Workshop

Briefing for Directors of communications
Stakeholder Management – Successfully position your university in politics, economy and society
Bocconi University Rooms U02-U03 via Roberto Sarfatti, 25 - Milan (Italy)
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Universities are under pressure, both financially and politically. To establish a strong position, communications directors must implement smart, comprehensive stakeholder management to ensure all target groups are addressed. Politicians must recognise the value that higher education institutions bring to the economy and to society and acknowledge that they are worth funding. We must use targeted communication to demonstrate the benefits and impact of universities. This would benefit the economy, politics and society. To achieve this, we need to collaborate with partners from various groups, including alumni, employees, and, most importantly, elected representatives of the people, i.e. politicians. Everyone must be integrated into our network and receive the appropriate messages and information. During the workshop, we will receive input and discuss best practices.

As the leaders responsible for your university’s communication strategy, you play a vital role in shaping how your institution is perceived by society, politics, and the economy. In close collaboration with your Rector or President, you contribute directly to the strategic direction of your university and represent communication at the leadership table.

EUPRIO- Briefing for Directors of communications
Workshop programme

Day 1 Thursday 18 December

13.00 – 13.30             Arrival and registration of the participants
Location: Bocconi University, Milan

13.30 – 15.00              Welcome and introduction

Gian Casutt, Uwe Steger, EUPRIO: Short presentation and sharing inputs.

Case Switzerland: The Higher Education institutions work intensively together for a strong lobbying towards government and parliament. They have become one of the strongest lobbyists. Furthermore, they created a network of scientists advising the government in scientific policy advice and future crisis.

Discussion: exchange of examples in different countries.

15.00 – 15.30              Coffee Break

15.30 – 17.00             Speaker, Bocconi University
Discussion about Stakeholder Management 

17.00 – 18.00              Side Visit of the Bocconi University Sport Center https://www.bocconisport.eu/en/explore-facilities
A way to cooperate with stakeholders and offer possibilities for partners, alumni, students, collaborators etc. to strengthen the connection to the Bocconi university.

18.30 – 20.30              Group dinner in Milan (offered by Euprio)

 

Day 2 Friday 19 December

09.00-10.30                 Exchange on Science and Policy: Short presentations from members of the Directors Briefing. The cross understanding of science, society, and politics is becoming increasingly important. In many countries, universities and science at all are coming under pressure from politics either because of scientific content that is no longer politically accepted (e.g. USA) or because of a lack of public (or private) financial resources.

Not only in the USA, but also in Europe, attempts are being made more frequently and, above all, more obviously to diminish the freedom of science and research. The focus is shifting, purely national interests are becoming more important and defense spending is increasing at the expense of education and research, among other things in times of war and tough political disputes. Our universities must understand how to navigate this environment and learn to remain capable of acting. We, as communications directors, are called upon to provide possible approaches to our university leaders.

                                      3 presentations of 10 minutes and questions and answers

                                      Exchange of ideas and best practices 

10.30-11.00                 Break

11.00-12.30                 Stakeholder Management with alumni, economy, students, society etc.

Our universities must – even more than before ­­– organize and manage exchanges and cooperation with various important stakeholders. These include companies, funding foundations, alumni, students, employees and society. As communications directors, we must keep an eye on all stakeholders. We discuss how best to do this, which best practice examples are helpful and we can learn from them, and how we can strengthen and support each other.
 

Discussion and best practices

3 presentations of 10 minutes and questions and answers 

                                       Exchange of ideas and best practices

Around 13.00              Light Lunch and Farewell

Info

Target Public: Directors of communication

Registration: on MyEUPRIO

Deadline: December 10th, 2025

Dinner on December 18 and lunch on December 19, 2025 are offered by EUPRIO

Hotel:
Jr Hotels Bocconi Milano
Via Bligny, 56 (3 minutes walking from the University)
20100 Milano - Italy
Jr-hotels.com

Special Euprio Prize:

DUS rate of € 112,50 per room per night, bed and breakfast included + € 7 city tax per person per night

DOUBLE room rate of € 152,50 per room per night, bed and breakfast included + € 7 city tax per person per night

Participants are invited to book the hotel themselves sending an email to sales.manager@jr-hotels.com before November 30, 2025

In the subject line, please indicate the code EUPRIOJR and include:

  • Surname, First name

  • Check-in date / Check-out date

  • if the room is for 1 or 2 people

  • Credit card as guarantee (number, expiry date, cardholder’s surname and first name)

 

Past Workshop

June 11, 2021
Cities and universities: from Co-Existence to Co-Creation

promoted by Farida Khali, Médias Deputy Head Université de Fribourg and Deputy National Representative for Switzerland in the EUPRIO Steering Committee

Webinar by Annette Klinkert
May 21, 2021
New digital advertising at the end of cookies domination:
more efficient and deeper connections and users

promoted by Christine Legrand, Director of communications and industrial relations at CPE Lyon (France) and Vice President of EUPRIO

Webinar by Ronan Carrein
March 26, 2021
The role of scientists and researchers in the pandemic
How scientists were perceived in their role of advising the governments and informing the public in different countries
Webinar
February 05, 2021
1st EUPRIO-Directors-Briefing

promoted by Uwe Steger, Director of Communications at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and National representative of Austria in the EUPRIO Steering Committee.

Webinar
November 23 - 24, 2020
University communication in Corona times: a state of emergency or a new normal?

Organised by Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation, the German Federal Association of University Communication

Online Conference