– Online newsletter ‘UoH Herald’ launched in January 2013
– Two students nominated every semester to intern for the newsletter
– 1300 bilingual postings in last four years
– Saves 3 Lakh rupees every year in printing; 12 Lakh rupees saved in last four years
– Posts are shared on Social Media for wider reach
– Saves paper thereby saving trees and preserving the Environment
The online newsletter of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has crossed 1300 postings and it is another milestone in its journey of four years. Started in January 2013 UoH Herald completed 1350 postings till date. This bilingual newsletter of the University is one of its kinds being operated by any central institution in the country.
The idea of replacing the printed version of the newsletter with an online one was the brain-child of the PR office and this has been possible due to the help and support from the Communication Department of the University. The then Vice-Chancellor immediately approved the idea and accordingly a pilot version was run for three weeks in December 2012 on Word Press. Once this was successful the site was activated with the online bilingual newsletter functioning from January 2013. This newsletter has enabled the University to save environment and use of paper. Another important aspect is that in these last four years it has contributed to a saving of more than Twelve Lakh rupees which would have been spent on printing the same. Information now reaches faster to our audience and more people are aware of the activities by sharing the links from UoH Herald into Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
It had been 4 years since I finished my MA and was missing the University a lot, then I saw the newsletter and I was so happy it made me feel connected to the campus again, says Pranay Rupani from Department of Communication. I guess that is why I came back for my PhD, he adds.
The online newsletter designed by a faculty from the Communication department has an attractive bilingual logo and the same was received well in the University. News is reported almost daily and many alumni and students started sharing their experiences on their stay at UoH and their achievements. Keeping in line with the Official Languages Act, the online newsletter is published in Hindi and English, a feat unparalleled by any University so far. Our Hindi Cell has been on dot translating the matter so that the Hindi version can also be posted on the same day or a day later.
UoH Herald has sections pertaining to distinguished lectures, faculty honours, student achievements, visits, book releases and happenings. One interesting feature has been that the Alumni who have come forward to write about their experiences at the University. Their writings give a wonderful feeling for all of us and we hope it will serve as an encouragement for many of our students to do well at the University and in life too.
The journey so far has been good and some of our students have been regularly contributing to the newsletter. Students who have been nominated by the Communication department every semester to write for the newsletter have done a commendable job. There are many other students too who have contributed immensely to the newsletter making it vibrant and informative.
The effort and diligence with which the PRO’s office has brought out UoH Herald in the past four years is commendable. The ideas of making the newsletter digital and bilingual are both praiseworthy. Doing it online not only saves paper, which makes it environment friendly, but is efficient and cost effective too — on press of a button it is instantaneously delivered to all subscribers. By making it bilingual due respect is paid to the rashtra bhasha, says Prof. Vipin Srivastava, Pro Vice-Chancellor.
He further adds, it is good to know that two students do internship with the newsletter every semester. This is a great opportunity for students to sharpen and polish their articulation capability. May be, the number of students for internship should be larger and if they come from various different disciplines then it will only add to the richness of the newsletter.
Because of its digital mode the newsletter can reach out to the alumni of the University distributed in different parts of the world and help them in keeping up to date on the state of the University and also share their views on the University affairs. Such readers should be encouraged to revive their nostalgia of the days they spent on the campus and share them with others through the newsletter. This will make it so much more colourful. On the whole I see that the newsletter is doing very well but, in my opinion, there is considerable scope to make the quality of its contents more diverse and therefore more interesting. I wish the PRO and his team all the best in the good job that they are doing, says Professor Srivastava.
UoH Herald has helped in presenting a comprehensive view of all around happenings at the University and has emerged as a one stop destination to get a glimpse of Campus activities on regular basis. All updates at the newsletter are also shared on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. and attract a large number of visitors viewing these posts. This is not only a newsletter but a platform where activities, events and memories get documented and are available to one and all at a click from anywhere around the globe.