One of World Press Photo’s greatest strengths – if not its greatest – is the relationship it has with partner organizations.

Seminars around the world could not take place without their full involvement and in Growing Together, Enter takes a look at what they offer and how they operate.

In a departure from edition one, when we concentrated on a single organisation, here we asked two – one in Eastern Europe, the other in Asia – how they select those who want to study photojournalism.

The South Asian Institute of Photography got its name – Pathshala - from the ancient education system that prevailed in South Asia.

“It brings to mind classes held underneath a large tree; conjuring up learning spaces without walls, in the cool shade of its leaves,” say the organizers.

The institute, started in 1998 as part of a three-year World Press Photo educational initiative, was launched to coincide with the Dhaka's annual World Press Photo exhibition.

Since then, Pathshala has slowly grown to become a fully-fledged educational wing of Drik, a socially-conscious photo resource centre also based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The organizers say that every year, till the end of May, prospective students submit portfolios and an application. Then, after a panel of teachers from Pathshala draws up a short list, applicants are called for interview.

“If their main area of interest or choice of profession is not photography then they will be wasting their time here”, says the Institute. “Pathshala also has an especially soft spot for female photographers, and so their applications, limited in number, are seldom refused.

Eventually, more than 80% students passing out from Pathshala become professional photographers.

In Eastern Europe, The Caucasus Media Institute (CMI) in Yerevan, Armenia is a vocational training center for journalists, established in 2002.

“Our purpose is to assist in the development of mass media in post-Soviet Caucasus,” says Lusine Toroyan, CMI's manager for administration and organizational development. “We help to shape media that communicates with the public and serves as a platform for debate through well-informed, skilled, creative and ethical journalism.”

To find applicants, the institute says it spreads the word in photojournalistic circles and in the Armenian media and internet. For foreign students an announcement is placed on a popular website www.photographer.ru

“After receiving documents and applications - personal potrfolio, photostory, CV, recomendation letters, application forms with motivation - we make the prelimiary list of applicants” says Lusine. “Sometimes the photo story or the personal portfolio doesn't correspond to generally-accepted standards. But this is not a reason for an applicant not to be shortlisted.”

“Then, during interviews, the five members of the jury assess the presented portfolios and photo stories and, by questioning applicants, discover their motivation.”

Motivation is one of the major factors involved in selection, says the Insitutute. Why do they want to study photojournalism?

The jury takes into consideration visual, journalistic and technical aspects and testimonials from newspapers and magazines editors, photographers and art representatives.

Foreign students can be interviewed on the phone.

Links:

Photographers RU

CMI

Pathshala