Knowledge gathered on public relations (PR) can be beneficial to any student preparing for the workplace. To commemorate the PR field, the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia Students Association (IPRMSA) of Taylor’s University organised a two-day PR Week at its Subang Jaya Lakeside Campus.
Through joint activities with the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia, IPRMSA hoped to be the platform to inculcate the image of professionalism and enhance student potential.
IPRMSA president Nicole Yong Cheng Ling, in her welcoming address, said public relations practitioners were the most crucial asset in any organisation.
“We are the bridge connecting the organisation with its stakeholders. As students in this field, we are going to be the voice and the image of the company that we represent.
“We finally have a platform where we can acquire knowledge through seminars and activities at this event. The PR week serves as a great avenue for us to practise like actual PR practitioners.
“Through this event, we can understand the significance of our duties and the consequences of the decisions we make,” said the third-year PR and Marketing student.
Launched by Media and Communication School head Dr Latiffah Pawanteh, the event hosted a career talk in PR and seminars on fine-dining etiquette and managing a crisis, and also an Integrated Marketing Communications competition.
Programme director and lecturer Marzura Abdul Malek said their main objective was to gather PR students from the degree and diploma programmes together.
The programme also wished to attract students from other faculties.
“We had sessions on fine dining etiquette and crisis management that would benefit all students in general,” said Marzura, who is also IPRMSA adviser.
IPRMSA secretary Manfus Chu Ee Juen hoped that the event would be held annually.
“I feel that it is a huge learning opportunity for us. Students can gain knowledge from people who have made a name for themselves in the PR industry.”
For second-year student and participant Valerie Yong Yuet Wen, the event was a very good initiative.
“The crisis management seminar by Professor Mohd Said Bani that I attended made me learn more in depth about the standard operating procedures of crisis management and the importance of crisis communication. Students should know about this as PR is not only about building image.”
Another student, Dejan Josimovic, 24, said: “The seminar was an easier way to recap what we have been learning for many months. It’s like a condensed version of our usual lectures, but with more real-life insights. I think for the second installment, the PR Week should be held for more than two days.”
The PR Week came to a close with the Integrated Marketing Communications Competition prize-giving ceremony. The competition saw students in groups of two or three creating a brochure to promote a certain product.
PR lecturer Dr Tan Poh Ling said through the competition, students could learn and have fun at the same time.
“Now they can learn that brochures are included in integrated marketing communications. As future PR practitioners, students need to be aware of the right way to design brochures and which information should be disseminated to the public or the market audience.
“For this competition, the judges came from different schools, namely business and advertising, to have better and more varied opinions and perspectives.”
But the two-day event did not come to fruition without challenges as it was hard to get the students’ attention, according to IPRMSA deputy president Angel Ang Yuet Wen.
“As the association is so brand new at Taylor’s, we found it challenging to make students realise how important this event is for their future career and their education,” said the diploma in Mass Communications student, who aspires to venture into broadcasting.
“PR skills are very important as they teach us how to present ourselves and our clients in the best possible way. During unexpected situations and in times of need and chaos, these skills would come in handy not only for PR students, but also students from every background,” added Manfus.