14th Intl. Public Relations Symposium kicks off in Tehran

TEHRAN, Oct. 22 (MNA) – The 14th International Public Relations Symposium has kicked off on Mon., gathering hundreds of public relations aficionados and executives from Iran and overseas in the Iranian capital Tehran. The symposium was inaugurated on Monday morning at National Library of Iran with a speech by a Dr. Jack Lean Purcell, a member of board of directors of Ireland’s International Public Relations Association. Other speakers included Iran’s First Deputy Parliament Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian, and the symposium’s secretary general Houshmand Sefidi. The symposium has brought together public relations experts, scholars, executives and students in a bid to enhance the scientific and practical savvy of the "8th art" and obtain a real understanding of national and international developments with the aim of promoting public relations in state and private organizations. The event seeks to offer its participants an opportunity to exchange their thoughts and generate ideas with hundreds of PR scholars, according to its website. Speaking at the event, the symposium's secretary general called for collective efforts to protect the psychological security of societies against ill intentions promoted by certain individuals such as the US President Donald Trump. He stressed the role of timely spread of information and promotion of public awareness about the current problems and realities, as well as engaging experts in processes of solving these issues. The 14th Intl. Public Relations Symposium is being held under the theme of “Global Public Relations, Virtual World,” with the participation of Prof. Jim McNamara, a prominent professor of mass communication at the University of Sydney, Dr. Jack Lean Purcell, and Dr. Scott Gould from UK, along with seven other prominent Iranian professors.