The Department of Mass Communication at the University of Karachi successfully launched its much-anticipated print and digital magazine, Mediaverse, in a grand event held at the Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium. The launch event also marked the official unveiling of the magazine’s dedicated website, bringing the students’ creative project into the digital age. A MOU for three years was signed with IO Digital for magazine’s website.
The launch event was hosted with collaboration and partnership of 19 esteemed Pakistani brands.
During the ceremony, students shared their personal experiences and recounted the journey from conceptualizing the magazine to turning it into reality. Their collective effort was applauded by the academic leadership and students in attendance.
Speaking at the event, Professor Dr. Shaista Tabassum, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Professor Dr. Asmat Ara, Chairperson of the Department of Mass Communication, praised the students’ dedication and teamwork. Dr. Shaista encouraged the students and said “Students with such passion and enthusiasm surely bring the progression”.
Dr. Asmat Ara showed her profound gratitude towards her dedicated team including faculty members as well as the students. She said, “It is a dream came true that a bunch of 44 students with their teacher dreamed seven months ago with their eyes open”.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion titled “Contentpreneurship in the Age of Digital Media and AI” featuring prominent industry figures. The panel included Asad Memon, Usman Riaz, Hasan Daudpota, Amtul Baweja, and Bilal Hasan, with Maham Khalid moderating. The panelists shared their diverse experiences in the fields of digital content creation and entrepreneurship, offering students valuable insights into the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.
Usman Riaz, the creator, and brainchild behind Pakistan’s first even hand-drawn animated movie The Glassworker, talked about how finding a financer for a film is one of the biggest challenges in Pakistan but he also mentioned that he has been pretty privileged in this regard yet the journey wasn’t smooth. It took him a decade to create this masterpiece.
Amtul Baweja, an improv comedian at an all-women Pakistani comedy troupe Khawatoons, and a content creator at Patangeer also shared her struggles of the early days of comedy and content creation and how the struggled to make money out of their passion.
Asad Memon, the face behind one of the biggest Pakistani Youtube channels Food Fusion shares his journey with his wife. He and his wife Saima quit their corporate careers to pursue their passion in content creation, alongside food fusion, they have also launched their venture of “proudly made in Pakistan” products. Memon shared about expanding this venture too in order to contribute in Pakistan’s economy.
Hassan Daudpota, CEO of KEYS Production mentioned the highs and lows of his journey, he also mentioned how the event management industry is not limited but it has a wide range of streams to pursue.
During an interactive Q&A session, students engaged with the panel, raising pertinent questions about internet censorship, content moderation, and the challenges of navigating the modern media environment. The discussion emphasized the importance of adaptability, creativity, and ethical responsibility in content creation today.
The session ended with a guest appearance of Babar Mangi who, with his energetic performance, closed the show on an energized note.
The launch event was attended by a large number of students and faculty members, reflecting the excitement surrounding Mediaverse and its potential to shape the future of media education at the University of Karachi.
