Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office (RAKGMO) is moving to expand its partnership with the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), with a collaboration to launch the Junior Reporter Program, designed to train the next generation of media professionals.

The program offers selected students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and produce multimedia journalistic content, including editorial features, social-first content, photography, video and audio, to showcase life in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah through youth perspectives.

Approved stories are then published on RAKGMO’s Heart of RAK platform and amplified across its channels, enabling a more inclusive storytelling while creating new pathways for employability for students.

Her Excellency Heba Fatani, Director General of RAKGMO, said: “This partnership embodies Ras Al Khaimah’s belief that the future is built by empowering the voices of today’s youth. Through Heart of RAK, we are not only nurturing young storytellers but also shaping a generation that will document and define the Emirate’s journey with authenticity, creativity and purpose. Our youth are the true narrators of Ras Al Khaimah’s evolving story.”

For his part, Professor Bassam Alameddine, President of AURAK, said: “At AURAK, we are committed to bridging academic learning with hands-on, real-world experiential learning. This partnership with RAKGMO offers our students a unique opportunity to contribute directly to the media landscape of Ras Al Khaimah and the beloved UAE while developing the professional skills essential for their careers.”

HE Fatani and Prof. Alameddine signed an agreement outlining the program at the AURAK campus,  in the presence of  Prof. Imad Hoballah, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations; Prof. Rachel Matar, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; and faculty members from the Mass Communication program present.

As the Emirate’s comprehensive online platform showcasing all aspects of life in Ras Al Khaimah, and serving as a central hub for residents, visitors and businesses, Heart of RAK will be entrusted with directing the editorial process, in collaboration with AURAK mentors, offering review, feedback and final sign off. All outputs will then undergo joint faculty and brand leadership review to meet integrity, ethics and quality benchmarks before publication.

“This collaboration brings student-driven content to Heart of RAK while giving participants the tools and mentorship to capture the everyday stories that make Ras Al Khaimah so unique,” said Rouba Zeidan, Head of Special Projects at Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office. “Our team will work closely with the students, reviewing submissions and shaping their insights into professional storytelling. Each article or video they create contributes to the shared narrative we are building through Heart of RAK.”

“This collaboration allows students to move beyond theory and engage with the real-world dynamics of a working newsroom,” said Prof. Imad Hoballah, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations. “It enhances classroom learning through experience, sparks peer inspiration and gives students a platform to share their work regionally and even globally.”

Meanwhile, the AURAK academic team will lead a merit-based selection process open to all Mass Communication students at the university. Successful candidates are given the opportunity to work alongside the Heart of RAK team; they will be issued official media credentials and mentored by both academic and industry professionals.

The Junior Reporter Program operates on a yearly academic rotation with onboarding, pitch cycles, reviews and a year-end showcase of standout work on Heart of RAK. Community members, partners and readers can follow the stories on Heart of RAK channels, where they will be labelled with the “Junior Reporter” tag.

This unique program is modeled on the renowned “teaching hospital” framework originally developed in the U.S., allowing students to work alongside professionals in a real-world media environment while still enrolled in their academic programs.

This marks the second collaboration between RAKGMO and AURAK. Previously, the entities, along with the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, announced a collaboration on the ongoing Saud bin Saqr Broadcast Journalism and TV Production Scholarship Program, which trains the next generation of journalists and content creators.