February 17th is the new deadline for the abstract submission for the Euprera 2012 annual congress.

The congress will take place in Istanbul, on Sept. 20-22, on the theme "Researching the Changing Profession of Public Relations".

To submit your abstract and to know all the details about the congress, please visit www.euprera.org/congress2012

In 2012, the Public Relations Institute of Australia will host the 7th World Public Relations Forum in Melbourne from 18 to 20 November.

The forum includes a full-day research colloquium, and two-day conference program. The forum will bring together thought leaders, industry experts, researchers, educators, and delegates from around the world.

The forum aims to examine, explore and reflect on the impact of globalization on our profession within the context of rapid changes. As global communities merge and media systems converge, the boundaries within which we communicate are blurring and disappearing. The shifts in economic and political power present new challenges and opportunities for public relations and communication practitioners and scholars. Global issues such as climate change, health, food security, poverty reduction and transitioning democracies offer our discipline a much larger template in which to work. Stakeholders and audiences are not easily defined as they become more mobile, more media-savvy and more multicultural. Moreover, audiences are active ‘produsers’ of media messages in a world interconnected by advancing technologies.

It is within this context that we ask how organisations and individual practitioners respond to this new world without borders? How will universities prepare future practitioners for this shifting template? How do we connect and meaningfully engage with cultures that may otherwise be unfamiliar? Will English continue to be the lingua franca of the profession? How will public relations be positioned with advertising, marketing, public diplomacy and strategic communication? To what extent should the practice move from a ‘command and control’ to an ‘inform and influence’ model of communication? Will ethics and corporate social responsibility drive organisations to maintain their social license to operate? What is the role of public relations in society, and in engendering social change?

Academics and practitioners are invited to submit 500-word abstracts that address these questions or others that relate to the main conference theme. There is also an opportunity to submit 1500-word extended abstracts for consideration in published conference proceedings. Also, a special issue of the Asia-Pacific Public Relations Journal will publish selected papers from the colloquium. The Journal of Communication Management will also accept a limited number of papers. An international panel of scholars will review the submissions.

Selected abstracts will be considered for presentation in the research colloquium and the two-day conference. Please indicate if you have a preference.

Deadlines
23 January Submission of abstracts opens
29 February Submission of abstracts closes
15 April Notification of results
31 May Confirmation of acceptance of abstract and conference attendance
30 June Submission of extended abstracts and full papers due

Please submit your abstracts to info@worldprforum.com. If you have any queries, please contact Dr Marianne Sison, Chair, Academic Program Committee: marianne.sison@rmit.edu.au

Visit the Forum website

The University of Navarra, cosponsored by ICA and Ecrea, is calling for an international conference to provide a forum to discuss about the challenge that organizations have in restoring trust. Related issues such as reputation, engagement, transparency and responsibility will be also discussed.

The academic conference will be opened to professionals. Authors should send full papers before January 20th 2012 to cicom@unav.es (max. 8.000 words, notes and references included). Please, check the style guidelines. Spanish and English will be the working languages of the Conference. The Scientific Committee will send decision notices by 31st January 2012.

For further information on the program, registration and the call of papers, please visit the conference website.

The 1st International Conference on Business, Economics and Communication aims at bringing together researchers, practitioners and policy makers for discussing current issues on Cooperative and Active Ageing related to global Economy and Businesses. Thus, keynote presentations and technical papers, as well as discussions around the state-of-the-art, will provide the opportunity for promoting the scientific and practical development of the target topics.

It will be held in June, 21st and 22nd,  2012, at Campus Ameixoeira, ISG – Instituto Superior de Gestão and InstitutoSuperior de Novas Profissões, Lisbon, Portugal.

Papers will refer to:
•    Entrepreneurship and Cooperativism;
•    Corporate Social Responsibility;
•    Communication for Cooperativism;
•    Sustainable Management of Social Security;
•    Transport and Human Factors;
•    Environmental Economics in Aging Society
•    Ageing and mobility;
•    Accessibility for seniors;
•    Senior Marketing;
•    Ageing and ICT;
•    Senior Tourism;
•    Communication for ageing;
•    Advertising for seniors.

The Conference will be structured with sessions with 3 speakers each (maximum 15 minutes each per presentation, 45 minutes for panel).

For more deatils, visit the conference website

The call for papers for next Euprera Annual Congress is now available. The congress will be held in Istanbul on September 20-22, 2012.

Please, note that the deadline for abstract submission in on February 3rd, 2012. For any information, please visit www.euprera.org/congress2012.

Registration to the Euprera 2012 Spring Symposium in Berlin is now open. To register, go to the website www.euprera.org/symposium2012. Early registration fees will be available until January 19th 2012.

Starting from today, it is also possible to submit abstracts on the symposium website. Please, note that the deadline for extended abstract submission is on January 3rd 2012.

Euprera and Ketchum Pleon today announced they have entered into an agreement for Ketchum Pleon to be an exclusive research partner and sponsor of the European Communication Monitor survey for the next three years. The prestigious survey focuses on current challenges and future trends in communication management in Europe, and in its 2011 edition covered such areas as the ROI of communications, the development of new communications disciplines, and the development of social media skills and governance. The European Communication Monitor is the largest international survey on strategic communication in the world. As communications professionals play a bigger role in companies and organizations across Europe, the survey will offer a valuable resource for European PR pros to learn from their peers.

Ansgar Zerfass, professor, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, University of Leipzig, and executive director, European Public Relations Education and Research Association, said, “With Ketchum Pleon, we have won a strong partner with long-standing experience, especially in regard to the balance between consistency and innovation in such a diverse market as Europe. Ketchum Pleon offers valuable expertise in research in such an international setting.”

The agreement includes the sponsorship of a survey for the annual European Communication Monitor as well as a new research partnership in five major European markets. Both the survey and the new research project will be delivered as annual editions in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and completed as independent research projects according to the highest academic standards, through a research team of universities from several European countries. The new research partnership has been designed as a joint project that will use the European Communication Monitor’s quantitative empirical results. The primary objective will be to stimulate a dialogue about the results and its practical implications, to inform academic and professional debate.

“We are proud to partner and cooperate with such a prestigious research organisation as the European Public Relations Education and Research Association,” said David Gallagher, CEO, Ketchum Pleon, London. “The European Communication Monitor data and research network will provide valuable insights on communication trends and issues that will help us to strengthen our client work.”

For more information, visit the project website

The Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA), is a professional association for researchers, teachers, and practitioners in the diverse disciplines of media and communication in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The annual conference is a major event in the ANZCA calendar, and attracts delegates from across the globe. The conference provides members with valuable professional development opportunities, including scholarly publication, networking and presentation, and learning about the latest national and international trends in media and communications research, teaching and learning.

The 2012 ANZCA Conference will be held in Adelaide at the picturesque North Terrace campuses of the Universities of Adelaide and the University of South Australia from 4-6 July 2012, with a pre-conference postgraduate research workshop on 3 July.

Conference theme: Communicating Change and Changing Communication in the 21st Century

Download the call for papers

The deadline for submission of abstracts to the International History of Public Relations Conference 2012 is on Monday, December 12. Download the Call for papers

News from IHPRC 2012:

• The keynote speaker will be Professor Dr Günter Bentele of the University of Leipzig. Prof Bentele is the foremost historian of public relations in central Europe.
• A PDF catalogue of the archive of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) is now available online.

More info on the IHPRC 2012:
http://historyofpr.com/

Arman Public Relations Institute in collaboration with International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and other internal bodies is going to hold The Eighth Scientific Festival and the Seventh International Symposium entitled Excellent Public Relations and Indexes of Excellence in Public Relations' in Tehran, I. R. Iran on 10-11January 2012.

The purpose of this Symposium is to answer two fundamental questions about public relations: What are the characteristics of an excellent public relation department, and what are the indexes of excellence in public relations? How does excellent public relations make an organization more effective, and how much is that contribution worth economically?

Deadlines for abstract: 1 November 2011
Deadline for full paper: 15 December 2011

Download the call for papers

Social Media Results For PR & Comms
Accelerate Your Social Media Communications To The Next-Level:
Cut Through All The Noise. Mobilise Engagement. Clearly Demonstrate Real Results.
29th November 2011, Hotel Russell, London

The one day conference focuses on accelerating social media to the next level and features winning, tried and tested social media strategies from 27 speakers including: Google, LEGO, adidas AG, facebook, Vodafone, American Express, Volvo, Eurostar, Sky News, Honda and many more.

EUPRERA members can benefit of special discounted registration fees from £150 up to £418.

Conference website
www.prsocialmediaconference.com

Programme
27 Speaker Will Discuss Their Winning Tried & Tested Social Media Strategies:

1. Richard Harris, Vice President, Head of Acquisition & Early Engagement, American Express
2. Lars Silberbauer, Global Social Media Strategist, LEGO
3. Georgina Wald, Head of Corporate Communications, Domino’s Pizza
4. Duncan Forrester, Head of Public Affairs, Events and Sponsorship, Volvo Car UK Ltd
5. Kathy Dykeman, Monetisation Analytics Specialist, facebook
6. Ann Flynn, Head of Customer Management, Corporate Marketing, Standard Life
7. Mark Heising, Senior Brand Marketing Manager, adidas AG
8. Jakub Hrabovsky, Head of Web Relations, Vodafone
9. Bruce Daisley, Sales Leader for YouTube & Display, Google UK –YouTube
10. Mary Walsh, Director of Corporate Communications, Eurostar
11. Paul Smernick, Director of Digital, Universal Music UK
12. Will McInnes, Managing Director, NixonMcInnes
13. Bian Salins, Head of Social Media Innovation, BT Customer Service
14. Katie Forde, Director of Digital Media, Guinness World Records
15. Pete Durant, Global Content and Social Media Manager, Cheapflights Media Ltd
16. Kerryn  Dinsdale, Senior PR Manager, Barclaycard
17. Vikki O’Neill, Marketing & Branding Manager, giraffe
18. Nicola  Dodd, Head of PR, Cancer Research UK
19. Miranda Richardson, Head of Social Media, Sky News
20. Ben Holt, Digital Content Manager, Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders)
21. Elizabeth Kessick, Head of Insight, JustGiving
22. Sarah Campbell, Media and Communications Manager, Aberdeen Airport
23. Jesse Ringham, Digital Communications Manager, Tate
24. Geoff Loader, Director of Communications, Southern Water
25. Jill Partington, Senior Media and Communications Co-ordinator, Keep Britain Tidy
26. Fiona Cole, PR & Communications Manager, Honda (UK) – Motorcycles
27. Amr Elrawi, Digital Marketing Programme Manager, Cisco

The event will focus on:

• Unlocking Engagement: Harnessing the commercial power of genuine conversations and interaction for advocacy levels that convert into real ROI
• Protecting Your Brand Reputation: Handling negative customer feedback wisely and avoiding full-blown communications crises
• Everyone Makes Mistakes! Learning from hard-won, frontline lessons – faux pas, blunders and own goals
• Cutting Through The Noise: Identify, monitor and genuinely engage with key influencers and journalists
• Meaningfully Evaluating ROI & Value Added: Best practice tracking and measurement techniques
• How Much Is All This Going To Cost Me? Wisely allocating tight budgets and resources for truly integrated PR and communications campaigns
• Concurrent sessions to tailor your day: A. Advanced or Beginners Peer-To-Peer Troubleshooting Clinics; B. Changing Behaviours or Driving Sales; C. Going Global or Staying Local; D. Mitigating Staff Risks or Optimising Organisational Uptake
• Trends & Predictions: Exploring current platform trends, sharing advice for today and highlighting predictions for tomorrow

Beside the conference, there will be 2 separately-bookable post-conference workshops on 30th November 2011:

1. AM Evaluation & Monitoring: Winning The Social Media Business Case
2. PM Best Practice Crisis Management: Quick, Decisive & Professional Crisis Comms

Contacts
Jane Spooner, Director
Global Insight Conferences Ltd
jane.spooner@globalinsightconferences.com
www.prsocialmediaconference.com

Public Relations International Review
(ISSN: 2174-3581)

Recently, the first issue of Public Relations International Review has been published: a biannual electronic publication, edited by the Institute for Research in Public Relations (IIRP). It was created with the aim to assist in the dissemination of scientific knowledge in Public Relations among researchers, professors, students and professionals, as well as to become a common space for exchange and debate on Public Relations.

The main areas of interest of this journal are political communication, communication cabinets, CSR, organizational communication, communication and new technologies, research and evaluation, communication in tourism sector, issues management, international public relations, as well as other areas of public relations, accepting unpublished and original works regarding the above mentioned topics. Additionally, we accept book reviews which can be of interest to the scientific community.

The first issue was devoted to "The International Panorama of Public Relations", for which prominent international academics and researchers collaborated: Arlette Bouzon; María Aparecida Ferrari; Margarida M.Krohling Kunsch; Maria Antonieta Rebeil Corella, Rebeca Arévalo Martínez, Guillermo Lemus Legaspi; Katia Muñoz, Ricardo Lhur; Manuel Parés i Maicas; Antonio Castillo Esparcia; Jairo Lugo-Ocando; Agrivalca Canelón and Sandra Orjuela.

With great pleasure, we would like to announce that at this moment the call of papers for the next issue is opened of which main topic is Communication Management. With present call of papers, we also strongly encourage to send proposals on other topics related to Public Relations and Communication. Original articles are accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. The deadline for submitting a paper is 31st October of 2011 and the submission of originals publications shall be made through the online platform of the journal at the following link: www.revistaderelacionespublicas.com

Please find now online on the congress website the programme of the Sinergie-Euprera congress that will be held in Milan on November 10-11, on the theme "Corporate Governance and Strategic Communication".

September 30th is the deadline to benefit of the discounted registration fee.

On the congress website you’ll also find several hotels offering discounted fees: if you wish to benefit of such rates, reserve your room as soon as possible.

More info:
www.sinergiecongress2011.it
sinergiecongress2011@iulm.it

As usual, the Euprera Annual Congress is a platform to award best practices and researches. At the congress in Leeds (UK), on September 9th 2011, the following authors have been awarded:

Institute for PR and Euprera Special Prize on best paper relevant to practitioners
Authors: Lisa Dühring, Anne Linke, University of Leipzig (Germany)
Paper: “Steering through turbulence – Developing a frameworkfor managing social media communications”

Günter Thiele Award for excellence in European Research
Winning Author: Howard Nothhaft, University of Lund (Sweden)
Dissertation: "Communication Management as a professional organisational practice. Theoretical approaches on the basis of a shadowing study"

2nd Prize: Anja Prexl, University of Salzburg (Austria), "Corporate Sustainability Communication as a Future Oriented Challenge for Public Relations. Normative Theory, Good Practice Examples, and an Empirical Study with Austrian Energy Providers"

3rd Prize: Ansgar Thiessen, Université de Fribourg (Switzerland), "Organisational Communication in Crises. A Model of Situative, Integrated and Strategic Crises Communication"

Euprera Jos Willems Award - Bachelor level
Author: Katalin Völgyi, Budapest College of Communication and Business (Hungary)
Thesis: "Corporate Volunteering in Hungary"

Euprera Jos Willems Award - Master level
Author: Laura Fischer, Leeds Metropolitan University (UK)
Thesis: "Enter and Engage - Exploring Online Engagement through the Lens of PR Theory Investigating its Communal Orientation in a Case Study on Edelman"

Congratulations!!

For more info, visit the awards section or send an e-mail to dpra@euprera.org

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for research into communication strategies for managing change toward corporate responsibility/sustainability. All qualified researchers are invited to apply and do not need to be members of IABC.

Proposal deadline: 15 August 2011

Download the request for proposals

The new edition of the European Communication Monitor, the most comprehensive study in the field of public relations and communication management worldwide, paints an ambiguous picture on the status of the profession. The results released today by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) show that most communication professionals have a broad level of responsibilities and direct access to the top management level. However, only a minority believe that they generate financial and immaterial assets for their organisations. Decision making is rational rather than risk-taking, which contrasts with their counterparts in the United States.

Findings of the European Communication Monitor 2011 are based on replies from 2,209 senior professionals based in 43 countries. The annual survey is conducted by a research group of professors from renowned universities in 11 countries, led by Professor Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Germany. The research has been supported by the media monitoring company Infopaq as well as Grayling, the world’s second largest independent public relations consultancy. A free PDF report (139 pages) with the results is available at www.communicationmonitor.eu.

Some of the key findings are:

– Power of communication departments: The communication function has gained influence in Europe: In three out of four organisations it is taken seriously by senior management and likely to be involved in planning organisational strategies. Communication professionals are getting access to the top management in organisations with 18 per cent being board members and 60 per cent reporting directly to the CEO. But this hierarchical power is not necessarily mirrored in close relationships with other organisational functions: Collaboration with internal strategy units is rather weak and only a minority (48 per cent) of the communication professionals believe that their department generates financial and immaterial assets for the organisation. However, communication has extended its function beyond generating publicity and managing media relations: In eight out of ten organisations the communication department is responsible for communicating with a wide range of stakeholders such as the media, consumers, employees, investors, or politicians.

– Role enactment and decision making: 68 per cent of the surveyed practitioners identify themselves with the advanced ‘strategic facilitator’ role, meaning they not only support organisational goals by executing communication, but also help to define business strategies. This number has risen by ten per cent over the last two years. The enhanced role for communicators brings up new challenges for job-related decision making. A large majority (85 per cent) report that they make a thorough evaluation of the situation based on all available information before taking decisions in their job. 68 per cent think it is useful to rely on best practices used by similar organisations, but only a minority (45 per cent) take risks when making decisions.

– Credibility of public relations: 42 per cent of the survey participants regard the term ‘public relations’ (PR) as a discredited label for the profession. A reason for this might be the poor media image of the term and the practice: 42 per cent of the communication professionals report on negative connotations of PR in the mass media. As a consequence, many respondents favour alternative labels, such as ‘corporate communications’ (68 per cent), ‘strategic communication’ (61 per cent) and ‘communication management’ (56 per cent).

– ROI of communication: Although every second surveyed practitioner claims to use the term ‘return on investment’ (ROI) to evaluate communication activities, many are still lacking basic knowledge about the concept: 47 per cent did not agree with the standard definition of ROI as the ratio of financial profit resulting from an activity against its actual cost, and only 38 per cent knew that it has to be defined in monetary terms.

– Strategic issues and trust: The survey identifies two main issues relevant in the next years: ‘Coping with the digital evolution and the social web’ continues to be the most important issue according to 55 per cent of the communication professionals. 44 per cent identified ‘linking communication efforts with business goals’ as an on-going challenge for the communication function. ‘Building and maintaining trust’ has lost ground as a hot issue for communication practitioners, but it is important to note that 93 per cent claim they want to enhance trust in the organisation and/or its brands rather than in leaders or businesses at large.

– Development of disciplines and channels: Corporate communication continues to have the leading role, followed by marketing and consumer communication. Online instruments are expected to lead the media mix utilised by communication management in the near future. However, a longitudinal analysis reveals that professionals tend to overestimate the growth of disciplines and especially online channels.

– Social media governance and skills and activities: Even though professionals expect social media channels to grow even more, adequate management and governance structures are still underdeveloped: Only four out of ten professionals working in communication departments report the existence of social media guidelines and no more than every third organisation has established tools for monitoring the social web. Furthermore, social media skills of communication professionals such as initiating web-based dialogues or knowing the legal framework for social media are poorly understood and developed.

– Future qualification needs and training: The top five future qualification needs and knowledge areas are the effects of traditional and new media (named by 83 per cent), relationship building (82 per cent) and communication technologies (80 per cent), followed by hands-on skills such as public speaking/presenting (79 per cent) and coaching (75 per cent). A comparison between the needs identified and the training programmes offered by organisations today reveals a large gap in every field.

About the organisers

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (Euprera) is an autonomous organisation, with members from more than 30 countries, that aims at stimulating and promoting the knowledge and practice of communication management in Europe. Academic scholars and experienced practitioners work together to advance fundamental and applied research. More information is available at: www.euprera.org

The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) is the leading network for communication professionals across Europe with more than 1,600 members. The non-partisan association lobbies for the profession, establishes common quality standards and promotes the advancement of professional qualification by organising events and providing services and materials. More information is available at: www.eacd-online.eu

Communication in organisations is paramount for their performance. But while today more people work in internal communications than ever and while more material resources are spent on it, trust that people have in their organisations is lower, as well as their commitment and organizational loyalty. We seem to live in a time of internal communication paradox.

On 1 and 2 July 2011, Bledcom will address Internal Communication. BledCom symposium is an annual gathering of scholars in public relations and related disciplines who meet to discuss communication and management problems in contemporary world.

Discover the details on the symposium website

The 61^st ICA Conference works start today in Boston with the 15 pre-conferences, which will be followed from May 26 to May 30 by the main conference.

For those who couldn't join the works in person, it is possible to follow its developments on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/ICABoston2011

Over the past 4 years, our member Tom Watson has been building an online listing of movies, TV, radio and books that focus on public relations and publicity or represent it in some way.

Everyone is invited to send contributions, in order to enrich this archive.

Discover what the archive includes: go to the website!

The University of Jyväskylä coordinated a research project, part of the European Community's Seventh Framework Program, which resulted in the Crisis Communication Scorecard: an online tool for the evaluation of emergency communication which helps governmental and other organisations to improve the crisis preparedness. It allows to:

• conduct a preparedness audit and test crisis communication planning;
• evaluate communication in an emergency preparedness exercise;
• learn from what happened in a post crisis evaluation.

A more detailed description and the tool itself is available on this website www.crisiscommunication.fi

The second edition of the International History of Public Relations Conference will be held at Bournemouth University, UK, on July 6-7.

The conference is organised by the Centre for Public Communication Research in BU’s Media School as an international opportunity for academic researchers, historians and interested practitioners to meet, hear papers and discuss this emerging area of research.

To have more information and to register to the conference, visit the congress website

The Euprera Annual Congress will be held in Leeds (UK), at Leeds Metropolitan University, on September 8-10, 2011.

Registration to the congress is now open. Special fees are avaialable for those Euprera members who have regularized their 2011 membership fee. Moreover, early bird fees will be available until July 31st.

For more information and registration, please visit the congress website.

Dear Colleagues,

Regarding the Sinergie-Euprera Congress that will be held on November 10-11 at IULM University, Milan, I’m pleased to announce that the deadline for abstract submission has been postponed from April 15th to May 16th.

All the information about the congress is available at the following address: http://www.sinergiecongress2011.it.

I’m looking forward to receiving your contributions and meeting you in Milan.

My best wishes,

Emanuele Invernizzi
President EUPRERA

The Euprera 2011 Spring Symposium was held in Lisbon, at the Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, on March 3-5.

During his opening speech, our President reminded the new format of our Spring Symposia, anticipated some of the pillars of Euprera 2011 strategy and presented the new Board.

Watch the video

The registration for the BledCom Symposium on internal communication is open and those Euprera Members who have regularized their membership fee will benefit of special discounted rates. Moreover, until April 15th early registration fees will be available!

European Communication Monitor 2011 survey launched

This year's edition of the European Communication Monitor, the annual survey on the status and future challenges in communication management across Europe, has started today. The questionnaire, found at www.communicationmonitor.eu, will be online until March 31st.

The survey will address topics such as decision making, power, trust, social media skills, qualification needs and strategic issues relevant within the next months. The survey seeks the opinions of PR professionals working in companies, associations, political institutions, and other organisations, as well as in communication consultancies. It takes no more than 15 minutes to answer the questions. All participants will receive a full report of the results and be put into a draw for three pocket projectors Aiptek T20 – a micro projector to go with your laptop. The project serves solely academic purposes, and privacy is fully respected.

With more than 1,950 participants from 46 countries in 2010, the European Communication Monitor is the largest transnational survey of the profession worldwide. It is conducted by professors from eleven renowned universities within the framework of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association, together with the European Association of Communication Directors and Communication Director Magazine. The survey is generously supported by Infopaq, a leading international provider of media monitoring and evaluation services, and Grayling, the second largest independent public relations consultancy in the world.

European Communication Monitor 2011 at a glance

- Online questionnaire: www.communicationmonitor.eu

- Survey period: March 1st until March 31st, 2011 (4 weeks)

- Target group: public relations professionals and communication managers in corporations, associations, political institutions, and other organisations; as well as professionals communication consultancies

- Research run and advised by professors from: University of Leipzig (GE); Leeds Metropolitan University (UK); University of Amsterdam (NL); University of Ljubljana (SI); University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (ES); IULM University, Milano (IT); University of Bordeaux 3 (FR); University of Lugano (CH); Aarhus University (DK); University of Oslo (NO); Poznan University of Economics (PL)

- Organised by: EUPRERA, EACD, Communication Director Magazine

- Sponsored by: Infopaq and Grayling

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney invites you to the Professorial Inaugural Lecture of Tom Watson. Professor Watson will be joined by Professor Dr Ansgar Zerfass.

Date: Tuesday, March 15th 2011
Time: Registration opens at 5pm.
Refreshments will be available. It is anticipated that the lectures will end by 7.30pm.

This event is part of BU’s free lecture series, giving you a unique insight into the knowledge and research that BU is renowned for, and how it can change the world for the better.

Tom Watson
The evolution of evaluation - Public Relations eratic path to the measurement of effectiveness

Professor Watson started his career in corporate PR. He gained his Doctor of Philosophy for research into the measurement of public relations activity in 1995 and was promoted to Professor in 2010, only the second professorial appointment in public relations in the UK. Professor Watson is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the PRCA in the UK.

In his professorial inaugural address, entitled 'The Evolution of Evaluation – Public Relations erratic path to the measurement of effectiveness', Professor Watson will use the development of PR measurement and evaluation to map its future and discuss the modern history of public relations.

Ansgar Zerfass
Dr Ansgar Zerfass is Professor of Communication Management at the University of Leipzig, the leading institution for communication studies in Germany. Professor Zerfass’s lecture is entitled 'Corporate Communications Revisited – How communication drives corporate value and legitimisation'.

Venue and date
This lecture will be held in the Executive Business Centre, Lansdowne Campus, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB on Tuesday 15 March. Registration opens at 5pm for a 6pm start, and you are welcome to join us for a celebratory wine reception after the lecture.

Register online

The EUPRERA Spring Symposium draws near and the complete programme is online.

If you're still wondering whether or not to register, we are positive that the updated programme will clear any doubt and motivate you to join us at the Symposium. Register here

There are still a few days to know the winners of the 2011 EuroBlog Social Media Awards, who will be awarded at Euprera's Spring Symposium in Lisbon, March 3-5.

The categories are:

• Most effective social media presence established by a communications/ public relations student studying on undergraduate or post-graduate programme at a European university.
• Most innovative use of social media techniques in a communications research project or investigation.
• Most valuable contribution to the academic understanding of the impact of social media on PR practice.

EuroBlog is looking for creativity and imagination!

May 5-6, 2011

University of Beira Interior
Covilhã, Portugal

ECREA Organizational and Strategic Communication Section Workshop

“The Dialogue Imperative. Trends and challenges in strategic and organizational communication”

In the contemporary marketplace, perceptions about corporations and their products are framed by multiple sources of information. Shifts in media access and consumption, the multiplication of marketing and corporate messages along with the demand for more corporate responsibility have pushed strategic communication into a new paradigm. Today, different groups of interest, including employees, consumers, investors, non-governmental organizations or media, are continuously shaping brand perception and corporate reputation. Publics are no longer passive receivers of corporate messages. They want to participate in their favourite brands and companies and expect more attention, feedback and information. In reality, nowadays, publics can easily instigate the communication process. Recent corporate scandals, for example, have shown how social media contribute powerfully to degrade corporate credibility and to force corporate discourse.

To be effective, communication strategies should engage stakeholders and firms in dialogue in order to built healthy relationships. Corporations cannot afford to rely on the traditional model of one-way messaging using only paid media and advertising. Different levels of communication strategies must be planned to develop dialogue within the organization and with different groups of stakeholders and publics.  Each stakeholder group requires focused and continuous attention and it is an organizational imperative to nurture this relationship.

This workshop aims to analyse how contemporary developments in strategic and organizational communication theory contributes to understand the new relational paradigm: corporations struggle to continuously cultivate and develop positive relationships within the organization and with different publics. It intends to be an occasion to discuss new tendencies in strategic and organizational communication by looking to campaigns, instruments and messages that promote dialogue with different publics, both in marketing communication and public relations level. Special attention will be paid to a cross-disciplinary approach to the theme and to a comparative methodology regarding different fields of expertise (internal communication, crises communication, public affairs, press relations, marketing communication, etc.) and new tools of corporate dialogue, in particular, concerning digital and social media.

Call for papers

Theme
The workshop committee welcomes proposals within the general theme of “The Dialogue Imperative. Trends and challenges in strategic and organizational communication” and by following one of the 3 sub-themes:

1. The future of integrated communication campaigns
2. Crisis communication on the web
3. Interactive communication strategies

Papers submission
Please submit a 2-5 page summary of your paper in English as soon as possible but no later than March 1, 2011 to: gisela.ubi@gmail.com. All submissions will be blind peer reviewed, so papers should be laid out in correct academic style and authors should not be identified in text. Notification of acceptance will be sent by 15 March 2011.
Your summary must include an Abstract, 5 keywords, Introduction, Discussion and/or Conclusions, and list of References, as well as a brief description of your hypotheses (if applicable), research objectives, methods, and findings.
When submitting your abstract, include on a separate page the following contact details: Title, Author(s) names, Affiliations, and Contact Details, including: e-mail address, telephone, and postal address.
Papers format requirements: single-spaced; 12 point font; times new roman, tables, figures and references excluded.
 
Publication
All accepted papers will be published in an e-book, with ISBN, by UBI/LabCom editions www.livroslabcom.ubi.pt
Extended texts for publication should be sent in English by the end of June 2011.
 
More information
www.oscs-ecrea2011.ubi.pt

The workshop will be host by the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the University of Beira Interior and by the research center LabCom, located in Covilhã, Portugal. LabCom is the leading research center on online communication in Portugal and hosts BOCC, the biggest online library on communication sciences in Portuguese language. Please visit the websites www.ubi.pt and www.labcom.ubi.pt.

If you have any questions about paper submission or other matters please contact the local coordinator: Gisela Gonçalves – gisela.ubi@gmail.com

Euprera is partner with IULM University and Sinergie, an Italian leading scientific journal in management, in organizing the XXIII Sinergie Annual Congress on “Corporate Governance and Strategic Communication”.

The congress will take place on November 10-11 at IULM University in Milan and is aimed to build an even stronger relation between Public Relations, Corporate Communication and Management Science.

Download the Call for Papers. Please take note that the deadline for abstract submission is April 15th 2011.

The address for abstract submission and information is sinergiecongress2011@iulm.it.

There are still a few days for students and researchers to enter the 2011 EuroBlog Social Media Awards and have the chance to win 250 euro and talk about their work at Euprera's Spring Symposium in Lisbon, March 3-5.

Be quick - the deadline for entries is Sunday, January 30, 2011!

The categories are:

• Most effective social media presence established by a communications/ public relations student studying on undergraduate or post-graduate programme at a European university.
• Most innovative use of social media techniques in a communications research project or investigation.
• Most valuable contribution to the academic understanding of the impact of social media on PR practice.
  For this third category, the proponent may be a university lecturer but could also be a thought leader, post graduate researcher, author, or consultant. We welcome entries from individuals but also NOMINATIONS from others.

EuroBlog is looking for creativity and imagination!

To enter send an email with your name and the URL of your web presence to Philip Young

The registration to the Euprera 2011 Spring Symposium is open (www.euprera.org/symposium2011) and the early registration fee is available until February 17th.

As usual, Euprera members will benefit of a special reduced fee.

See you in Lisbon!

The Euprera Spring Symposium is a platform which fosters the Euprera innovation cycle by hosting meetings of project groups and presenting new ideas.

Discover the running projects and the project proposals and, if you want to propose your own project, please fill in the form and send it to dpra@euprera.org by January 31st 2011.

January 31st 2011 is the new deadline to submit abstracts for BledCom 2011. BledCom symposium is an annual gathering of scholars and practitioners in public relations and related disciplines to discuss contemporary communication and management problems. The symposium will take place on July 1-2 in the historic Villa Bled by picturesque Alpine Lake Bled in Slovenia.

BledCom 2011 will focus on Internal communication, which is paramount for organizational effectiveness.
Download the call for papers for BledCom 2011

Papers presented at BledCom may be considered for publication in the Public Relations Review, special issue Internal Communication. Authors presenting at BledCom 2011 may submit their papers for consideration in this special issue.
Download the call for papers for the Public Relations Review

Euprera Spring Symposium in Lisbon

The deadline for abstract submission has been postponed to Monday, January 24th.

The registration to the Symposium is now open: you can fill in the form on the symposium website www.euprera.org/symposium2011.

Euprera Annual Congress in Leeds

The deadline for abstract submission has been postponed to Sunday, January 16th. Abstracts can be submitted on the congress website www.euprera.org/congress2011 until midnight GMT.

During the Euprera 2011 annual congress, that will take place in Leeds (UK) on September 8-10, the following prizes will be awarded:

• Institute for PR and Euprera Special Prize
  for the best paper selected from accepted papers for the congress. More info

• Günter Thiele Award
  for the best doctoral & postdoctoral theses in public relations and communication management. Submissions until May 15th 2011. More info

• Euprera Jos Willems Awards
  for the best Bachelor and Master dissertations in public relations or communication studies. Submissions until April 30th 2011. More info

11-12 January
Tehran, Iran
6th International Symposium on PR
"Reviewing and Criticizing Theoretical and Practical Achievements in Public Relations during last Century"
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

25 February
Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Study day "Crisis Communication and Organisations"
Organised by Org & Co and LASCO
Abstract submission until 1 February 2011
Congress website

3-5 March
Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Lisbon, Portugal
Euprera Spring Symposium
"Beyond Online: Is Public Relations adapting, evolving … or failing?"
Abstract submission until 24 January 2011
Congress website

9-13 March
Miami, Florida, USA
Institute for PR
14th International Public Relations Research Conference
"Pushing the Envelope in Public Relations Theory and Research and Advancing Practice"
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

10-12 March
Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
7th Thought Leaders International Conference in Brand Management
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

11-13 March and 21-23 October
National palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
Education exposition "Education Beyond Borders"
Congress website

5-6 May
Covilhã, Portugal
ECREA Organizational and Strategic Communication Section Workshop
"The Dialogue Imperative. Trends and challenges in strategic and organizational communication"
Abstract submission: 1 March 2011
Workshop website

23-24 May
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
PhD Days 2011
Information and communication sciences of the French speaking community of Belgium
Abstract submission: 21 February 2011
Event website

26-30 May
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
61st Annual ICA Conference (International Communication Association)
"Communication @ The Center"
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

8-10 June
Lisbon, Portugal
3rd European Summit on Measurement
Institute for PR and AMEC (International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication)
Congress website

8-10 June
University of Barcelona, Spain
Ticemed 2011 Barcelona
"Ict’s and building up social linkage in multicultural context"
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

15-17 June
Kadir Has University, Istanbul
8th Convention of CEEISA (Central and East European International Studies Association)
"Whither the Post-Westphalian world? Inequalities, conflicts and solidarity in the Twenty-First century"
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

1-2 July
Bled, Slovenia
BledCom Symposium
"Internal Communication"
Abstract submission until 31 January 2011
Congress website

6-7 July
Bournemouth University, UK
International History of Public Relations Conference
Abstract submission: expired
Congress website

6-8 July
University of Waikato, New Zeland
ANZCA Annual Conference (Australian and New Zealand Communication Association)
"Communication on the edge: Shifting boundaries and identities"
Abstract and paper submission until 7 February 2011
Congress website

1 September
University of Lugano
Lac Leman Communications Forum
"Communication and leadership"
Congress website

1-3 September
University of Alicante, Spain
14th Toulon-Verona Conference
"Excellence in services"
Abstract submission until 15 April 2011
Congress website

2-3 September
Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
ECREA Annual Conference (European Communication Research and Education Association)
"Literature as Communication"
Abstract submission until 31 March 2011
Congress website

8-10 September
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Euprera Annual Congress
"PR in a time of turbulence"
Abstract submission until 16 January 2011
Congress website

14-16 September
IE School of Communication, Segovia - Madrid, Spain
14th ICIG Symposium
"Identity, identification and the management of change"
Abstract submission until 17 January 2011
On invitation only
More info: communication@ie.edu
Congress website

6-8 October
Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences, Denmark
2nd International Conference on Crisis Communication
"Communicating Crisis in an Age of Complexity"
Abstract submission until 15 March 2011
Congress website

30-31 October
KPR Institute, Tehran, Iran
7th International Public Relations Conference
"Navigating Media Relations; Variation, Challenge, Effect"
Abstract submission until 10 September 2011.
More info: info@IRANPR.org

10-11 November
IULM University Campus, Milan, Italy
Euprera-IULM-Sinergie organize the
XIII Sinergie Annual Congress
"Corporate Governance and Strategic Communication"
Abstract submission until 16 May 2011
Info sinergiecongress2011@iulm.it
Congress website

The abstract submission for the Euprera 2011 Spring Symposium is now open! The deadline for submission is January 10th 2011.

The symposium will focus on the theme “Beyond Online: Is Public Relations adapting, evolving … or failing?” and will take place in Lisbon (Portugal) on March 3-5, in conjunction with EuroBlog.

In the congress website www.euprera.org/symposium2011 you will find the call for papers, as well as all the information about programme, travel, accommodation and registration.

See you in Lisbon!

The 2010 Euprera annual congress has taken place in Jyvaskyla (Finland) on September 23-24.

The video of the President's opening speech is now available:

The abstract submission for the Euprera 2011 Congress is now open! The deadline for submission is January 10th 2011.

The congress will focus on the theme “Public relations in a time of turbulence” and will take place in Leeds (UK) on September 8th-10th, followed as usual by the PhD Seminar.

In the congress website www.euprera.org/congress2011 you will find the call for papers, as well as all the information about Leeds Metropolitan University, travel, accommodation and much more.

See you in Leeds!

During the Euprera annual congress held in Jyvaskyla (Finland) in September 2010, two students have been awarded for their dissertations in public relations:

• Bachelor level: Katy Jameson
  Tutor: Prof. Ralph Tench
  Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
  Download the abstract of the dissertation "Flying high in a new age: an investigation into building airline brand equity through the interactivity of social media"

• Master level: Markus Mykkanen
  Tutor: Prof. Kaja Tampere
  University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
  Download the abstract of the dissertation "Decision making and decision communication in an engineer based organisation"

Visit the page about the Euprera Jos Willems awards. More information about the award 2011 will be soon available.

July 1-2, 2011
Bled, Slovenia

BledCom symposium is an annual gathering of scholars and practitioners in public relations and related disciplines to discuss contemporary communication and management problems. The symposium takes place in the historic Villa Bled by picturesque Alpine Lake Bled in Slovenia.

BledCom 2011 will focus on Internal communication, which is paramount for organizational effectiveness.
Download the call for papers for BledCom 2011

Papers presented at BledCom may be considered for publication in the Public Relations Review, special issue Internal Communication. Authors presenting at BledCom 2011 may submit their papers for consideration in this special issue.
Download the call for papers for the Public Relations Review

CERPMED (Study and Research Center for Public Relation in the Mediterranean) announces MedCom 2010 -  2nd Inter-Mediterranean Forum on Public Relations - that will be held in Catania, Italy, the 19th and 20th  November  2010. The general theme is Local Systems in the Euro-Med area. Competition or cooperation? The role of Public Relations. MedCom 2010 aims at comparing and exchanging experiences and knowledge among public relators in the specific application of local systems in the Euro-Med area. Moreover, to discuss how public relators can help to direct a new relationship among local systems, from a competing to a cooperation approach among and between local systems, identifying shared opportunities in order to stimulate exchange actions, sharing know-how and projects of common interest. This can be an opportunity to help Euro-Med countries to develop economic growth by using a strong and synergic network among the main local systems of the area. A way of building a wider area of common interest and socio-economical growth.

19th – 20th November 2010
Auditorium Literature and Philosophy Faculty, Catania, Italy

More information are available on www.med-com.it

The Euprera project MARPE (Master in European Public Relations) aims to expand students' understanding of public relations and its practice in a European context. MARPE is a comprehensive educational programme, which includes two semesters of highly specialised courses, and a final dissertation. The programme can be followed in English, French or Spanish/Portuguese.

It is now possible to enroll in the first edition of MARPE Iberian Line. The students will attend in the first semester at Universidad Cardenal Herrera - CEU, Valencia and II semester INP - Institute of New Professions in Lisbon. The Semester III will be dedicating to the construction of the dissertation. The University Master Diploma will be a Join Diploma.

Besides this presence in two different countries, allowing the student to a living knowledge of two cultural, social and politics realities, the students will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on the Spanish and Portuguese language.

More info

• MARPE
  Project energizer:
  Anne-Marie Cotton (anne-marie.Cotton@arteveldehs.be)
• MARPE Iberian Line
  Coordinators:
  Susana de Carvalho (susanacarvalho@inp.pt)
  Maria José Solaz Gonzalez (mjsolaz@uch.ceu.es)

Some Euprera members - the so called project energizers - are running research and education projects. All Euprera members are invited to join the project teams or to propose new projects.

Project descriptions have just been updated with the most recent results and the milestones for the next semester. Have a look to:

The active projects:

• European Communication Monitor (Ansgar Zerfass)
• Beyond Institutionalisation of PR and Corporate communication (Emanuele Invernizzi)
• Cross cultural studies in communication and comparative methodology (Valérie Carayol)
• MARPE - Master in and network for European PR (Anne-Marie Cotton)
• PhD Seminar and PhD Network (Inger Jensen)
• Euroblog - The impact of social media on Public Relations practice in Europe (Philip Young)
• Communication of the European Union with the European Citizens (Henk-Jan Rebel)
• International Corporate Communication Compass for Europe (Holger Sievert)

The project proposals:

• Euprera Publications (Sue Wolstenholme)
• Features and specificity of international communication while creation of favourable country image (Olga Novoselova)
• Specificity of specialists' preparation in public relations in a modern society: Russian and European experience (Andrej Mozolin)
• Women in Public Relations in Europe: From Where to Where (Serra Görpe)
• Measuring international public relations practices with local/regional models: data from the European Union (Nastasia Sorin)

Discover how to make a new project proposal

I’m glad, on behalf of the Board of Directors, to welcome the members who have been elected during the last General Assembly in Jyvaskyla and who will start their term on January 1st, 2011.

The new President Elect, professor Valérie Carayol, from the University of Bordeaux, who will be the first French president in Euprera.

The Executive Director, professor Ansgar Zerfass, from the University of Leipzig, who has been confirmed for the next term.

The Executive Director, professor Adela Rogojinaru, from the University of Bucharest, who has been elected for the next term.

I'm also glad to say that the three candidates have all been elected by a very large majority of votes.

Emanuele Invernizzi
President Euprera

Valérie Carayol President Elect 2011	Ansgar Zerfass Executive Director 2011-2012	Adela Rogojinaru Executive Director 2011-2012

May 26th, 2011
Boston, USA

ICA (International Communication Association)
2011 Pre-conference
"Strategic Communcation: a concept at the center of applied communications"

Euprera members are encouraged to provide European perspectives to this discussion and the following publication in the Handbook of Strategic Communication.

Abstracts of no more than 500 words plus a short CV of the authors have to be submitted by Dec. 1, 2010, via e-mail to derina.holtzhausen@okstate.edu and zerfass@uni-leipzig.de. Participants will be notified of their acceptance by mid-January.

Full paper submissions are required by May 15, 2011.

Accepted authors of selected papers will be invited to publish their work in the Handbook of Strategic Communication, currently in the planning stage.

Download the call for papers.
Go to the conference website for regularly updated information on registration, accommodation, travel grants and much more.

Pragmatic questions about how to manage a multicultural workplace, how to manage a multicultural negotiation or how to manage an international PR strategy have stressed the need for more research on intercultural or cross-cultural issues in the communication sphere. Macroscopic questions about peculiar communication and PR practices among different cultural settings also merge and show the evidence of a need for more comparative and international studies among our research community.

Learn more about the project
Download the call for papers

The master program “Communication Management” offered by the University of Leipzig is the favorite PR education in the largest European country. According to a study published by newsaktuell, a subsidiary of the German Press Agency (dpa), Leipzig is leading far ahead from Munich (TUM University), Stuttgart (University of Hohenheim), Berlin (Quadriga College) and Mainz (University). The ranking of public relations programs is based on a survey of 1,121 PR professionals in corporations and agencies. Leipzig is also the leading place for public relations research in the German-speaking world. Every third practitioner states that professors Ansgar Zerfass (33.3 per cent) and Guenter Bentele (29.3 per cent) conduct innovative academic research, followed by Claudia Mast (University of Hohenheim, 20.6 per cent) and Miriam Meckel (University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, 16.8 per cent).

Running since 2007, the full-time master program „Communication Management“ accepts 22 students each year. Courses are taught in German language. After four semesters, graduates will be qualified for management careers in corporations, associations and non-profit organizations as well as for academic careers as Ph.D. researchers. The curriculum comprises theories and concepts ranging from communication science to management and organization studies, public relations and integrated communications. Students have to engage themselves in applied research projects with global companies like Volkswagen, Vattenfall Europe and Deutsche Post DHL. Campaigns developed by student teams from Leipzig have won several national public relations awards during the last years.

The University of Leipzig is known as the birthplace of communication science in Europe ‒ its institute of communication and media science has been founded as early as 1916. Within this institute, the Department of Communication Management and Public Relations, led by full professors Bentele and Zerfass, has developed an advanced program of teaching and research based on a minimum infrastructure provided by the University itself. More than 1 million Euros (1,3 billion US-Dollars) third-party funding have been acquired by a specific public relations research foundation during the last years. Nowadays, ten academics and post-graduates conduct research in topics like media trust in organizations (Corporate Trust Index), public relations ethics, online communication and social media governance, as well as strategic communication and evaluating communication as immaterial assets (Communication Controlling). Members of the department have published more than 60 books and approximately 300 articles and chapters in several languages.

More information on the web: www.communicationmanagement.de

November 18-19, 2010
Brussels

Communicating green - Organizational Communication and Environment

The programme of the international conference is available on this page.

Euprera members will benefit of a special reduced fee!

• Go to the registration page
• Go to the congress website

Euprera and EACD (European Association of Communication Directors) have released the results of their annual European Communication Monitor, the study which monitors trends in communication management and analyses impacts of the global downturn and media crisis on communication departments and agencies. Moreover, it identifies major strategic issues, indicators of excellence and power, challenges for communication professionals in the future and much more.

The results of the study, conducted by a group of professors from universities in 11 countries, led by Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, are available in a free report at www.communicationmonitor.eu. With 1955 participating professionals from 46 countries, this is probably the most comprehensive study ever conducted in the field of public relations and communication management worldwide. Some of the key findings are:

• Impact of the recession: 72 per cent of the respondents report that communication has become more important within their organisations during the economic downturn. However, only 22 per cent were able to strengthen their resources compared to other functions, whereas 37 per cent lost more than the average. The survey proves that a clear focus on linking communication activities to facilitating business processes – instead of mainly building image and reputation – correlates positively with the development of budgets.
• Development of disciplines and channels: Corporate communication is still considered the most important field of practice, followed by marketing/brand communication. Online communications, media relations on the web and social media have gained in importance massively since 2009 and are expected to grow further. Predictions for the future are very positive for any type of social media platform, with online videos leading the path. In spite of this outlook, only a minority of organisations has already started to establish important prerequisites for this field, such as social media guidelines.

It is worth saying that for the first time it was possible to compute time series analyses and compare this year’s results with predictions for the future from previous editions of the same survey. This attests the reliability of predictions for the future.

All the details about the reasearch, conducted in partnership with the magazine Communication Director and sponsored by Infopaq and Grayling, are available on this page.

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
January 11-12, 2011

The symposium will focus on the theme "Reviewing and Criticizing Theoretical and Practical Achievements in Public Relations during last Century". Sub-themes:

1. Reviewing the impact of technology, over time, upon public relations practice and theory.
2. The evolution of public relations education, research and professional development.
3. The evolution of public relations theories over time ( reviewing the schools of thinking in public relations)
4. Reviewing keybooks or articles that have influenced public relations
5. Reviewing the various names selected for public Relation including propaganda, corporate communication, etc.
6. Public Relations capabilities in culture-making
7. Pure theories in public relations
8. Reviewing the gap between the theory and practice in public relations: How much have theories been put into practice?
9. Role of  national and international public relations associations and societies in developing public relations
10. Applied skills in public relations from lobbying to culture-making

Deadlines for abstract: November 1, 2010
Deadline for full paper: December 15, 2010

Download here the call for papers

by Chiara Valentini
and Giorgia Nesti

This book is a collection of essays that analyse and discuss EU information and communication policies and activities towards, with, by different publics developed both by the EU institutions at the European, national and local levels and by public organizations and civil society actors. Throughout six thematic parts, the authors examine from different theoretical perspectives (political communication, journalism, public relations and public diplomacy, political science, and cultural studies) and reflect on what it means for the European Union to communicate in multi-national and multi-cultural settings.

The originality and strength of this book stand on the capacity to discuss EU communication policies, strategies and actions in their diverse features and, at the same time, to have a clear general picture of the role and function that communication has within the European Union's governance.

The combination of different theoretical frameworks with the latest empirical research findings makes this book a fresh and fascinated collection of insights of what the European Union can achieve with strategic communications.

Download the poster of the book

In Facebook, beside the group of Euprera members created in 2008, now you will find also the page of Euprera, with frequent news about congresses on PR themes and more.

The page can become a space to collect informal contents, like pictures taken during the Euprera symposia and congresses: if you want to share something, just let us know writing to euprera@brunoamaral.com

The final version of the Stockholm Accords, presented at the World PR Forum on June 14-15 in Stockholm, is now available.

Read the letter of Euprera president, which also contains links to the Accords, presetations on the webcast and slides.

July 13th 2010
London, UK

Eminent business leaders and experts from around the world are converging for the first Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium, the most important meeting place for Government, Business and NGOs operating across all industrial sectors. It is the only place to be for informed dialogue and debate in the run up to COP10 - Nagoya.

This unique private-sector focused business and biodiversity conference, supported by Defra and BIS, will see the launch of the highly anticipated 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity' (TEEB) report from study leader Pavan Sukhdev.

The TEEB for Business report, will offer attendees an insight into how business and enterprise have a huge role to play in how we manage, safeguard and invest in our natural capital. The report provides practical guidance to businesses on the issues and the opportunities created by the inclusion in mainstream business practices of ecosystem and biodiversity related considerations. Attendees will also hear from leading expert speakers.

The registration fee is £ 45 (+VAT), but for Euprera members it will be only £ 29,50 (+VAT). To benefit of your discounted fee as Euprera member write to dpra@euprera.org.

To learn more about programme, go to the symposium website.

Jyvaskyla, Finland
23-24 September 2010

The aim of the congress is to reflect on the turbulence of nowadays' society, with its increase of risks and crises, and the role of communication science and practice in this.

Visit the congress website to see the programme and to register.

→ reduced fees for Euprera members
→ early registration fees until July 25

In a few days, the 17th international symposium on PR research "BledCom" will take place in Bled (Slovenia) at the foot of the Julian Alps, on the shore of the lake.

This year the symposium theme is "Government Communication":

• How does public relations contribute to policy-making, strategizing, and evaluation by government agencies?
• What is the role of public relations vis-a-vis public diplomacy?
• What contributions has public relations made, and public relations can make, toward developmental goals (political, social, and economic)?
• How can the communication departments of governments be structured for effective management of communication by government agencies?

If you want to join, you can still do it on BledCom website!

The Stockholm Accords aim to articulate and establish the role of PR in communicative organizations in the context of a rapidly evolving digital and value network society.

The Euprera president invites the members and the colleagues to send contributions to the Stockholm Accords blog and to come to Stockholm on June 14-15 at the World PR Forum, where the final version of the Accords will be discussed and released.

Read the letter from the president

July 1-2, 2010
Brussels

The fourth annual European Communication Summit will gather leading figures from the worlds of European communications and public relations for a two-day conference in Brussels featuring best-case presentations, panel discussions, keynote speeches by pre-eminent communicators and unmatched networking opportunities.

The Summit is hosted by the European Association of Communication Directors and Communication Director Magazine.

Go to:
Programme
Summit website

June 6-9, 2010
Toronto, Canada

The IABC World Conference is an annual event where 1400 communication practitioners from 40 countries present fresh ideas, winning case studies and best practices in communication.

Sessions will focus on:

• Change Management
• Communication Leadership
• Employee Communication
• Global Trends
• Marketing & Brand
• Public Relations
• Strategy & Counsel

Visit the congress website

Dear Colleagues,

it is that time of year again for the Euprera Jos Willems Awards!

We have some entries from Germany and the UK but we need more for these prestigious awards to represent all of our member countries and to help you to celebrate the excellence of your students.

These awards are part of what enables Euprera to live the mission to encourage innovation.

The two-page abstract is needed by 30th April and the ten page summaries, if invited, will have to be emailed by 30th June. All have to be sent to me at sue@ashley-pr.co.uk

Please remember that the students’ final dissertations, whether at bachelors or masters level, must have been completed during the last eighteen months. This year’s winners will be invited to present their work, all expenses paid (within Europe) at the annual conference, which will be in Jyvaskyla, Finland, 23 – 24 September and their tutor receives a certificate too.

I am looking forward to hearing from your students!

With best wishes,

Sue Wolstenholme

July 24-27, 2010
Tehran, Iran

Themes and subthemes:

Culture: Diversity or Integrity

• Multiculturalism and Global Peace
• Asia: Diversity or Unity in Cultures
• Intercultural Dialogue: Approaches and Outcomes
• Media, Communication and Common Good
• Globalization, Religion and Common Good
• Islam: New Challenges, New Perspectives

Islam and the Crisis of Modern Man

• Islam and Other Faiths: Truth or Salvation
• Islam and Woman: Rights and Commitments
• Islam: Traditionalism or Modernism
• Islam and Revivalism: Needs and Necessities
• Islam: Spirituality, Morality and Jurisprudence

Iran: Realities and Appearances

• Iran, Religious State and International Challenges
• Iran and the Middle East
• Iran and New Generation: Gap or Conflict
• Iran and International Society: Contraction or Expansion
• Cultures and Religions in Iran: Heterogeneous or Homogeneous Society

The deadline for submission of abstracts is April 10th. Abstracts must be submitted via email to conference@mcgc.ir

For more information visit the congress website: www.mcgc.ir

Congress: September 23-24, 2010
PhD Seminar: September 25-28, 2010
Jyvaskyla, Finland

Communication in a changing society; dynamics, risks and uncertainty

The aim of the congress is to reflect on the turbulence of nowadays' society, with its increase of risks and crises, and the role of communication science and practice in this.

Subthemes

1. Risk perception and crisis communication;
2. Change management, innovation and internal communication;
3. Dynamics of communication and networking in an international environment, incl. PR in transition societies;
4. Changing perspectives on PR and CSR;
5. Fuzzy boundaries between company and government communication;
6. PR education & a changing profession

Registration

Registration is now open! Special benefits:

• Early bird price until July 25th, 2010.
• Reduced fees for Euprera members.
• Package-fee: congress + Euprera 2-year new membership
• Package-fee: congress + PhD seminar

Go to:

Fees and registration
Congress website

May 6, 2010
10.00-18.00 hrs
The Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland

The .HarbourClub. and the Executive MScom Program are delighted to announce the 2010 Lac Leman Communications Forum, formerly "Geneva Communications Forum" with the theme "Navigating the Social Media Jungle: Strategies for Corporate Communications".

The explosion of blogs, social networking sites, wikis, video sharing sites, and other powerful digital communications platforms may be the biggest game-changer to impact business since mechanized manufacturing. In today’s Web 2.0 world, company stakeholders are empowered in ways unimaginable just a few years ago, and traditional corporate hierarchies are yesterday’s news. The smartest companies worldwide are responding with bold new digital communications strategies based on transparency, authenticity, and inclusion, instead of secrecy, artificiality, and exclusion.

The Lac Leman Communications Forum will provide an up-to-the-minute review of the Web 2.0 landscape and analyzes the increasingly central role that corporate communications plays in virtually every organizational function. Forum participants will gain insights into how to deploy proven strategies for using new and emerging digital platforms.

A guided tour of the Olympic Museum will be offered (optional).

More info:

• www.mscom.usi.ch
• Ilaria Juon ilaria.juon@usi.ch

European Communication Monitor survey maps the communications landscape in 2010

Public relations professionals are invited to take part in the largest survey on strategic communication worldwide / Questionnaire online until March 31st.

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) announced the start of this year’s international survey in the field of communication management. What will be the major challenges for communication professionals in the future? What are indicators of excellence and power? How does social media affect strategic communication? How much money do PR professionals earn, and are they satisfied with their jobs? These and other questions will be answered by the “European Communication Monitor 2010". The questionnaire is available online at www.communicationmonitor.eu until the end of March.

The survey seeks the opinions of PR professionals working in companies, associations, political institutions, and other organisations, as well as in communication consultancies. It will take about ten minutes to answer the questions. All participants will receive a report of the results and have the chance to win one out of three stylish Kodak Zi6 HD Mini Camcorders. The project serves solely academic purposes; privacy is fully respected.

With more than 1,800 participants from 34 countries in 2009, the European Communication Monitor is the largest and most important annual survey of the profession. It is conducted by professors from eleven renowned universities within the framework of EUPRERA, together with the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) and Communication Director Magazine.

The survey is supported by Cision, the leading global provider of media monitoring, evaluation and contact management, and Grayling, the second largest independent public relations consultancy in the world.

European Communication Monitor 2010 at a glance

• Online questionnaire: www.communicationmonitor.eu
• Survey period: March 1st until March 31st, 2010 (4 weeks)
• Target group: public relations professionals and communication managers in corporations, associations, political institutions, and other organisations; as well as professionals communication consultancies
• Research run and advised by professors from: University of Leipzig (GE); Leeds Metropolitan University (UK); University of Amsterdam (NL); University of Ljubljana (SI); University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (ES); IULM University, Milano (IT); University of Bordeaux 3 (FR); University of Lugano (CH); Mälardalen University (SE); BI Norwegian School of Management, Oslo (NO); Poznan University of Economics (PL)
• Organised by: EUPRERA, EACD, Communication Director Magazine
• Sponsored by: Cision and Grayling

About the organisers

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (Euprera) is an autonomous organisation with members from more than 30 countries that aims at stimulating and promoting the knowledge and practice of communication management in Europe. Academic scholars and experienced practitioners work together to advance fundamental and applied research. More information is available at: http://www.euprera.org/?p=30

The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) is the leading network for communication professionals from all fields across Europe with over 1,200 members. The non-partisan association lobbies for the profession, establishes common quality standards and promotes the advancement of professional qualification by organising events and providing services and material. More information is available at: www.eacd-online.eu

Press contact

Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Lead Researcher, EUPRERA, zerfass@uni-leipzig.de, Phone +49 341 97 35040
Herbert Heitmann, President, EACD, herbert.heitmann@eacd-online.eu, Phone +32 2 219 22 90

July 2-3, 2010
Bled, Slovenia

BledCom 2010 will address Government Communication: the communication & public relations activities of government and government agencies – at international, national, regional, and local levels. Themes of interest to the conference include:

• How does public relations contribute to policy-making, strategizing, and evaluation by government agencies?
• What is the role of public relations vis-a-vis public diplomacy?
• What contributions has public relations made, and public relations can make, toward developmental goals (political, social, and economic)?
• How can the communication departments of governments be structured for effective management of communication by government agencies?

Join BledCom 2010! Special fees for Euprera members:

• Until April 15th: € 365 (with VAT 438)
• After Aoril 15th: € 405 (with VAT 486)

Register here
Have a look at the draft programme
Visit BledCom website

February 25-27, 2010
Ghent, Belgium

-  Watch the video of the President's opening speech

-  Download the slides and papers presented

-  See some pictures

-  Visit the symposium website

Added to the Euprera Library the book by Odedele Sunday from Petros-Faith Public Relations Consult (Lagos, Nigeria) "Public Relation and Communication Management in Africa".

This book would be useful and be of value to students, researchers, lecturers, practitioners and organizations that are interested in knowing the public relations environment of African nations and also are with an interest in the development of Public Relations and Communication Management practice in Africa.

Go to the Euprera Library where you can download the e-book and also the article "The roles of developmental PR".
Go to the website PR for Africa

June 1-3, 2010
Lima, Perù

The University of San Martin de Porres (USMP), through The Department of Extension and Community Relations (EPU), has succeeded in making our country the new host of the IPRA 2010, XIX Public Relations World Congress.

This event of world-wide importance, will summon delegates of more than 100 countries of five continents, who will attend to the presentations from prestigious specialists on communication and public relations.

IPRA 2010 is a space of reflection that proposes analyzing the value of the discipline and its direct influences in the decisions that lead businesses to succeed in an interconnected society, emphatically on emergent markets such as Latin America in comparison with other regions of the world.

Visit the congress website

The judges have agreed a Shortlist from which the winners of the 2010 Euprera Social Media Awards will be chosen : click here.

In the projects section of the website, you will find fresh updating about:

• 6 running projects
• 5 new proposals

Take part in the projects presentation at the Euprera Spring Symposium 2010!
Go to the project section and get updated!

After the prize awarded at the Euprera 2008 Congress, the Institute for PR and Euprera will award a 500 € prize to the best paper presented at the Euprera 2010 Congress "Communication in a changing society; dynamics, risks and uncertainty". The winning paper will focus on:

• Similarities and differences regarding best practices around the globe.
• How cultural factors affect best practices in various cultural contexts.
• The underlying, enduring principles of best practices that transcend national and cultural boundaries.
• How the digital revolution in communication technology (including social media) shapes practices globally and how do practitioners measure the impact of this technology.

The deadline for abstract submission is on February 1st.
Submit here your abstract
Read the call for papers

June 14-14, 2010
Stockholm, Sweden

The conference is arranged by the Swedish Public Relations Association with the Global Alliance For Public Relations and Communication Management. The WPRF coincides with the 60th birthday of The Swedish Public Relations Association.

It will be an opportunity to present new methods, new research and exchange ideas in the field of professional communication. By registering you can actually begin to shape the Forum program, activity and outcome in a conference like few others, where each delegate can examine and address a provocative new model for the practice of public relations – “The Communicative Organization” – before as well as throughout the meeting.

Visit the conference website

23-25 September 2010
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Communication in a changing society;
dynamics, risks and uncertainty

February 1st, 2010, is the deadline for the abstract submission. Abstracts should be max. 500 words in length and the paper max. 7,000 words (Times New Roman 12 pt).

Subthemes:

1. Risk perception and crisis communication
2. Change management, innovation and internal communication
3. Dynamics of communication and networking in an international environment, incl. PR in transition societies
4. Changing perspectives on PR and CSR
5. Fuzzy boundaries between company and government communication
6. PR education & a changing profession

Submit here your abstract
Read the call for papers
Visit the congress website 

18-20 April 2010
Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano (Switzerland)

After five highly successful, thought provoking conferences, the 6th Thought Leaders International Conference in Brand Management will be setting even higher conference standards when it takes place from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20 April 2010 in Lugano, Switzerland.

Established as the forum for shaping thought leadership about brand management, the international orientation will continue with the hosting of the conference at one of the most stunning settings in Europe. Lugano is nestled between the towering peaks of the Alps, sitting aside the vast lake at the confluence of European routes.

An international steering committee has been constituted to ensure a continuation of the tradition that academics and practitioners from all continents present refereed papers of a consistently high quality.
There will be thought provoking Keynote Presentations by international brand practitioners. Parallel tracks of double blind refereed papers will enable authors to gain constructive comments about their papers and extend their knowledge horizon from other researchers.

Visit the conference website

10-12 Mai 2010
Université de Montréal

La Revue Internationale de Communication Sociale et Publique, le Centre d’études en communications marketing de l’UQAM et le groupe de recherche Communications, Organisations et Sociétés de l’université de Bordeaux 3 vous proposent trois colloques qui rendent compte à la fois de préoccupations générales dans le champ des communications et de questionnements plus spécifiques en communication marketing ou en communication des organisations.

10 Mai: Communication sociale et publique : prisme ou foyer?
11 Mai: Culture et identités dans les communications marketing
12 Mai: Identité, responsabilité et autorité dans les organisations par projet

Visit the congress website
Download the call for papers

5-6 October 2010
Rennes (France)

Photography at the Crossroads of Humanities and Social Sciences.

This interdisciplinary conference comes into the framework of the European Gruntvig programme, being open to the works of young European researchers and favouring access for all types of public to current academic debate, notably in the course of continuing education.

The conference thus provides an occasion for combining research with an approach of social intervention through seminars for academics, debates around recent research and round-table discussion open to all.

Visit the conference website
Download the call for papers

16-18 April, 2010
Poznan University of Economics, Poland

Challenges to communication management in international mergers and acquisitions

Sub-themes:

• differences in socio-economic systems influencing international M&A communication strategies;
• employee communications during international M&A ;
• the importance of investor relations for successful  international M&A;
• communication challenges to acquisitions by corporations from emerging economies  in the developed  “Western” markets;
• the importance of trust and reputation  for  successful  M&A;
• mistakes commonly made when communicating M&A in a culturally different environment.

Abstracts by January 15th, 2010
Full papers by March 15th, 2010

Download the Call for papers
Go to the congress website: www.econpr.com

There is still time to submit the abstracts for the 17th BledCom symposium. First set on November 15, 2009, the deadline in now prolonged to December 31, 2009.
 
BledCom 2010, taking place in Slovenia on July 2 and July 3 2010, will address Government Communication. More information on www.bledcom.com

19-20 novembre 2009
Université Paul Verlaine-Metz & Université Nancy 2

Comité organisateur:
Les membres de l'Association del Jeunes Chercheurs du Centre de Recherche sur les Médiations.

Affiche
Programme

The Call for papers for the next annual congress (23-25 September 2010, Jyväskylä, Finland) is now available here.

MAIN THEME
Communication in a changing society;
dynamics, risks and uncertainty

Dear colleagues,

One month has passed since we met in Bucharest , at the 11^th edition of the EUPRERA Congress, “Corporate Citizen of the Third Millenium. Towards a Shared European Perspective”

Now you can download some of the presentations and see the photo gallery, to refresh your memories of this beautiful experience.

Louvain-La-Neuve, 23 October

On the occasion of the departure of Professor Axel Gryspeerdt, who was granted emeritus status, the communication department of the Université catholique de Louvain organised a colloquium on: "contradicting the industry".

On behalf of Euprera, Anne-Marie Cotton rewarded Axel Gryspeerdt with a "Special Aknowledgement".

For more information on the Colloquium and the proceedings: click here. 

Public Relations Society of Serbia (PRSS), the organization of professionals who work in public relations, will organise for the first time an International Conference on Public Relations from 15 to 17 October 2009. The conference will be organized in Subotica, on the theme "Creating the image and reputation management".

Speakers at this conference will be prominent experts in public relations from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and the USA. Part of the conference will be also a panel discussion with the theme "How to get a better reputation of Serbia?" and presentation from the winner of PR award "PRiznanje" in 2009.

In order to improve cooperation between national associations of public relations in the region, Euprera members are invited to join this conference.

Please send your confirmation of attendance by Thursday, 01/10/2009, to drustvo@pr.org.rs.

Dear Euprera Member,   

Our General Assembly in Bucharest, on 26th September, will be no less important than the one held in Milan, where we changed our statutes and redefined our future as an organisation. We had the attendance and proxies needed, thanks to nearly all of you and changes were made which are already involving far more members and making a real difference to what we are achieving.

In Bucharest we will be electing a new Director of Public Relations and Administration.

So please come to Bucharest to enjoy the excellent programme and the wonderful city and to meet Virginia, so that you can vote with confidence at the GA. 

And finally – there should always be more projects!

Although our projects are already attracting a large number of members to work together for their achievement, the hope is that many more will be devised to involve even more. If anyone has an idea for research, a new competition or award or anything that might further our aims and objectives, please let us know and the idea will be given full consideration and might start to have life at our conference in Bucharest!

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Sue Wolstenholme

President Euprera

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) have just released the results of their annual European Communication Monitor study. The international research, conducted in partnership with professional magazine Communication Director and sponsored by media intelligence company Cision, is the most comprehensive study ever conducted in the field. It is based on a sample of more than 1,850 communication professionals, from 34 countries, with a thorough level of experience – 84 percent hold the position of head of communication, unit leader or agency CEO, and the average age is 42 years. The study has been conducted online by a group of professors from universities in 11 countries, led by Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Germany. Some of the key findings are:

– Missing link to corporate goals: only 6 out of 10 PR practitioners help to define business strategies
– Communication departments face major budget cuts, but a vast majority of communicators are optimistic for the next year
– The most important strategic issues over the next three years will be linking business strategy and communication, and coping with the digital evolution and the social web
– Only 14% of communicators believe that Twitter is an important communication tool, although 39 percent believe that it will be important in 2010
– Salary correlates strongly with role enactment: “strategic facilitators” are leading the field

The charts are available as a free PDF download at www.communicationmonitor.eu. A full report (text and charts) has been published as a book by the EACD for its members.

The European Communication Monitor 2009 analyses impacts of the recession and media crisis on communication departments and agencies. It identifies strategic issues, fields of practice and instruments and how they gain or lose importance. Moreover, specific topics such as internal communication, online communities, measurement and evaluation or salaries are questioned and discussed in detail. Methods of empirical social research and statistical computation have been used to analyse the huge amount of data that had been collected this spring.

About the organisers

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (Euprera) is an autonomous organisation with members from more than 30 countries that aims at stimulating and promoting the knowledge and practice of communication management in Europe. Academic scholars and experienced practitioners work together to advance fundamental and applied research. More information is available at: www.euprera.org

The European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) is the leading network for communication professionals from all fields across Europe with over 1,100 members. The non-partisan Association lobbies for the profession, establishes common quality standards and promotes the advancement of professional qualification by organising events and providing services and material. More information is available at: www.eacd-online.eu

Sample charts from the European Communication Monitor 2009 survey are depicted in the the press release (PDF); high resolution files are available here.

Chères Collègues, Chers Collègues,

Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à participer à notre prochaine réunion de travail du groupe Org&co. Celle-ci se tiendra le VENDREDI 30 OCTOBRE à Paris, de 10H00 à 17H00, dans les locaux du CLEMI (391 rue Vaugirard 75015 PARIS, METRO : CONVENTION).

Pour cette séance de rentrée, nous aurons l'occasion de revenir avec Sylvie Parrini-Alemanno (MCF Université de Nice), et d'autres invités en cours de sollicitation, sur l'importance du paradigme systémique en communication organisationnelle.
Nous la remercions chaleureusement de son intervention intitulée:
"Retour sur les approches systémiques des organisations et l'apport de l'"Ecole de palo-Alto".
Des textes fondateurs aux interventions sur le terrain.

Une partie de l'après-midi sera consacrée à l'animation du groupe, à son projet scientifique et éditorial.

Par ailleurs, nous vous rappelons que les actes du colloque de Rennes 2009 sont disponibles sur le site internet du colloque (en attendant la mise en ligne du site Org&CO):

http://org-co2009.lescigales.org <http://org-co2009.lescigales.org/>   (cliquez sur les onglets TELECHARGEMENT, puis ACTES)

Un ouvrage est en projet, mais nous reviendrons vers vous prochainement pour plus de détails.

Nous nous réjouissons de vous retrouver nombreux pour la réunion du 30 octobre.
Bien cordialement,
Catherine Loneux et Bertrand Parent,
Animateurs du groupe


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Retour sur les approches systémiques des organisations et l'apport de l'"Ecole de palo-Alto".
Des textes fondateurs aux interventions sur le terrain.


Objectifs de la présentations et du débat :
discuter de nouveau l'hypothèse systémique comme paradigme de la communication des organisations et prendre une mesure de ses incidences sur les interventions de terrains pour les chercheurs et les spécialistes en SIC

Avec la participation de

Sylvie PARRINI-ALEMANNO
Maître de Conférences en Sciences de l'Information et de la Communication
Département des Sciences de la Communication et Psychosociologue.
Laboratoire Information, Milieux, Médias, Médiations (I3M/EA 3820)
Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis

Et d'autres invités chercheurs et spécialistes prévus.

If you are interested in contributing to EuroBlog, have a look at the wiki. Contact philip.young@sunderland.ac.uk if you want to be added as a writer, or just email him withinfor and he will add your ideas/ contact details.  

Holger Sievert and Stefan Porter are the first winners of the Institute for Public Relations BledCom Special Prize for the best new research on the cultural variable in public relations practice. The award was presented at BledCom2009.

The German researchers, associates at komm.passion GmbH, submitted the winning paper entitled "An expanded view from the corner office - Further discussions and research on the global navigation of international corporate communications". It proposes an analytical platform for understanding international corporate communication, linking public relations knowledge with relevant expertise from other disciplines.

Read the full release.

Read the full paper.

The Euprera Board met in Bled (2 July), defining the strategic lines for 2010. Euprera members will get soon the agenda of the General Assembly (Bucharest, 26 September).

Global Alliance Strategic Planning Survey Results Released

IABC offers some funding for a large project. All details here.

Join us in Bucharest for the Euprera Annual Congress 2009!

23-26 September.

Go to the congress site to register and to get more information.

Read the letter to EUPRERA members

EUPRERA has announced the start of this year’s international survey in the field of communication management. What will be the major challenges for public relations professionals in the future? Which strategies are relevant in the economic crisis? How influential are communicators within their organisations? How much money do they earn?

These and other questions will be answered by the survey "European Communication Monitor 2009". The questionnaire is online at www.communicationmonitor.eu until the end of May. The survey seeks opinions of PR professionals working in organisations and consultancies. It will take about ten minutes to answer the questions. All participants will receive a full report of the results and be put into a draw for two stylish Flip Ultra Video Camcorders. The project serves solely academic purposes; privacy is fully respected.

With more than 1,300 participants from 37 countries in 2008, the European Communication Monitor is the largest and most important annual survey of the profession. It is run by professors from 11 renowned universities within the framework of EUPRERA together with the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) and Communication Director Magazine.

Cision, the leading global provider of media monitoring, distribution and evaluation services, is the premier sponsor of the survey.

European Communication Monitor 2009 at a glance:

• online questionnaire: www.communicationmonitor.eu
• survey period: May 1st until may 31st, 2009 (4 weeks)
• target group: public relations professionals and communication managers in corporations and organisations; professionals in communication consultancies
• research conducted and advised by professors from: University of Leipzig (GE); Leeds Metropolitan University (UK); University of Amsterdam (NL); University of Ljubljana (SI); University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (ES); IULM University, Milano (IT); University of Bordeaux 3 (FR); University of Lugano (CH); Mälardalen University (SE); University of Oslo (NO); Poznan University of Economics (PL)
• organised by: EUPRERA, EACD, Communication Director Magazine
• sponsored by: Cision

Contact: mailto:info@communicationmonitor.eu

Proposals for EuroBlog 2010 were approved at Euprera's Berlin Symposium and project energiser Philip Young (philip.young@sunderland.ac.uk) is keen to hear from anyone interested in joining the team. We need core team members to run the quantative survey, country/ region champions to handle publicity, and country/ region researchers to compile profiles of how educators are acommodating changes driven by social media. Full details here.

The organisers of EUPRERA Congress 2009 launch an Open Call for corporate case studies with a new deadline until 1st of April 2009. The case studies will be presented in the format of workshops or roundtables. A roundtable is open to projects debate and analysis, with a particular focus on the research component. A workshop is more applied and open to presentation of recent public relations/CSR campaigns that are considered „good practices”.

Thank you for your participation at the Euprera Spring Symposium 2010/Leerstoel Jos Willems, 25-27 February in Ghent.

Thank you for the inspiring presentations and the lively discussions.

Congratulations to Laura Fischer (Germany), Ben Cotton (United Kingdom), Lise-Mette Kjellberg and Bergitte Lowzow (Norway), winners of the first Euprera Social Media Award.

The presentations and papers are available @ the Spring Symposium 2010 page.

Click here for some pictures of the first symposium day.

http://www.eupreraspringsymposium.org

Best regards

Anne-Marie Cotton

Programme

Research project: "Collecting and Profiling Public Relations bachelor and master programmes in Europe and beyond its boundaries"

We invite you at the Euprera Spring Symposium (Berlin, 3-4 April) for the presentation of the initial results of the Euprera Education Research project.

We warmly thank all the participants for their valuable input.

This research project was made possible by the support of INP (Instituto Superior de Novas Profissoes, Lisbon).

Launch of a new Master in European PR

Université Bordeaux3 and Université Nancy2 launch a new Master in European Public Relations. Details can be found in the attached document.

The CE.R.RP. MED launches a European Research Project.

You are invited to fill in the questionnaire and forward it to your colleagues.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Questionnaires: for PR academics and for PR practitioners

27.11.2008

A survey by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association
(EUPRERA) delivers deep insights into the dynamics of communication
management and public relations in Europe. The international research is
based on a sample of 1,524 professionals from 37 countries with a thorough
level of experience – almost every second has more than ten years of
experience in the field.

The research has been conducted and adviced by a group of professors from
universities in ten countries, led by Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass, Germany. It
was generously sponsored by Cision, a leading supplier of integrated
services and software solutions for reputation management, media monitoring
and research of media contact, and Communication Director, the only
transnational magazine dealing with the practice of strategic corporate
communication and linking theory and practice in Europe.

The European Communication Monitor 2008 is the most comprehensive survey on
public relations trends in Europe until now. Some of the results are:
– Communication professionals in Europe are less powerful than in the United
States
– Online videos and social networks are the hottest emerging channels in
2009
– Three out of four PR professionals in Europe are involved in Corporate
Social Responsibility
– Respondents from 37 countries name major issues; strategy and measurement
take the lead

The full documentation of results and findings with numerous charts (74 pp.)
is available online at www.communicationmonitor.eu.

The European Communication Monitor 2008 analyses the changing framework for
public relations professionals in communication departments and agencies. It
identifies strategic issues, fields of practice and instruments and how they
gain or loose importance. Moreover, specific topics like interactive
channels, corporate social responsibility, intercultural challenges,
influence on management decisions, cooperation with agencies and future
budgets are questioned and discussed in detail. Methods of empirical social
research and statistical computation have been used to analyse the huge
amount of data that had been collected this summer.

The latest version of ELeCT is available: try the online demo version. More information here.

New Round of Newton Fellowships

A new round of Newton Fellowships - an initiative to fund research collaborations and improve links between UK and overseas researchers - has opened.

The Newton International Fellowships are funded by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society and aim to attract the most promising post-doctoral researchers working overseas in the fields of humanities, engineering, natural and social sciences. The Fellowships enable researchers to work for two years with a UK research institution, thus establishing long-term international collaborations.

The funding will be distributed in the form of 50 research fellowships, awarded annually, each providing support of up to £100,000 for a two year placement.  The scheme is open to post-doctoral (and equivalent) early-career researchers working outside the UK who do not hold UK citizenship.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 12 January 2009.

Further details are available from the Newton International Fellowships website:www.newtonfellowships.org <http://email.britac.ac.uk/_act/link.php?mId=A8663306216695807416866273521&tId=7613167>  or call 00 44 (0)20 7451 2559

Newton International Fellowships
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AG
tel: +44 (0)20 7451 2559
fax: +44 (0)20 7451 2543


The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH Tel: 020 7969 5200, Fax: 020 7969 5300, Web: www.britac.ac.uk <http://email.britac.ac.uk/_act/link.php?mId=A8663306216695807416866273521&tId=7613168>

Oregon Professor Wins Prize for Personal Influence Model Research

MILAN, ITALY (OCTOBER, 2008) –

Tiffany Derville Gallicano, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, has won a 500 Euro special prize for best new research on the personal influence model of public relations.

The award, funded by the Institute for Public Relations, was presented at the annual congress of Euprera in Milan, Italy.

Gallicano's paper is titled: "Personal Relationship Strategies and Outcomes in a Case Study of a Multi-Tiered Membership Organisation". Through interviews and observational techniques, she documented how a health advocacy organisation goes about cultivating personal relationships and obtainig results.

The personal influence model describes the use of relationships with strategic individuals to achieve public relations objectives, a major factor in a professional’s contribution to the organization. The model appears worldwide in practice, but there is little research about it.

Gallicano’s study, available on the Institute’s free website, identified specific personal influence strategies such as direct engagement (responding immediately to a person’s request rather than passing it along to someone else in the organization) and task sharing (partnering to meet a challenge together). The outcomes included the emotional bonds that scholars call “affective commitment,” political leverage, and member recruitment and retention.

The EUPRERA World Congress in Milan has been organized by FERPI (the Italian Federation of Public Relations) and Milan’s IULM University, whose public relations degree course was the first to be implemented in Italy since 1993.

Excellent Leadership in Public Relations

A new IPRA Gold Paper: "Public Relations and Collaboration: The Role of Public Relations and Communication Supporting Collaboration in a Complex, Converging World." has been launched.

The analytical research paper will be presented at the IPRA 2008 Public Relations World Congress in Beijing, November 13-15.
(www.ipraworldcongress.org). The paper is available free for downloading from the IPRA site or directly from here.

The IABC informs graduates or doctoral students about a call for papers + grant

Subject:

How Top Business Communicators

Measure Return On Investment of Employee Communications

Invitation 16-10-2008
A 3C - Corporate Communications Community seminar 
Brussels Thursday 16 October 2008 10 to 14 hr
Corporate and Marketing Communications: love story or "mariage de raison" ?

Wikipedia: "Marketing communications are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing,  marketing, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales promotion and online marketing are termed marketing communicators or marketing communication managers."
With the participation of:
Walter Gelens (akkanto)
Jean-Benoît Schrans (Spadel)
Patrick De Pelsmacker (University of Antwerp)
Vera Janssens (Corporate and Marketing Communications Director Siemens nv and chairwoman 3C)

Jean-Benoît Schrans was Communication Manager with Merck, Procter & Gamble Belgium and Danone before joining the Spadel Group (Spa and Bru waters) in 2007 as Communication Directeur 
 
Walter Gelens is Partner and Senior Consultant with akkanto
Walter spent most of his career  with Unilever, where he came into management positions in marketing and operations, in Belgium the Netherlands and France. He became later Marketing Directorr with Belgacom.

Patrick De Pelsmacker teaches Marketing at the University of Antwerp and Ghent. He also is visiting professor at the Universities of Venice, Lugano, Moscow and Copenhagen.
Information: Daniel De Marto info@3C.be or phone +32 476 662 682

Information about the Corporate Communications Community or registration: http://www.3C.be

EU Parliament - Brussels, 7-8 Octobre 2008

As you may know on 10 December 2008 it will be the 60^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this occasion the European Parliament will be hosting a special Conference concerning Human Rights Defenders. The Conference organised jointly with the European Commission and the United Nations will be entitled :

«60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The defenders take the floor»

The Conference will be opened by Commissioner for External Relations and European neighbourhood policy, Mrs Benita Ferrero-Waldner at 10.00 am on 7 October and closed at midday on the 8 October by the President of the European Parliament, Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering. The closing session will also be addressed by the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Navi Pillay.

I’d like to invite you to take part in the 2008 Echo Sustainability Survey – a very brief on-line poll designed to gauge the climate of opinion among some top influencers, such as yourself.

The Survey should take no more than five minutes of your time. The findings will be announced at the 2008 Echo Summit on 8th October  and subsequently via our website. All your responses will remain strictly confidential.

As a ‘thank you’ for your participation, we will donate £1 for every completed survey to WaterAid, an international charity enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.

To complete the survey, please click here.

I hope you’ll take just a few minutes to share your views on this most topical and challenging business issue.

Finally, places are still available at the Echo Summit. Please click here for details: http://www.echoresearch.com/en/summit2008/

Lobbying in the EU: How to represent and defend your interests
in Brussels

Dates: 3rd & 4th November

How can you best represent and defend your organisational interests in Brussels? What does EU legislation and the associated decision-making processes mean for your business? How can you work to ensure that your position as an important stakeholder is properly represented in Brussels,
regardless of size?

Lobbying in the EU: How to represent and defend your interests in Brussels™ is a one and a 1/2 day workshop that will answer these questions and more, providing a practical and theoretical insight into the EU institutions through the use of lobbying methodologies, case studies, practical insider’s advice, details on the key-players and networks and ultimately, how you can best protect and advocate your position at EU-level.

See http://www.lobbying-eu.com for the full agenda and further information.

Building Relationships in the Era of Globalization

November 13-15, 2008 - Beijing, China

The IPRA Public Relations World Congress is the "must-attend" event in international public relations in 2008!

Meet leaders in our profession in China and from 50 other countries. Acquire fresh perspectives, new professional skills and solutions that enable you to adapt and thrive in a world transformed by technology, a global economy and society's new expectations.

For more information, visit www.ipraworldcongress.org

International conference PACA in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 2009

For more information, please visit the PACA2009 website

The European Communication Monitor, an Euprera research project run by
academics from ten universities throughout Europe, has established itself as
the leading transnational survey on public relations in Europe. The study
has been conducted for the second time in June 2008. More than 1,500
professionals from 37 countries participated. First results are due to be
shown at the Euprera Milano congress in October and the final report will be
published in November. More infos: www.communicationmonitor.eu

Jyväskylä, Finland, 16.02.2008.

EUPRERA Member Chiara Valentini presented the result of her comparative study on “Promoting the European Union- Comparative analysis of EU communication strategies in Finland and in Italy”. Supervisors of the study were Emeritus professor Jaakko Lehtonen and professor Marita Vos of the Department of Communication. Opponent was professor Frank Thevissen of the Free University of Brussels (Belgium).

The aim of this study was to analyse how the European Union communicated with its different publics in two EU member states during the period 2001 – 2006.  Specifically, the European Commission and its national representations and local offices in Finland and in Italy were studied in order to verify the possible impacts of EU communication activities on citizens’ involvement in EU matters and support for the EU project.

The results of this investigation show a similar trend in Finland and in Italy for EU communication strategies during the period 2001 and 2006. The two countries, which differ for their historical relations with the EU, for their geographical position, culture and economy, applied similar communication strategies for developing specific EU activities and communication actions at the national level, Chiara Valentini said.

Valentini discovered that the claims of decentralisation of tasks and functions made in EU policies on information and communication of the period 2001- 2006 were not completely realised in terms of local involvement in communication decisions. The effects of these policies on improving citizens’ EU perceptions and on building a positive EU image and trust were pretty low, and national journalists’ opinions on EU interest in establishing mutual and beneficial media relations scored very poor in both countries.

Valentini’s findings also show that no significant differences were visible between the communication strategies implemented in Finland with those implemented in Italy, whereas the responses of Finnish and Italian publics to the activities and actions developed in their respective countries were substantially diverse. Public opinion in Italy was more favourable to EU actions than public opinion in Finland.

Congratulations to Dr Helena Kantenen for successfully completing and defending her doctoral thesis on December 15, 2007! Helena’s thesis was on stakeholder dialogue and regional engagement within the context of higher education. Helena was examined by Professor Betteke van Ruler.

You can download Helena’s abstract by going to:
http://julkaisut.jyu.fi/index.php?page=product=eng

New EUPRERA Member Olga Karbasova graduated in Foreign Languages at the Samara State Teachers’ Training University (2003). Olga previously taught English at the Samara State Technical University and is now working on her PhD thesis “Communication Management of the Foreign Policy of France in the late XXth century.”

Olga has participated in a number of international scientific conferences including “The XXth century and the present: challenges of democracy and the freedom of choice” (Moscow City Pedagogical University, 11 December 2006) and the “Cultural Diversities and Communication amongst Cultures”, Sofia, 18th and 19th of May, 2007.

Olga's most recent publications include:

Communication management of the foreign policy of France in EU./ The XXth century and the present: challenges of democracy and the freedom of choice. Under the editorship of E.I. Khavanov, E.N.Pashentsev. Moscow, MCPU, 2007.

Communication management of the foreign policy of France in EU./ Communication management in world politics and business. Under the editorship of E.N.Pashentsev. Moscow, “Slovo Fund” Publishers, 2007, vol. I, p.p. 244-256.

On Tuesday, 27th May, the Corporate Communications Community (3C) and the Belgian Public Relations Consultants Association (BPRCA) jointly hosted the first “IBIS Communication Awards” ceremony and presented the “IBIS Young Communicator” nominations. The awards were designed to reward excellence in the various fields of corporate and brand communications.

The IBIS Communication Awards recognize and reward projects and programmes that have demonstrated genuine added value to the relations of business and organisations with specific target audiences.

Please find all details: www.ibisawards.be

Report on PR in Sweden in 2007

European Communication Monitor explores future trends in public relations
and communication management

International research project conducted by ten universities / Online survey until June 30th

May 30th, 2008 - Today, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), a network of leading scholars from more than thirty countries, announced the start of the most ambitious survey in the field of communication management and public relations. The  European Communication Monitor 2008" addresses PR professionals in organisations and consultancies throughout Europe. The online survey at www.communicationmonitor.eu runs until the end of June. It will take about ten minutes to answer the online questions. All participants will receive a full report of the results and be included in a draw for three Apple iPod Shuffle music players. The project serves solely academic purposes; privacy is fully respected.

The public opinion market in Europe is converging and so are the public spheres where information is shared and reputation is built. Lead researcher Ansgar Zerfass, professor at the University of Leipzig, remarked, "Public relations are facing new challenges. Our survey tries to identify strategies and approaches that are relevant for future business." The survey will be conducted for the second time. It attracted more than 1.100 participants last year and showed up a number of valuable results. This year's topics include strategic issues, upcoming communication channels, new media, corporate social responsibility, evaluation, agency relationships etc.

European Communication Monitor 2008 at a glance:
- online questionnaire: www.communicationmonitor.eu
- survey period: May 30 until June 30, 2008 (4 weeks)
- target group: public relations professionals and communication managers in corporations and institutions; professionals in communication consultancies
- research conducted and advised by professors from: University of Leipzig (GE); Leeds Metropolitan University (UK); University of Amsterdam (NL); University of Ljubljana (SI); University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid (ES); IULM University, Milano (IT); University of Bordeaux 3 (FR); Mälardalen University (SE); University of Oslo (NO); Poznan University of Economics (PL)
- supported by: Communication Director - Magazine for Corporate Communications and Public Relations
- supported by: Cision - a leading global provider of media monitoring, distribution and evaluation services
- contact: mailto:info@communicationmonitor.eu

If you are interested in buying one please mail to: eupreralisbon05@escs.ipl.pt

Don't forget to mention:

- Your name

- Your complete address

- A copy of the Payment

PRICES: 20 Euros (Europe) / 30 Euros (rest of the world).

PAYMENT is only possible by transfer to the following bank account:

Account holder:

Centro Projectos de Investigação da Escola Superior de Comunicação Social - CPIESCS 
Account:

000316137994020
IBAN:

PT50001800031613799402037 
BIC or SWIFT CODE:

TOTAPTPL
Address:

Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Campus de Benfica do IPL, 1549 014 – LISBOA PORTUGAL.

Transfer from an International Bank Account: please ensure your payment is in Euros and ALL transfer charges are supported by you

Join us in Milan (16-18 October) on the occasion of our annual Congress.

www.euprera2008.com

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you that  registration for the Euprera 2008 Congress is now open. You will find the registration form and details about the congress on the website www.euprera2008.com

Have a look at the interactive area where everybody's comments are welcome in the forum. You can also  see interviews with PR academics and practitioners.

We look forward to meeting you in the website community and at the congress, from October 16^th to October 18^th.

Kind regards,

Emanuele Invernizzi, IULM University

Toni Muzi Falconi, Ferpi

Meet your peers at the summit . . . IAOC International Conference 2008

The Online Communicators Summit Conference

June 12-13, Reykjavik, Iceland

Join us in Reykjavik, Iceland for the third annual conference of the International Association of Online Communicators (IAOC). Meet with your colleagues from Europe and the Americas at the conference where academics, practitioners and technology leaders present their latest findings and insights into online communication. The conference will comprise roundtable paper presentations, a keynote luncheon speaker and a panel discussion.

Paper Presentations

Peer-reviewed papers will be presented in roundtable fashion on Thursday and Friday. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear and interact with each presenter.

Papers and supporting materials will be available on IAOC’s website following the US and European conferences, and a selection of the best papers from both conferences will be published in a journal.

Topics include:

·  “Radio 2.0 and research methodologies for web 2.0”

·   “The CEO as Celebrity and Blogger: Is there a Ghost- writer in the Machine?”

·  “Loud Voices, Silenced Voices; The Ethics of Online Content in Media Coverage of High Profile Child Death and Child Disappearance cases”

·  “Let’s Get Together:  Options for Integrating Web 2.0 Collaborative Tools into the Workplace”

·  “Issues of Organizational Commitment in the Era of the Virtual Office”

Agenda

Thursday, June 12

2:30-3:45 Roundtable Paper Presentations

4:00-5:15 Roundtable Paper Presentations

5:30-6:30 Reception. Blackline Social Media Consulting will host a complimentary reception following the round- table sessions.

Friday, June 13

8:00-9:00 Breakfast

9:15-10:30 Roundtable Paper Presentations

10:45-11:45 Panel Presentation

12:00-1:30 Lunch and Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Don’t miss the luncheon presentation by Peter A. Gloor on swarm creativity, collaborative innovation networks, and coolhunting. Gloor is a Research Scientist at the Center for Collective Intelligence, part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. He was Mercator Visiting Professor at the University of Cologne, and is a lecturer at Helsinki University of Technology. 

Panel Discussion

Philippe Borremans and Dee Rambeau will moderate a European/American panel discussion on International Online Communications using RSS and other social media tools. The discussion will include:

How to manage online collaboration on a global scale. Examples of organizations that are bridging oceans with social media. Effective multi-language website tactics

Low-cost opt-in content delivery across time zones using RSS

Low-cost content distribution using RSS Internal crisis communications across times zones.

Conference Location

Hotel Holt - Reykjavik, Iceland

IAOC has a block of rooms at Hotel Holt, Bergstadastraeti 37, Reykjavík, Iceland (www.holt.is). Book your travel through LT Travel (air and hotel) with a $40 down payment (Iceland Air, payment due 45 days prior to travel).

Email Lina@LTTravel.com

Register Online Now

Registration is $199 for members, $299 for non-members.

For more information and online registration visit: http://iaoc2008.eventbrite.com/

I am considering undertaking a similar project to that outlined in the research paper to be found here:

http://www.pucrs.br/famecos/pos/revfamecos/28/melvinsharpe.pdf

It would involve a group of undergraduate students from my institution (University College Falmouth, Cornwall, UK) working with a similar group from a different part of the world on a PR campaign project.

To summarise, the project works with both groups 'reciprocally' researching a client (possibly a not-for-profit organisation) and the media/PR environment in each other's country. The client should be the same or similar, but there should be differences in the media/PR environment. Ideally, the greater geographical/cultural difference between the two countries, the better.

The aim is for each group of students to create a PR campaign of relevance to a target public in their counterparts' country. By doing this, the students not only have to research and develop a campaign outside of their home country, but also benefit from coaching/counselling each other on specific issues relevant to their country's media/PR environment.

Obviously any partnership would depend upon many factors, but I would be keen to hear from any interested institutions as soon as possible.

Many thanks,

Jon Cope

Course Leader - BA (Hons) Public Relations

University College Falmouth

Cornwall - UK

tel: +44 (0) 1326 253753

Dear public relations teacher,

My name is Elina Erzikova. I am a doctoral candidate in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.

These days, I am working on my dissertation, Teaching Ethics to PR Majors. The purpose of this study is to examine the present state of teaching ethics in university public relations departments throughout the world. Your opinion is valuable to me and will help me better understand teaching perspective of those who educate future professionals. Your responses will be completely confidential and your participation is strictly voluntarily. The survey will take 15-20 minutes for you to complete.

To access the survey, please visit the following website:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227NXUX7X5K

When you click on the above link, you will automatically be logged into the survey.
Thank you,

Elina Erzikova      

Guenter Bentele 60 years - Birthday symposium  

High-level public relations professionals and colleagues from all over Europe met at the famous Gewandhaus in Leipzig on April 11th to celebrate the 60th birthday of Guenter Bentele, former EUPRERA president and one of the leading minds of our community worldwide. At the symposium the question of trust and public relations was discussed from a variety of perspectives.

Thomas Steg, speaker of the German government, shared his experiences with Felix Gress, Vice President Communications BASF Group, Betteke van Ruler, University of Amsterdam, and representatives from top management and journalism.

Bentele, whose curriculum vita and impressive list of publications is presented in the appendix, has published almost 40 books and more than 180 articles or book chapters. In his laudatio, Otfried Jarren from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) pointed out that he holds the first chair in public relations at a German University and has since made Leipzig to a place renowned for it contributed to public relations research and education worldwide. Bentele has served as president of the German Association of Communication Science (DGPuK) and as visiting professor at many universities both in Europe and overseas. In Germany, he has been awarded the titles “Professor the year” recognizing his contributions to public relations education, and “Public Relations head of the year” in honour of his efforts to bridge the chasm between theory and practice.

As a big surprise, colleagues from all over the world have contributed to Festschrift "Public Relations Research" which was presented at the symposium. After the offical part, a party until long after midnight was staged at the legendary Moritzbastei. Guenter Bentele himself joined the band "Tajo and band" for one of his legendary gigs.

Thanks a lot to everyone who was there, and also to those who couldn’t come but sent greetings and to the sponsors who made this remarkable event possible.

Toni Muzi Falconi Elected to Chair Commission on Global Public Relations Research

Toni Muzi Falconi, adjunct professor at New York University and LUMSA University in Rome, has been elected chair of the Commission on Global Public Relations Research. The group, operating within the Institute for Public Relations, seeks to create, encourage and disseminate new research on the practice of public relations across regions, countries and cultures.

All works of the Commission are available free on the Institute’s website, www.instituteforpr.org. In its first three years, the commission has produced research on the worldwide economic impact of public relations, bribery for news coverage, and the total body of academic and trade articles on international public relations from 1990 to 2005.

The Commission also was instrumental in creating a new Institute special award for the best new research on the personal influence model and its relationship to the institutionalization of public relations and communication management. The prize will be awarded at the 2008 EUPRERA (European Public Relations Education and Research Association) World Congress in Milano, Italy from October 16-18, 2008, organized by FERPI (Italian Federation of Public Relations) and IULM University.

“There is definitely a science beneath the art of public relations, and this is true whether the focus is national, international or global,” said Muzi Falconi. “The Institute for Public Relations has emerged as the leading global independent foundation supporting research-based knowledge in our field, and I am privileged and honored to have this opportunity to contribute.”

Contact:

Frank Ovaitt, +1 703-568-5611, iprceo@jou.ufl.edu

Toni Muzi Falconi, +39 335 6100384, tonimuzi@methodos.com

Lund University in Sweden, ranked as one of the top 100 universities internationally, launched a new department the 1st of January 2008 - Department of Communication Studies (www.iks.lu.se - so far mainly in Swedish). The department is focusing education and research in strategic communication, public relations, organizational communication and market communications. The department also offers courses and does research into other communication areas (e.g. cognition, language). The approach is multi-disciplinary and mainly applied. The department offers undergraduate programs and courses, a master programme in Communication Management (possibly in English from 2009) and will start an international 1-year master program in Science Communication in 2009. Jesper Falkheimer is appointed as Head of Department - please contact him (jesper.falkheimer@iks.lu.se) if you have questions or would like more information.

Institutionalizing Public Relations and Corporate Communication in cooperation with FERPI and IULM University
October 16-18, 2008

The Euprera Annual Congress will take place in Milan, Italy, from October 16th to 18th and will focus on The institutionalization of public relations and corporate communication. As of January 31st, 126 abstracts were received from the following countries: Italy (21), Germany (13), Russia (10), USA (10), Spain (9), Sweden (6), Switzerland (6), Denmark (5), South Africa (5), United Kingdom (5); the remaining 36 proposals from 23 other countries.

Academics, researchers and practitioners who will take part in the EuroBlog 2008 Symposium will receive further information regarding the website that is going to promote the Milan Congress.

Besides the three main partners Enel, Monte dei Paschi di Siena and Telecom Italia, the 2008 Congress will be supported by two media partners: Business Press and Weber Shandwick.

Registration will be open as of June 2008. Come and participate in Euprera 2008 Congress!

For more information please email: euprera2008@iulm.it

The English language version of the "value creation through communication" portal communicationcontrolling.de has now gone live, following the German launch of the website run by the University of Leipzig and the DPRG "Value Creation" taskforce last August. Since then, the website has been visited by almost 10,000 users from Germany and other countries.

How does corporate communication help to add value? The user statistics on the communicationcontrolling.de website show it's an issue of interest to industry everywhere, not just in Germany. Users spent an average of almost five minutes browsing the total content. The most frequently accessed items were the DPRG abstracts on key performance indicators of communication and the case study pages. Though most viewers to date are from Germany, the figure for viewers from other countries is already as high as 13 percent.

The portal is a joint project of the University of Leipzig and the "Value Creation through Communication" task force of the German Public Relations Society (DPRG). It offers a broad knowledge platform on issues such as communication control, evaluation and value creation:

• News. The latest on communication controlling and upcoming events.
• Key performance indicators and value links. DPRG "Value Creation through Communication" task force abstracts on communication indicators.
• Knowledge. Background information and definition of communication controlling; typical indicators for individual areas of corporate communication; reference models for putting theory into practice.
• Methods. Definition of methods and processes; main applications; implementation requirements/pros and cons; cost framework; relevant service providers.
• Resources. Case studies and further materials, presentations and articles; literature; links to relevant blogs, forums, information services, standards and international websites.

Encouraging international interaction

The entire content has now been translated into English. "We have developed innovative approaches on value drivers, value links and KPIs in the abstracts. The Balanced Scorecard is increasingly being used in Germany" says Jörg Pfannenberg, head of the "Value Creation" task force. "The time has now come to exchange views on an international scale and discuss our new approach with colleagues in other countries."

The task force plans further activities in a bid to promote cross-border exchange on the issue of communication control and evaluation. The German papers on value drivers, value links and KPIs are to be presented at the Global PR Festival in London in June. In September, Jörg Pfannenberg gives a presentation at the invitation of the Brazilian Corporate Communications Association. Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfaß, University of Leipzig, and his team will be working on various studies on topical issues concerning value addition and evaluation over the coming months.

About the initiators

University of Leipzig, voted the top address for media studies in the Handelsblatt Career Ranking 2006, is Germany's leading research location and think tank for communication management and public relations.
Milestones en route: Set up in 1409, Leipzig is Germany's second oldest university. 1916 saw the birth of communication studies in Europe at Leipzig with the setting up of the department of newspaper research by Karl Bücher. In 1993/94, Leipzig was the first German university to create a Chair in Public Relations (Prof. Dr. Günter Bentele), followed in 2006 by a Full Professorship in Communication Management (Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfaß). 2007 saw the launch of the first master's degree program in Communication Management in Germany. Main current research areas: strategy and value creation, trust, corporate social responsibility, innovation and technology communication, social web and investigative consumers, brand communication.

With more than 2500 members from all areas of industry, the German Public Relations Society (Deutsche Public Relations Gesellschaft e. V.; DPRG), Berlin, is the professional association of communication managers and PR experts in Germany. The DPRG represents its members' professional interests, commits its members to compliance with good professional practice, supports the training of qualified young talent, and promotes the image of PR among the public. DPRG members are professional communicators, heads of communication, members of PR departments, and press liaison officers in industry, government offices, institutions, church organizations and agencies, trainees and students.

Contact

German Public Relations Society (Deutsche Public Relations Gesellschaft e. V.) / Task Force „Value Creation through Communication“
Jörg Pfannenberg
JP|KOM GmbH
Grafenberger Allee 115
D-40237 Düsseldorf
Tel.: + 49 211-68 78 35-12
Fax: + 49 211-68 78 35-50
E-Mail: joerg.pfannenberg@jp-kom.de

University of Leipzig
Departement of Communication Management and Public Relations
Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfaß, Dr. Mark-Steffen Buchele
Burgstr. 21
D-04109 Leipzig
Tel.: +49 341-97350-40
Fax: +49 341-97350-49
Email: zerfass@uni-leipzig.de; msbuchele@uni-leipzig.de

More information and press photos on the Internet:
www.dprg.de
www.communicationmanagement.de
www.communicationcontrolling.net

25-29th February 2008

This is the year of the 44th anniversary of INP – Institute for New Professions, Lisbon’s founding school for Public Relations in Portugal, a great opportunity to join all INP community on the INP Congress on the theme “Knowledge for New Challenges”.

This Congress took place on the last week of February at the Campus of Ameixoeira. The board of speakers was composed by some of the INP alumni who are developing careers at a publicly recognised senior level in the fields of Public Relations, Advertising, Business and Tourism. The key speakers include Américo Silva (Global Marketing Communication Manager at Shell Brands International) and José Alberto Antunes (Iberian Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola Company).

The congress wound up with presentations by António Capucho (who previously was a member of the Portuguese Parliament and a member of the EU Parliament and is now the Mayor of Cascais) who spoke about today’s challenges facing cities and with Henrique Paulo Fernandes who presented a reflective paper about the main theme of the congress - Knowledge for New Challenges.

Organised by INP, the I.N.P. Alumni Association and the I.N.P. Students Association, the congress will be focused on themes like Brands and Global Communications, The New Fields of Advertising, Tourism and M.I.C.E. – Meeting Incentives Conferences and Exhibition, The New Challenges for Public Relations, Cities and New Markets. On this different themes João Carlos Silva, COO at Y&R Brands Portugal, Alberto Marques, Product Development Manager at ITP – Portuguese Tourism Institute, Conceição Zagalo, Communication Manager at IBM Portugal and others will discuss about what to know in a changing world.

For more information please visit: http://www.euprera.org/cms/details/?a=366&z=133

Dear Member

I am feeling very privileged to be starting my term of office as president at an exciting time for Euprera. We are growing strongly all over the world and there is a good feeling of momentum coming from many members, to build on our unique status as an organisation for innovation that stems directly from European traditions for research, analysis and reflection. We are the only international organisation working to inspire and disseminate positive developments in PR education, research and practice and as we move forward members will work together on ideas to find even more dynamic projects for the future.

This year the board will be presenting proposals to make the organisation entirely transparent and the structures much more open and fluid so that the energy of the members can have direct impacts.

The news is not all positive though as these developments have been inspired by necessity. When our secretary general, Anne Marie Cotton, announced that she would have to be leaving her role at the end of 2009 we began to realise how much we have depended upon her, not only to keep Euprera alive but also to be a driving force in its continued growth and development. We have to change because we cannot depend upon finding anyone else with her high level of commitment to the job. So we must change well!

Looking forward to everything that Euprera is going to do,

Sue Wolstenholme
President