Despite the Pandemic, the 5th Edition of the PR & Media Days Mostariensis Conference is Opened

"All important names from the field of communications, management, marketing, media and other scientific disciplines participate in the work of the conference. We have gathered the best practitioners of our profession, who join modern ideas with the profession applied in practice. Of course, our students are the most valuable part of our conference", said the Rector of the University of Mostar, Prof Zoran Tomić, PhD, at the opening of the fifth edition of the international scientific-professional conference PR & Media Days Mostariensis. Regardless of the conditions in which the conference takes place, given the global COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that it is predominantly online, these participants are proof that everything is possible when you want it.

The organisers of the conference are Public Relations Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the University of Mostar and the Al Ghurair University of Dubai. Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Al Ghurair University, Prof Gerry Muuka, PhD, in his welcome address, stressed the importance of the established cooperation between the University of Mostar and Dubai and the continuous mutual empowerment in future projects.

Traditionally, the conference was officially opened by the Prime Minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva County, Prof Nevenko Herceg, PhD. "The results of the conference set new standards, and that serves all of us, as academic citizens, residents of this city, county, and even Herzegovina, to pride and honour. I encourage you to continue to open, I would say, new areas and specific knowledge, which you will continue to share with all of us in the future", said Prime Minister Herceg.

A novelty in the work of the conference is the guest of honor at the opening, and this year it was Prof Dejan Verčič, PhD, Head of Department of Communication and Head of Centre for Marketing and Public Relations, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana,. Verčič has published 15 books and is the winner of many awards and recognitions for public relations. "At the beginning of the 20th century, there were a lot of people in journalism, and only a few in public relations. By the 1950s, these numbers had leveled off, and after that they began to go the opposite way. Today in the US we have six PR professionals per one employed journalist and these trends will continue. We no longer see so clearly the boundaries between technology, media and communication in some new PR. This is a new singularity. We need to reeducate, upgrade and work with younger colleagues in new forms of communication ", said Prof Verčič talking about new trends in public relations.

The scientific journal South Eastern European Journal of Communication was also presented in the program. "In only four issues, 46 papers were published, for which at least 92 reviewers from all over Southeast Europe were engaged in," said Davorka Topić Stipić, PhD, executive editor of the journal.

Student section

Before the opening ceremony of the conference, a student section was held with the participation of students from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek; Media and Culture Society Department of the University of Dubrovnik; Edward Bernays College of Communication Management Zagreb and Public Relations Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mostar. The Conference Organising Committee awarded the best student work on topic "Infodemia - the Impact of Information on the Perception of the Corona Crisis"- the work of students from the University of Osijek. "For the third time, students from the University of Osijek are presenting at the conference. The topic we have presented is current and a new phenomenon, and it can raise awareness of the amount of information we are exposed to. In uncertain times, unverified information and fake news can be especially sensitive", said one of the award-winning students, Marija Gadžić. The Student Public Relations Association - PRUMO from the host Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar was also presented within the section.

Award Winners

The Organising Committee of the conference awarded Plaques for outstanding contribution to the development of public relations, integrated communication and media in Southeast Europe. This year's winners are Prof Dejan Verčič, PhD; Mimo Drašković, PhD; Prof Nino Ćorić, PhD; Prof Danijel Labaš, PhD; Gordana Lesinger, PhD; Dušan Stojaković, PhD; Siniša Kovačić, PhD; Danijel Koletić, Valentina Rupčić, Dragan Savić, Faruk Borić, Daliborka Predragović and Đorđe Obradovic, who delivered thank you speech on behalf of the winners. "It is a great honour to receive awards at PR & Media Days Mostariensis because it has become the largest public relations conference in Southeast Europe. Mostar succeeded in gathering scientists from Slovenia through the countries of Southeast Europe to Dubai, which is a very great success", Obradović concluded.

The conference continues tomorrow, 20 November, from 10.00 am, and you can follow the information on the web-sites sum.ba and prdays.sum.ba.