & Deakin College Australia. WWI is also in advanced talks with several top-tier film-schools from the USA, UK & Canada, with finalised agreements with these schools expected shortly.

All-in-all, WWI strongly marches towards becoming THE place for media education in Asia, if not the world.


About Manipal Education


Manipal Education is one of the largest education services providers from India. The group includes two universities, Manipal University & Sikkim Manipal University, and over 30 other institutions in India, besides colleges and university campuses in Antigua, Dubai, Malaysia and Nepal. Manipal Education currently has over 125,000 students from over 53 countries, of which about 25,000 students study at institutions and overseas campuses in India and abroad, while over 100,000 students undertake distance education, delivered using a blended approach including both satellite-based lectures and local coaching at 550 learning centres in India and overseas. Manipal Education also offers online testing and assessment for academic as well as corporate clients, and has recently launched professional education for service sectors like financial services, IT, media and retail.

Manipal Education recently partnered with ICICI a leading financial services group in establishing the ICICI Manipal Academy of Banking & Insurance. The academy is expected to expand the pool of industry ready resources and provide inclusive employment opportunity to capable, young graduates.

Manipal Education has several strategic investments in emerging companies, including - MeritTrac, India’s Largest Skills Assessment & Testing Company – a pioneer in this space in India, TutorVista, a leading online tutoring company and U21 Global, the world's premier online graduate school.

Manipal Education recently signed Anil Kumble, a leading international cricketer and the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team, as its Brand Ambassador. His academic and extra curricular achievements are mirrored in the values and vision of Manipal Education.
For Editorial details, please contact : pooja.rajpal@manipalu.com