OSA / Guide / Fonds / HU OSA 205-5

HU OSA	205-5 C
Authority entry:	Training and Special Projects Department

Related Authority Entries

• HU OSA 205C Open Media Research Institute
• HU OSA 205-1C Executive Offices

Date(s) and Place(s) of existence 1994-1997

Business location

Na Strzi 63, 140 62 Prague 4, Czech Republic

Mandate, functions and sphere of activity

A primary objective of the Department was to teach the skills of research, analysis and analytic writing to a new generation of journalists and analysts drawn from the region of East, Central and Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and to help mid-career professionals hone their skills.

The two-folds purpose of this activity was to provide needed training in order to contribute to the ranks of competent commentators on affairs in the region and to provide a pool of correspondents in the region, trained and qualified to aid OMRI in its mission and from whom OMRI might draw staff.

Administrative structure

The OMRI Analyst Internship Program (later called OMRI/CEU Internship program) was designed to provide qualified graduate students with the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience and training and in research and raise the level of writing and analytic skills among the young professionals from the region. It was launched in 1996. Besides research the 10 months internship included writing topical analyses while working with OMRI research analysts and writing for the OMRI Daily Digest and the magazine Transition.
Every year up to 12 interns were selected from the countries of the Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. While staying at OMRI they mostly focused on topics concerning their home countries and worked primarily with OMRI analysts specialized in these areas.

The Phare/TACIS Democracy Program Grant “Strengthening Democracy through Print Media Training Workshops” was targeted at mid-career print journalists and included four intensive two-week long training workshops for about 60 people (15 for each workshop). This project was handled in cooperation with Charles University Department of Mass Communication (Czech Republic), the European Journalism Center (the Netherlands), The Globe Independent Press Syndicate (Russian Federation), OSI Regional Media Program (Czech Republic)

In addition to the Training programs few other Special projects were managed in 1994-1997, for example, Media and the Roma in Contemporary Europe Facts and Figures. In was held in cooperation with Project on Ethnic Relations (Princeton, New York) and Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (Poland). It was aimed on understanding the role of mainstream media in shaping public opinion and discuss strategies for improving coverage. And encourage improvements in specialized Roma media.

Ina Navazelskis was a Director of the Department with other several people in staff.

Rules or conventions

ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families General Intenational Standard Archival Description; OSA Internal Rules.

Dates of description

Described by Olga Zaslavskaya, 1 October 2003
Online version updated 18 December 2008