NEWS & EVENTS

Two scholars from the Department of Communication Studies have been awarded grants by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Pennsylvania State University. This grant is among the most competitive and respected funding programmes in the fields of public relations, journalism, and strategic communication.

Assistant Professor Elina Tachkova, a faculty member at COMS, has been awarded a grant for her project, "Polarized Worlds, Divergent Duties: How Sociopolitical Polarization Across Europe, the U.S., and Asia Is Reshaping Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: Insights from Practitioner Interviews." Through in-depth practitioner interviews conducted across three continents, the study investigates how shifting political and social climates are influencing how organisations communicate their commitments to corporate responsibility, spanning environmental sustainability, ethical labour practices, philanthropy, responsible sourcing, and transparency as reflected in ESG and DEI frameworks. The project asks a pointed question: do distinct differences, or perhaps unexpected convergences, emerge across markets where sociopolitical pressures vary considerably?

Assistant Professor Keonyoung Park and doctoral candidate Mariyam Mohamed Manik, in collaboration with Dr Jeongwon Yang of the University of Miami, have also been recognised for their project, "Framing Responsibility: How Inclusive vs Exclusive Corporate Social Advocacy Shapes Public Legitimacy and Polarisation Perceptions." The study examines how corporations can engage in public advocacy on divisive social issues in a more ethical and responsible manner. Guided by foundational questions about when corporate social advocacy serves the public good, when it risks intensifying social division, and how corporations can uphold the core values of corporate social responsibility while taking stances on controversial issues, the project ultimately aims to provide normative guidelines for responsible corporate communication.

A particular distinction accompanies this recognition: Manik is the first doctoral student at HKBU to be formally named as part of a Page Center grant award, a milestone that reflects the School's growing commitment to integrating postgraduate researchers into its highest-level scholarly endeavours.

Both projects were selected under the Page Center's 2026 grant cycle, themed "Social Responsibility, Advocacy, and Activism in an Age of Political and Cultural Polarization," a focus that speaks directly to some of the most pressing debates in both academic and professional communication today.

The Arthur W. Page Center, housed within Penn State University's Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, awards grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to support scholars and professionals making significant contributions to the knowledge, practice, and public understanding of ethics and responsibility in public communication.

This round of recognition continues a strong tradition of Page Center excellence at COMS. In 2023, Department Head and Professor Yi-Ru Regina Chen and Dr. Keonyoung Park each received Legacy Scholar grants for their respective research in prosocial communication and digital analytics. For Prof. Park, this latest award marks her second Page Center grant.