UJ & Razor PR partner to reshape communication skills

Razor PR and University of Johannesburg,  Department of Strategic Communication have cemented a first of its kind strategic partnership geared at delivering on the future skills needs of the whole communications category.

Razor PR, the globally award-winning public relations and reputation management agency of M&C Saatchi Group South Africa, and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have agreed to a multi-year partnership to address the future skills needed by strategic communications graduates entering the working world.

As part of this agreement, Razor will provide select graduate placement opportunities for top students in the Strategic Communication Honours programme. In addition, the agreement is geared toward helping enhance the University’s Applied Strategic Communication Honours Module.

“We all accept that we don’t yet know the jobs we will need to deliver on in the future. But we can’t wait to figure out what solutions we can co-create. We need to work together to reframe and refocus what the specific skill needs should be. At its heart, this is a partnership geared at closing the divide between the academic world and the working world as we get ready for this future,” said Dustin Chick, Partner & Managing Director at Razor PR.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with Razor PR. Working with our colleagues who are actively practicing in the world of communication means that we will help produce graduates who are fit for their future world of work when they leave university,” said UJ Associate Professor, Prof Rene Benecke.

The formalisation of this successful partnership was marked today with the signing of the agreement at the office of the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof Kammila Naidoo. The agreement signifies a shared commitment to elevating the academic standard of the University and enhancing the strategic communication module.

Under the terms of the MoU, both Razor and UJ will engage in academic cooperation and collaboration through internships, job shadowing, teaching and learning programmes, research and development initiatives, as well as student and lecturer programmes. This collaborative effort aims to make the module more practical and relevant to the dynamic PR/Marketing/Communication sector.

The agreement reflects a dedication to establishing the University of Johannesburg as a centre of excellence for Strategic Communication, particularly in Southern Africa. The partnership seeks to institutionalise deep collaboration, ensuring that it transcends individual interactions and becomes an integral part of the strategic and operational framework of the module.

Key strategic priorities outlined in this partnership include promoting the module to incorporate industry-focused insights and needs, fostering innovation and efficiency within the applied strategic communications programme, and providing additional resources to support the module’s objectives.

“We are thrilled to formalise our partnership with the University of Johannesburg. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to advancing the field of strategic communications and nurturing the next generation of industry leaders,” said Jacques Burger, Partner and Group CEO at the M&C Saatchi Group South Africa.

The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof Kammila Naidoo echoed this, saying, “This agreement represents a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance the academic offerings and industry relevance of our applied strategic communication module. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Razor.”