The Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) has partnered this year with Qatar Shell for one of its integrated marketing communications courses, ‘Case Studies in Public Relations and Strategic Communications’.
“This exceptional partnership with Shell Qatar connects our students with some of the most talented communications professionals in the region,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO at NU-Q.
“Shell’s communications activities and efforts to foster corporate social responsibility are a model in the region.”
The course provides students with a better understanding of the structure of a communications operation, including areas such as internal communication, crisis management, media analytics, and corporate social responsibility. Professional communicators from Shell lectured a series of classes providing the students with a first-hand look at how integrated communications strategies work in the real world.
Rob Sherwin, general manager corporate affairs and deputy country chairman of Qatar Shell, said he and his colleagues were impressed by the level of interaction in the classes and the quality of the discussion. “It’s clear that Northwestern is developing graduates with skills and knowledge that will be immediately applicable in the world of corporate communications - whether in agency or in-house roles.”
The course is taught by Gregory Bergida, an adjunct assistant professor at Northwestern and director of student affairs. It covered internal communication, media relations, crisis management, and other topics.
NU-Q is expanding its faculty and offerings in strategic communication as a response to a need felt in a country where businesses and government ministries are seeking trained personnel in this field.