Public relations experts with great impatience confirmed new president of HUOJ (Croatian Public Relations Association) – Ms. Ana Tkalac Verčič. She is professor at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, author of the first university book “Public Relations” and a person who greatly contributed to the development of public relations profession in Croatia.

Ms. Tkalac Verčič will have no easy task. The number of members of the association has been on a slight rise in recent years, but is negligible in relation to world standards. One of the biggest challenges is certainly disinterest of the students of communication sciences. Until now, the association has offered nothing to attract them and to become the creators of new positive trends that would raise the profession to a higher level.

We are witnessing the increasing number of faculties, offering education in the field of communication, but students do not have the space and chance to develop, socialize and connect with their colleagues. HUOJ should be a link between students and their future employers. They also should provide them with opportunities to acquire practical knowledge through workshops, volunteering and professional practice.

The bigger problem is that public relations as a profession has a problem with itself. We create  public opinion, and we are not really able to create an image for ourselves. There is also the third challenge, which is collectiveness. Only together we can make positive changes and only together we can be loud enough. Personal interests, mutual disputes and tensions need to be put on the side.

There is a future, but we need people to lead us, and I believe that Ms. Tkalac Verčič is the right person.

Together we stand, divided we fall.

Author : Luka Šipić