The University of Stirling’s Professor Matthew Hibberd – from the Division of Communications, Media and Culture – won the title of Best Business Communicator of the Year (International) at the recent 2014 Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) Awards in Mumbai.
The University also celebrated with colleagues from Vietnam National University’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) - in sharing the Award for Best International Communication School. The shared prize was in recognition of the MSc in Media and Communications Management course which the two partner institutions deliver in Ho Chi Minh City.
The course aims to provide in-country education to senior Vietnamese managers and communication professionals, as Vietnam grapples with the twin challenges of globalisation and expanding media industries following decades of conflict and economic stagnation.
Commenting on the success, Professor Hibberd said: "I am delighted the PRCI has recognised the international work of Vietnamese and British colleagues in providing Vietnam with its first major postgraduate programme in media and communication management.
“India's own media industry is expected to double in size in the decade ahead so it is especially gratifying to receive this recognition for the work we are doing with our Vietnamese partners.”
He added: “Our aim in opening the course in Vietnam was to help promote media and communication industries at a time of unprecedented change with the country emerging from years of conflict and poverty to become a fully-fledged member of the international community."
Stirling’s Vietnam-based media and communication postgraduate courses have been running in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City since 2008 and have been the past recipients of a UK PMI2 award (Prime Minister's Initiative 2 Award) as well as funds from the World Bank.
Mr Bang Anh Tuan, Director of the Centre for International Education (CIE), USSH, said: "We have worked effectively in recent years with international partners in developing international collaborative programs to meet the great demand for high quality education in Vietnam. One of the most effective programs is the MSc in Media and Communication Management working with the University of Stirling, Scotland, UK."
Professor Hibberd collected the two awards at the formal PRCI Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Friday 14 February. He has also been invited by leading Indian business communicator, Shri Yogesh Joshi, to deliver a talk about climate change at the Davos World Communication Forum in Switzerland in March.
Background Information
- The Division of Communications, Media and Culture at Stirling is Stirling is ranked in the top 150 universities worldwide for Communication and Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings for 2013/2014
- It is also ranked first in Scotland for communication and media (Complete University Guide 2014; first in Scotland for Media Studies, Communications and Librarianship (Guardian University Guide); and first in Scotland in communication, cultural and media studies as rated by the most recent UK Research Assessment Exercise (70% of our research in highest categories ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’)
- http://www.fmj.stir.ac.uk/