Etisalat, the leading telecom service provider in the UAE, hosted the inaugural edition of the Youth Café of Public Relations World Congress as part of the 20th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) in Dubai.

The PRWC, which kicked off today (March 13) in Dubai, is organised by the International Public Relations Association - Gulf Chapter.

Around 40 students from UAE universities, including UAE University, the Higher Colleges of Technologies, Canadian University in Dubai and American University of Sharjah and Dubai, participated in the Youth Café.

The theme for the Youth Café was “Youth and Public Relations - Depth of Influence and Change Creation.” The event included an eight-hour workshop covering a range of youth-focused issues including “Positive thinking and its role in change creation” and “The effect of New Media on news creation”.

The initiative is aimed at developing the Youth Café model as a forum to activate youth from leading schools and universities across the UAE on vital social, cultural and economic issues within the country and the region. Conclusions from the workshop will be used to develop youth-focused initiatives and recommendations for the Congress.

Etisalat is also sponsoring 100 UAE national students from various universities in the country to attend the Congress, which will present them with the latest insights and trends in corporate and public communications.

Ali Al Ahmed, chief corporate communications Officer of Etisalat, said: “As the socio-cultural and economic landscape of the country and indeed of the region undergoes rapid evolution, we believe it is our duty as a leading telecommunications corporation to enable and become part of the larger dialogue within the community.”

“Today, youth makes up the majority of our population in the UAE and it is critical to understand and address issues relating to this section of our community. As well, the current wave of change across the region and the world requires every business to engage with the community through communication initiatives, and Etisalat has been a leader in this area.

“I am confident that Etisalat’s initiative will boost Emirati students’ awareness on the public relations sector and the role that it can play in making positive changes within the society,” he added.

The Congress, which concludes on March 15, is taking place at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai.

The Congress brings together more than 35 prominent industry speakers from around the world to discuss and present the latest insights and trends in communications.

“Dialogue is the basis of peaceful coexistence and creates the common ground required to achieve economic and social wellbeing,” Al Ahmed noted.

“Students’ participation is particularly exciting as it provides them an opportunity to interact with world leaders in the sector and also provides the industry an opportunity to learn about the aspirations of youth. The public relations industry and its scope within organizations are growing and it is important to bring young nationals into the fold as they bring an exceptional understanding of local culture and needs,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service