As Southeast Asia’s communication industries evolve with rapid technological change, Public Relations (PR) education must adapt to prepare graduates for a digitizing landscape. PR education shapes professionals to navigate media and drive engagement. In Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, demand for skilled PR practitioners is rising. This paper examines how PR education enhances employability, highlighting Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Vietnam’s innovative program with industry-aligned content and experiential learning.

Qualitative methods, including about 25 semi-structured interviews with students, alumni, and lecturers, integrate 2024–2025 feedback from industry professionals at the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) to assess the feasibility of incorporating this feedback into the curriculum. The paper also conducts a comparative analysis of PR courses offered at Vietnamese institutions such as VIN University, Elite PR School, and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, emphasizing the need for culturally responsive PR education within Viet Nam’s unique media and socio political context.

Preliminary findings reveal that RMIT Vietnam’s systematic integration of digital analytics, crisis simulation, and compulsory client-based projects—coupled with annual curriculum updates driven by IAC input—is perceived by stakeholders as the key driver of graduate employability rates above 95 % within six months and high industry satisfaction, in contrast to more traditional and less digitally oriented programs at comparator institutions. Vietnam’s media ecosystem and socio-political nuances highlight the need for culturally responsive PR education

This paper argues that RMIT’s employability‑oriented curriculum can model meaningful communication careers for future PR aspirants.

Authors:
Ananya Mehta, RMIT University Hanoi Campus, Vietnam
Linda Nguyen, RMIT University Hanoi Campus, Vietnam

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Linda Nguyen is currently Associate Lecturer of Professional Communication Program, School of Communication & Design, RMIT International University Vietnam, Hanoi campus.

Connect on Linkedin
https://in.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-ananya-mehta-3a950a16

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