By: Jaida Omran, Malak Elsadek

On April 8th, four guest speakers came to ESLSCA University for Day 3 of the Media Talks event. They shared their stories and gave useful advice to new media students. The goal was to help students understand the media job world in Egypt and get ready for their future careers.

The first speaker was Ashraf Foda, Executive Director at Vision Advertising, a company based in Egypt that aims to help other companies promote their products or services in creative and effective ways.

He talked about what “design” really means. He said design is not just about how things look, it’s about solving problems and helping people. 

“The more you invent, the more problems you find, the more you’ll invent,” said Foda, to show how creativity leads to new inventions.  

He gave examples like “B Laban’s” latest Ramadan advertisement and how the content by Actor Akram Hosny shows how good design can leave a strong impression. It showed a great example of how strong design and creativity can leave a lasting impression.

The ad stood out because it was funny, colorful, and easy to remember. Akram Hosny used his humor and personality to keep viewers entertained, which made people enjoy the ad instead of skipping it. 

His talk helped students grasp the real meaning of “design”, ultimately, it’s a tool to find smart solutions to everyday problems.  

“His talk helped me understand design in a new way,” said Khadiga Enmar, a media student. “I used to think it was just about making things look nice, but now I see it’s really about solving problems or promoting in a creative way.” 

Next, Dalia Ashraf, a TV presenter from DMC, spoke about her personal story in the media field. Her main message was that the most important thing is to get to know yourself and find out what makes you different from others.  

“You must leave a mark,” said Ashraf.  

She explained that confidence comes from knowing your values and defining the message you would like to say to the world. Her honesty about her struggles helped students think more deeply about their own goals. She showed that being uniquely yourself is what makes people remember you. 

“Dalia Ashraf’s talk really made me think,” said Omar El Ghattas, a media student. “She showed us that knowing who you are and staying true to yourself is the key of success into the media world”. 

Then came Mohamed Essam, the CEO and founder of Spot-on Creations, which is a media production company based in Egypt, specializing in film and video production services.  The company offers a range of services, including filming, editing, and post-production work. He gave a fun and exciting session about using technology in the media, especially drones. 

He operated a drone and gave a short tutorial to the class, let students try it, and explained how tools like this help tell better stories. He showed how drones can make stories more interesting by giving a unique view that normal cameras can’t. Letting students try the drone helped them learn how it works. He also said it’s important to know all the tools so you can pick the best one for your story. The right tool makes your story better.  

He also stressed that you must know all the available technology to find the best tool to portray your story. “You need to know all the technology available to pick the best tool for your story,” Essam said.

“Using the right tools makes production more fun and creative. Even though advanced tools might cost more, like my product that costs around 500,000 Egyptian pounds, they help you tell better stories in the end.” 

His session showed how creative and enjoyable production can be when you use the right technology in the right way. 

The final speaker was Mona Salman, a TV presenter from Russia Today. She talked about why it’s important to always stay informed, especially in media and journalism. 

She told students to watch the news in Arabic every day and to follow world events, not just local ones.   

“Knowledge is a door opened by questions and good questions come from good knowledge,” Salman said.  

She explained that smart questions or questions that stand out come from doing good research. 

Her message helped students understand that good journalistic work starts with learning, being informed, and asking the right questions. 

By the end of Media Talks Day 3, our students felt inspired, informed, excited, and ready for the future. 

“Today was definitely very eye opening, it was very inspiring hearing the speaker’s stories, and it made me feel validated in the hard work we’re doing here,” said Talia Elnaggary, a second-year New Media and Communications Student.