For the past decade, the EUPRERA PhD Seminar has thrived under the dedicated leadership of Professor Øyvind Ihlen. His commitment to supporting the development of young scholars has had a lasting impact on both the seminar and the field of public relations research. Through his guidance, many PhD students have gained valuable knowledge and skills to advance in their academic and professional careers. As we reflect on the past ten years and see a new leadership team taking over the PhD seminar, EUPRERA extends its deepest gratitude to Øyvind Ihlen for his unwavering service and remarkable contribution to the growth of future public relations scholars.

The EUPRERA PhD Seminar: A Journey of Growth and Marriage
by Øyvind Ihlen
University of Oslo, Norway 

A marriage among participants! While academic growth is often the primary goal of any seminar, the EUPRERA PhD Seminar has achieved an extraordinary outcome since its inception in 2007 – two participants got married and now have two children. Of course, not wanting to put pressure on future participants, it is safe to say that the seminar has provided an enriching experience, filling 153 seats over the years. A handful of people have also returned twice, which presumedly demonstrates the value and impact of participation in this annual event.

My involvement with the seminar spanned from 2015 to 2024, a period filled with diverse encounters ranging from staying in a youth hostel with six-bed dorm rooms in Amsterdam to holding sessions at a management center in the posh Henley-upon-Thames when the EUPRERA congress was hosted in London. Then again, participants in the early seminars mused about the glory days of sauna visits when Jyväskyla, Finland, was the host in 2010. Importantly, the presence of a free flow of coffee throughout the day is now set in stone for future local organisers. Sachertorte and Bratwurst are optional.

Inger Jensen from Roskilde University was the inaugural convenor of the EUPRERA PhD seminar, supported by various others over the years, including Sue Wolstenholm securing the link to practice. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside them, as well as remarkable colleagues such as Jens Seiffert-Brockmann (Vienna), Dejan Verčič (Slovenia), Sabine Einwiller (Vienna), Sarah Marschlich (Amsterdam), Winni Johannessen (Aarhus), Augustine Pang (Singapore Management University), Chiara Valentini (Jyväskylä), and Nora Denner (Mainz). Each of them came in with their particular expertise to share with the students and ensured that we as convenors could offer wide-ranging comments. Backstage the EUPRERA Directors of PR & Administration, first Virginia Villa and then Anca Anton, have expertly liaisoned with the local organisers and the EUPRERA Board of Directors.

The most rewarding aspect for me, however, has been the opportunity to engage with the brilliant and dedicated PhD students who attended over the years. Participants predominantly hailed from Europe, especially Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia, but the seminar also welcomed scholars from farther afield, including South Africa, Egypt, and the United States.

Guided by Inger Jensen’s vision, the seminar has been focused on creating an informal and supportive environment for the participants. Each paper has been devoted up to an hour of attention and extensive feedback. An innovative feature of the seminar has been the ‘box format,’ where, for about 30 minutes, the author of a paper sat with their back to the group and listened to an open discussion about their work. This method, often punctuated by good-natured quarreling among the convenors, proved to be both face-saving and remarkably effective, earning popularity among attendees.

The seminar’s diversity of participants fostered an environment rich in perspectives, methodologies, and research approaches. Though united by an overarching interest in strategic communication, there has never been a dominant theme among attendees, allowing for a vibrant exploration of various epistemologies and research paradigms. This diversity was captured when Jens Seiffert-Brockman initiated a survey of past attendees, which culminated in the paper ‘Between progress and struggle: Young PR scholars’ contribution to theory building and progress in public relations research,’ published in the Journal of Communication Management in 2022.

A key finding of this study was that many young scholars signaled their alignment with specific paradigms by citing emblematic authors, reflecting the evolving nature of academic discourse as scholars seek to carve out their niche. The most frequently adopted research methods included case studies, surveys, grounded theory, expert interviews, experiments, and qualitative content analysis. This methodological variety mirrors the broader debates within public relations and strategic communication research about the multi-paradigmatic nature of the field. While some scholars have decried the general lack of unity in the field, others have celebrated its multi-paradigmatic nature. The seminar has played a pivotal role in nurturing this plurality, fostering an environment where various concepts, theories, and methodologies could thrive. Although no marriages have occurred under my watch, I’ve cherished witnessing the bonds formed among PhD students during the seminar and their growth into accomplished academics in subsequent years.

As the seminar enters a new chapter, now led by Jens Seiffert-Brockman, Nora Denner, and Winni Johannesen, its continued emphasis on methodological diversity, open dialogue, and fostering academic relationships will undoubtedly ensure its lasting contribution to the field’s evolution.