The Communication Sector and Academia Came Together at Istanbul Aydın University for the Workshop on the Role and Function of Public Relations in Disaster Management
The Department of Public Relations and Promotion of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Aydın University, in cooperation with the Turkish Public Relations Association (TÜHİD) and the Istanbul Aydın University Disaster Education, Practice and Research Center (AFAM), organized a workshop titled “The Role and Function of Public Relations in Disaster Management,” which was held on Friday, June 9, 2023, at Istanbul Aydın University Halit Aydın Campus. During the workshop, topics such as the role of public relations in disaster management, the competencies that public relations students should acquire in this field, the rules and standards of professional organizations regarding public relations practices, the responsibilities of public relations professionals, and the criteria that institutions must meet were discussed.
The workshop, which consisted of five sessions and lasted all day, brought together leading academics in the field of public relations, distinguished figures from the sector, and representatives of professional organizations, who contributed their insights. The first session, titled “In Which Areas of Disaster Management Can Public Relations Practices Be Used?”, was moderated by Brand Consultant Bülent Fidan. The moderator of the second session, titled “How Should Disaster Management Be Included in Public Relations Education?”, was Prof. Dr. Ebru Özgen, a faculty member of the Faculty of Communication at Marmara University. Prof. Dr. Haluk Gürgen and Prof. Dr. İdil Karademirlidağ Suher from the Faculty of Communication at Bahçeşehir University moderated the third and fourth sessions, titled “What Should Be the Practice-Oriented Rules and Standards of Professional Organizations?” and “What Are the Responsibilities of Public Relations Professionals?”, respectively. The final session, titled “What Should Institutions/Organizations Do to Effectively Benefit from Public Relations Professionals in Disaster Management?”, was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Akbulut, Head of the Department of Public Relations and Promotion at the Faculty of Communication of Istanbul Aydın University. The report to be prepared as a result of the workshop will be shared with the public in the coming days.
