1400 graduates enrich our economy with their professional communication know-how in a digital age. The 20th anniversary of the Communication Management Study Programs was celebrated by the “KOMM”-unity on November 7, 2019.
On Thursday, November 7, 2019, the 20th anniversary of the Communication Management Study Programs at FHWien der WKW was duly celebrated. Sieglinde Martin, Head of Department of Communication, welcomed the guests – graduates, lecturers and staff members.
Sieglinde Martin, who is celebrating her own 15th anniversary at FHWien der WKW this year, drew a balance of the success story of the Communication Management Study Programs, which are named “KOMM” (German appreviation for “Kommunikation”) within the community. In her speech, she pointed out the challenges of the digital era to communication management. In particular social media puts the concept of an integrated communication to the test. She therefore underlined that a sound academic education paired with high practical relevance is most important in order to survive in a constantly changing communication-centered world.
Beate Huber, FHWien der WKW’s Chair of the Academic Board, delivered the ceremonial speech. She emphasized in particular that the adaptability to the needs of the economy and the further development of the curricula with regard to the current topics of sustainability, digitization and internationalization is the recipe for the success of the Communication Management Study Programs as well as of FHWien der WKW as Austria’s leading University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication.
Sieglinde Martin then expressed her special thanks to the development team of the study programs. In 1999, the first team consisted of WU university professor Fritz Scheuch, university of applied sciences professor Bettina Gneisz-Al-Ani and university professor Roman Brandtweiner as well as Michael Himmer. Together they paved the way for the degree program “Kommunikationswirtschaft” (“Corporate Communication”) with their pioneering work. In addition, Sieglinde Martin thanked several long-standing lecturers of FHWien der WKW Karin Lehmann, Michael Fürnschuß, Andreas Jernej as well as university professor and communication studies Roland Burkart, a representative acknowledgement addressed to the entire teaching staff.
Success story 20 years of “KOMM”
The unique success story of the Communication Management Study Programs started in 1999 with the degree program “Kommunikationswirtschaft” (“Corporate Communication”), the first Austrian-wide academic education program that combined the disciplines of communication and PR, advertising, marketing and corporate identity, and thus for the first time included a holistic approach to corporate communication.
The PRVA-approved and IAA-certified degree programs Bachelor’s program in “Corporate Communication” and Master’s program in “Communication Management” are extremely popular due to their high practical relevance – not only among the students, but also especially among companies. Graduates, including well-known representatives from the business world, are ready for the job and can expect international careers. As communication professionals, they are in demand where a holistic, strategic view of corporate communication is required.
Photo credit: © Holly Kellner