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Integrating Media and Information Literacy into Higher Education: UNESCO, Academia and Higher Education Commission Pakistan Lead the Way
“This workshop provided invaluable insights into the significance of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) education. The interactive sessions helped us develop a clearer understanding of how to integrate MIL into our university programs”. Ms. Niba Khalid, Lecturer. National University of Modern Languages, Lahore, Pakistan.
In response to the growing challenges of disinformation, widening disparities online, and the need for an integration of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the university curriculum, UNESCO, in collaboration with the and , developed a draft course outline "Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for Media and Communication Studies" with the aim to integrating it into graduate programs in Media and Communication Studies throughout the country. This draft course outline was formulated through a collective effort with students, academics and duty bearers in a UNESCO’s capacity-building workshop about strengthening MIL framework in Pakistan.
With the rapid expansion of online media platforms and the increasing spread of disinformation, the need for MIL has never been greater advocating for integrating a set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and use, create, as well as share information and media content in all formats, using various tools, in a critical, ethical and effective way.
The draft course outline was based on UNESCO’s MIL resources and tailored to the national context, incorporating insights from over 20 participants from diverse backgrounds. Their contributions ensured the curriculum’s relevance and effectiveness in addressing local MIL needs.
The workshop, in which the draft course outline was formulated, empowered academic faculty to design and implement a standardized MIL course aligned with UNESCO's MIL resources while adapting to Pakistan’s socio-cultural and academic environment.
The workshop’s sessions also focused on refining the MIL strategy that is underway, contextualizing MIL education for Pakistan, instructional methodologies, and curriculum design.
Expanding MIL education beyond Media and Communication Studies into broader academic disciplines, conducting additional capacity-building workshops, formalizing MIL as a core undergraduate course, and providing universities with digital resources are among the key recommendations aimed at strengthening further Pakistan’s MIL knowledge base.
The development of the draft course outline "MIL for Media and Communication Studies” stands as a critical initiative, paving the way for a media literate society in Pakistan. By embedding UNESCO’s MIL resources into higher education, students will be equipped with critical thinking, digital literacy, and ethical media engagement skills essential tools for navigating today’s complex digital landscape. The collaboration between HEC Pakistan, UNESCO, and dedicated educators not only marked an essential step toward standardizing MIL education but also set a precedent for future initiatives in advancing media literacy across Pakistan.
