Abstract:

This research, based on the activity of the Observatory of Professional Competences and Profiles in Communication of the Faculty of Communication Sciences at Nebrija University (Madrid, Spain), tries to analyze how University education is currently preparing future communication managers and professionals in the area of Corporate Communication within organizations. On the one hand, the exploratory study proposed is focused on the analysis of the current University offer in the field of Corporate Communications (both in Graduate and Post-graduate studies) in Spain and some Latin American countries (such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru). On the other hand, it means to assess the current state of education in this area. To this end, we propose to investigate the current offer in those degrees implemented during the 2014/15 academic year and those reported for 2015/16.

The expected results of this research are aimed to increase the awareness of University teachers, researchers, managers, and directors about the relevance of the Corporate Communication area, in order to recommend improvements for the training process in Spanish and Latin American Universities, and to offer the possibility to create an observatory of professional competences and profiles related to this specific area, gathering the current trends in communication and allowing businesses and Universities to participate in a common meeting point.

The ultimate goal of this project is the creation of an observatory hosting valuable information in order to assist training strategies at Universities and centres, or to answer to the current and potential demands of today's communicators, businesses and the society as a whole. The study will have practical implications in the design of educational strategies and training policies regarding the subject Corporate Communication, as it will clarify the situation and the map of University educational offer both in Spain and Latin America.

This research is supported by the Association of Communication Directors in Spain (DIRCOM), a group that brings together managers and communication professionals from different Spanish companies, institutions and consultants, led by a group of researchers from Nebrija University and the Forum Association for Knowledge and Communication Research.

Keywords:

Corporate communication, public relations, research, university, DIRCOM.