SMPTE®, the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced that three universities of applied sciences — the Hochschule der Medien (HdM), RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (HSRM), and Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL) — have earned approval to launch Germany’s first SMPTE Student Chapter. The new SMPTE Student Chapter will be the first jointly hosted chapter, leveraging the resources of all three institutions to engage and support students through educational and networking opportunities that support a future in media technology and digital entertainment fields.

“Students, educators, and researchers today are eager for opportunities to learn about emergent technologies — media in the cloud, data, virtual production, and others — and to connect with the people and companies setting the course for the future,” said SMPTE Executive Director David Grindle. “SMPTE Student Chapters deliver those valuable experiences, making innovation accessible and opening pathways to careers on the cutting edge of media arts, both technical and creative. I believe it’s why we’re seeing interest in SMPTE Student Chapters growing, and imaginative new partnerships developing, as well! It’s fantastic to see these three universities working collaboratively to make the benefits of a SMPTE Student Chapter available to their student bodies. ”

SMPTE Student Chapters give students the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and trends within an international network and actively attend international conferences to develop and even refine the skills they need to move into a workplace in need of those talents.

“I am delighted that the German SMPTE Student Chapter will offer my students what SMPTE has given to me: A giant pool of learning resources on state-of-the-art topics in media production and distribution, as well as an extremely welcoming, personal network with which to build a career,” said Prof. Jan Fröhlich of Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart. “I hope my students will fully engage in all SMPTE topics and contribute our expertise in color science, image coding, VFX, and virtual production. We live in amazing times, working together — around the globe, but as one family of media engineers and scientists — on the future of media.”

“I’m thrilled that our media technology students at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences are participating in the SMPTE Student chapter,” added Prof. Wolfgang Ruppel of RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, noting that an introductory workshop soon will be offered to inspire active participation in the new chapter. “We look forward to fruitful discussions and knowledge sharing on advanced topics such as Professional Media over Managed IP Networks, the Interoperable Master Format, the Academy Color Encoding System, and many others.”

“In launching the German SMPTE Student Chapter, our students get their hands on an international network of media industry professionals with their eyes on the technologies at the horizon,” said Prof. Stefan Albertz of Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. “In addition to enjoying connections and exchanges with students from all over the world, participating students have immediate access to the industry's current topics, standards, and research. This will help them to gain speed, focus on their progress, and find their path and place. For our own international and interdisciplinary courses of study, the benefit increases and creates a perfect match.”

To start a Student Chapter at SMPTE, readers can contact SMPTE’s membership director, Roberta Gorman at rgorman@smpte.org. Further information about SMPTE is online at smpte.org.

About SMPTE®

SMPTE is the global society of media professionals, technologists and engineers working in digital entertainment. The society fosters a diverse and engaged membership from both the technology and creative communities, delivering vast educational offerings, technical conferences and exhibitions, the renowned SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and access to a network of mentors and colleagues that are invaluable for a successful career. As internationally recognized Standards organization, SMPTE developed a set of technical standards and guidelines that allow the seamless creation, management and delivery of media for arts, entertainment and education.