The New Media Academy was launched in Dubai by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The Academy aims to train the future workforce to be leaders in the increasingly growing field of digital marketing.

"Today, we launched the New Media Academy, an institution created to equip new generations of media professionals with digital media skills. New Media is a new science … it has its tools and its secrets, and we want our talents to be at the forefront of this," he said on Twitter.

The curriculum was developed by experts in social media and digital marketing and will be delivered by internationally acclaimed specialists including Duke University’s Matt Bailey, among the world’s most sought-after internet marketing experts; Juan Pablo Sanchez, Masterclass Educator at top 10 digital programmes; and Caleb Gardner, the former US President Barack Obama’s lead digital strategist. Instructors also include representatives of the four new media giants Facebook, Twitter, Google and LinkedIn.

The New Media Academy will open on July 7 with interactive online master classes in digital marketing, social media and content creation open to full-time employees and international students. “The academy will train media professionals in the public and private sector and develop social media content creators. The new media provides job opportunities and supports the development process," Sheikh Mohammed said. The Minister of State and chairman of the National Media Council Dr Sultan Al Jaber said that the academy was a great addition to the country's education and media sector.

"New Media Academy contributes to honing the skills of young professionals and empowering them with knowledge and expertise to ensure optimal use of new media technologies," he said.

The first course on offer, from next month, is the Impact Digital Creator Program. This aims to train groups of 20 social media content creators to become full-time content creators. The two-month programme, spread over a wider three-year Talent Development strategy, will provide customized curriculum for students to follow up their progress, develop lifelong digital skills and enable them to create innovative and meaningful online content. The Social Media Management Development programme, to be launched on August 2, aims to upgrade the digital skills of 100 full-time media professionals in the public and private sector. The academy’s curriculum is designed to foster the development of both hard and soft skills to enable students to lead a successful career in digital marketing.

On completion, graduates will receive an internationally accredited certificate issued in the UAE. Graduates will also be capable of delivering social media communication strategies, creating content for distribution across various digital media platforms, designing engaging interactive products for contemporary devices, and evaluating performance of digital marketing campaigns.

Source- Press Release