NEWS & EVENTS

Five Public Relations and Advertising (PRA) students achieved a remarkable milestone by winning 1st Prize at the 23rd Shanghai International College Students Advertising Festival.

Under the guidance of COMS faculty member Barbara Fu, the team captivated the judges with their innovative concept and execution, creating a culturally enriched gift for foreign tourists visiting China under the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. The winning PRA students are: Flora Sihan Yang, Serein Wenrui Zhang, Rita Xinran Jiang, Nancy Yutian Yang, Caroline Keru Liu.

The students' project combines traditional Chinese cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology. Thus, it provides an immersive cultural experience for international visitors. Explaining the concept, the participating students said:

"Based on foreign tourists' cultural experience needs and preferences, we used Duolingo language learning software as the main communication channel and incorporated elements of Journey to the West, also well-known overseas. We designed a series of beads that combine offline cultural experience activities and online language learning, utilizing NFC high-tech and traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage techniques."

The innovative gift aimed to bridge cultural gaps while offering tourists a memorable and educational experience. Reflecting on the project, the PRA students noted:

"Through this process, we fully learned how to deeply explore the target audience's needs and choose appropriate channels and activities to communicate our core ideas. This experience has been invaluable in helping us grow into better communicators."

Our PRA students gained significant insights through interactions with peers and industry experts.

"During the final pitching session, we had a fruitful exchange of ideas with students from top universities in Mainland China and PRA industry professionals. This participation enhanced our strategic communication skills and gave us valuable creative insights."

COMS Head of Department Professor Regina Chen was invited to judge the competition. Her presence in the festival highlights the department's strength in strategic communication and creativity.

Hosted by Shanghai University, the Shanghai Advertising Association, and Branding China Group, the Shanghai International College Students Advertising Festival is a prestigious platform that brings together aspiring communicators from universities worldwide. The competition attracted over 600 higher education institutions, with more than 10,000 entries submitted by the participating students.