By: Jean Valin APR, Fellow CPRS, Hon. Fellow CIPR, Founding member and past chair of the Global Alliance

At the core of the Global Alliance (GA) mandate is the raising of global standards for the profession. That is why the GA partnered in 2010 with the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) to map out the road towards a global framework in education. See http://www.commpred.org/firstlook/. Since then we have continued our partnership with the CPRE and are now set to launch new a new education framework which was last published in 2006. A lot has changed since 2006 and so will this new set of recommendations for education in public relations.

The report will be launched during the International conference of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)- a founding organization of the GA and strong contributor to CPRE. The CPRE is made up of 15 global, international and North American organizations. For the first time the report will have a distinctive global flavor and will reflect input from several countries throughout the world.

I have been a member of the CPRE for over ten years representing at one time the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) or, as is the case currently, the GA alongside GA Chair Gregor Halff. I have seen the interest in the work of the CPRE grow with every new set of recommendations. The goal is to provide state-of-the-art guidance and recommendations for educational programs in public relations.

Every chapter has two or three practitioners and academics leading the charge and holding the pen. An editorial board reviews and provides direction. Our work is guided by an omnibus survey which was recently conducted as well as the result of an Industry and academic summit which provided valuable insights on the current needs of hiring managers.

Here is a snapshot of the chapters that will be in the 2017 report: Introduction, research, ethics, diversity, global Implications, outcomes, undergraduate education, internships, online education, governance and academic support, faculty credentials, professional certification and accreditation, technology, theory an conclusion.

The work GA continues to do on the Global Capabilities Framework and the completed Global Body of Knowledge project (see http://www.globalalliancepr.org/capabilitiesframeworks/ ) underpins several areas covered by the chapters of this upcoming report. If you are not already involved or aware of this exciting industry-leading project, please have look and let us know what you think. We are aiming for completion by April 2018 at the World public Relations Forum that will take place in Oslo, Norway.

If your association provides guidance or recognizes educational programs, mark your calendars for early October 2017 and watch for the publication of this new framework for public relations education.

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