Communication Matters: A Course for Mid-Career Engineers

The Class of 69* asks: How well do you communicate?

If you want to excel in your profession in this rapidly changing world, you need to master communication. This one day practice-oriented course introduces techniques for effective interactions with government, business, professions, a variety of media channels, and the public.

Internationally recognised experts from the University of Canterbury's Media and Communication department, together with local media practitioners and community leaders, will guide you to navigate complex media environments and enhance your skills in understanding and informing others. The course bridges silos of contrasting interests, through interactive activities and group work, exposing you to differing real-life scenarios.

This is a one-day introduction for a longer course to run in 2024

The course covers:
Personal communication styles: How do you communicate?
Audiences and publics: Who are you communicating with?
Working with journalists: How do you answer questions?

About the Speakers:

Professor Natalia Chaban: focuses her interdisciplinary research and teaching on cognitive and semiotic aspects of political and media discourses, image and perceptions studies within domestic and International Relations contexts, and public diplomacy and political communication.  She consults and trains practitioners of international strategic communication.

Professor Donald Matheson:  researches journalism and social media, including the changing nature of public communication. He is an expert on communication ethics and was a journalist before becoming an academic. He is the 2023 winner of the Student Choice Award for Lecturer of the year in the Faculty of Arts.

Dr Zita Joyce: teaches and researches about audiences, technologies, and media policy. She is HOD of Media and Communication, and a member of the Community and Urban Resilience Research Cluster, and UC Climate Network. She received a UC Outstanding Teaching and Learning Transformation Award in 2022.

Conan Young: is the new Journalism Coordinator in the department of Media and Communication. He has worked for 20 years as a journalist. Since returning to Christchurch in 2011 he has reported for RNZ on major stories for including Pike River, the Christchurch quakes and the city's rebuild, and the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission. He has received a number of national and international media awards including for his coverage of the 2019 terror attacks in Christchurch.

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* The Class of 69 is a group of civil engineers who completed their UC studies in 1969. This is their contribution to the future of the engineering profession in New Zealand, developed with the UC Department of Media and Communication.