The newly formed Institute for Media Training and Research (IMTR) at LAU represents the consolidation of two institutes that have been active on the university campus for a number of years, the Beirut Institute for Media Arts and the Institute for Professional Journalists.
The merging of the two institutes capitalizes on the strengths of each by combining and expanding the scope of their traditional activities and by allowing for new ones in line with the increasing tendency toward convergence in the media industry.
In the last few years, both BIMA and IPJ have been very active in the organization of conferences, workshops, and training courses for journalists, and media practitioners. Themes discussed in their various conferences include Media, Religion and the Middle East, Journalistic Practices and Ethics, Investigative Reporting, Media Stereotypes – How Arab Are Seen and How They See Others.