degree: PhD

Cyprus University of Technology

The Cyprus University of Technology is a modern and innovative institution internationally recognized for its commitment to excellence in education and cutting-edge research. Its primary goal is to contribute to the scientific, technological, economic, social, and cultural advancement of our country. The university’s mission is to provide high-quality education and training using modern pedagogical methods, disseminate scientific knowledge through research and teaching, and address challenges in Science and Technology to benefit both the state and society. This mission focuses on three key areas: education, aimed at offering competitive programs and fostering employable graduates; research, innovation, and knowledge transfer; and social contribution, promoting culture, the environment, health, and sports through collaboration with various stakeholders in society. https://www.cut.ac.cy/university/about/

  1. The Undergraduate Program in “Integrated Marketing Communication” aims to cultivate students’ knowledge, skills, and innovative thinking in the field of Integrated Marketing Communication. It offers specializations in “Advertising, Public Relations, and Impression Communication” for diverse career prospects and “Perception Management and Political Communication” for political communication expertise. https://www.cut.ac.cy/studies/bachelor/bachelor-programmes/Integrated+Marketing+Communication/
  2. The MSc program “Experiential Digital Marketing Communications (XDMarComs),” commencing in September 2024, is dedicated to advancing knowledge and science. It addresses educational, societal, and developmental needs in both the country and the EU. The program focuses on training top-tier professionals and scientists in Marketing Communications for the Experience Economy in an ever-evolving Digital World. It encompasses cutting-edge subjects like Agility and Sustainability, IoT (Internet of Things), Data Analytics and AI, Phygital Customer Experience, Value-Based Marketing, and Content Creation and Management.
  3. The Doctoral Program of Study (DPS) “Integrated Marketing Communications” at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) aims to deliver exceptional doctoral-level education, foster interdisciplinary research, and contribute to international science development. The program focuses on promoting innovation, developing research skills, and understanding applied research in Marketing and Communications. Upon completion, students are expected to possess comprehensive theoretical knowledge, analytical and synthesis abilities, awareness of empirical research contributions, critical analysis skills, the capacity for valid empirical or creative work, and the capability to autonomously produce academic texts and design educational materials.
Maria Voutsa
Maria Voutsa is a member of the Special Teaching Staff at the Department of Communication and Marketing within the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the Cyprus University of Technology. With a strong academic background, she holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics, an M.Sc. in Informatics and Management, and a PhD in Advertising and Consumer Behaviour.
Her research interests encompass the captivating fields of Advertising, Consumer Behavior, and Social Media Marketing. Her recent projects have delved into various intriguing topics, including the effectiveness of humorous advertising, the impact of LGBT portrayals in advertising, and the efficacy of social media platforms like Instagram and BeReal in shaping self-perception and evaluation. Her contributions have been published in academic journals, including the Journal of Consumer Behavior, the International Journal of Humor Research, and the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, among others.
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University of Stirling

The University of Stirling (Scots: University o Stirlin, Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by Royal Charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airthrey Castle estate. Since its foundation, it has expanded to four faculties, a Management School, and a number of institutes and centres covering a broad range of subjects in the academic areas of arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and health sciences and sport.

The University campus is approximately 360 acres (1.5 km2) in size, incorporating the Stirling University Innovation Park and the Dementia Centre. The campus, with its wildlife, loch and mixture of native and exotic flora are located in the foothills of the Ochil Hills and is often cited as among the most beautiful in the UK. In 2002, the University of Stirling and the landscape of the Airthrey Estate was designated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites as one of the UK’s top 20 heritage sites of the 20th century. The institution also occupies buildings in the city of Stirling. The University attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds, with more than 14,000 part-time and full-time students enrolled in the 2020/21 academic year.

Stirling has international degree programme partnerships in China with Hebei Normal University, Singapore with Singapore Institute of Management, and Oman. The University offers a MSc in Human Rights & Diplomacy, this is the only Human Rights and Diplomacy programme in the world taught in partnership with the leading training body of the United Nations: the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Iain MacRury has taught advertising for many years at several institutions in the UK. He is currently Professor of Media and Communications in the Division of Culture Media and Communications at the University of Stirling. Scotland. Many of our students on Film and Media, Journalism, PR, Media Management and Digital Media Communications courses study advertising and a variety of related forms of communication. Iain is currently teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in advertising including an extension module in Singapore. Iain is the author, co-author, and editor of several books, including The Dynamics of Advertising, and two editions of the Routledge The Advertising Handbook.

Iain has also worked as a consultant for several brands (including Brands including BMW, Motorola, Diners Club and HSBC) His interest has been in binding creative and insight-led research inputs to support creative communications. Iain is a trained organisational consultant has a current interest in the organisation and reorganisation of advertising processes in the context of digitalisation. This extends into explorations of branded content and the challenges associated with protecting and regulating media communications in a disrupted media sphere. Iain is currently co-editing The Handbook of Digital Advertising. for Routledge (2023)..

Other teaching, research and cultural interests include humour, sports, and psychoanalysis. He has written on stand-up comedy and recently co-authored two papers on the emotional outfall of Brexit. He has also co-authored a psychoanalytic study of Doctor Who.

He recently relocated to Scotland after several years living in London and the south of the UK.

The University of Georgia

University of Georgia (UG) is one of the largest and the highest-ranking private universities in Georgia. The UG is distinguished by the high quality educational processes, modern infrastructure, and its diverse community with cross-cultural awareness. Its multicultural environment shapes intelligent, educated individuals with human values capable to meet modern challenges. The UG cultivates liberal-human values and achieves its mission by developing centres of excellence and platforms that ensures the creation and implementation of academic programs tailored to the student and market needs. The UG is also developing its international cooperation in research, science, students’ and faculty mobility, technology transfer and others.

The School of Social Sciences is actively involved in the international collaborative projects and is a member of several global institutions and associations. Among them are European Public Relations Association (EUPRERA), European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and others.

In addition the UG develops the collaborative links with over 50 foreign educational institutions and various scientific-cultural institutions, implements international exchange programs for students and academic and administrative staff with U.S. and European higher educational institution and participates in the Erasmus + Program.

Leli Bibilashvili holds a PhD in Mass Communications. Currently, she works as an Associate Professor and the Head of Journalism and Mass Communications Department at The University of Georgia since 2014. Leli is a member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). She has multiple years of experience both in academic and practical work. Leli has published a number of publications in communications and has successfully participated in various international and local conferences and workshops such as, 21st EUPRERA Annual Congress, 10th International History of Public Relations Conference, Teachers’ Conference of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), 5th World Journalism Education Congress, EJTA Teachers’ Conference on Crisis Reporting and EJTA Annual Conference. Leli has worked as IMC Consultant for several years in the ACT Global (Research and IMC Consulting Company), bank sector and non-governmental structural units.