(Excerpted from Dear VOCAL MIDDLE: The 2025 Mid-Year Report )
“Dear VOCAL MIDDLE:” is VOCAL MIDDLE's biannual flagship insight report, published mid-year and year-end each year. Every edition revolves around one central theme: the future.
This time, we chose the theme “PR Next: The Future of Public Relations”, focusing on two key points:
The year 2025 marks a pivotal moment where the aftermath of the pandemic intersects with the widespread adoption of generative AI. Amid the profound shifts in the global communications ecosystem, we invited industry experts to collectively explore the implications of this transformation for the future.
Every job, role, and task within the communications field ultimately aims to create impact. If we say that the essence of creating impact is trust, then PR consultants represent the most fundamental, core function, role, and industry in the process of building trust.
This report not only reflects the views of VOCAL MIDDLE but also brings together partners from across the Asia-Pacific region, leaders from public associations, and communication education pioneers. Together, we ponder: as change and restructuring become the norm, how will the role of the PR consultant evolve from being “one among many” within the industry to becoming the central link connecting markets, businesses, organizations, and the public?
Expert Commentary：CHEN POYU, Professor and Dean of the School of Communication, Ming Chuan University
The pandemic brought three major challenges to the education sector:
The completeness of schools' digital education systems;
Teachers' familiarity with instructional design and use of digital tools;
Students' self-discipline and psychological resilience.
At the same time, we saw some individuals lose their way in remote learning — yet many others developed stronger digital skills, independent thinking, and a better sense of self-directed learning.
A few years later, the wave of AI arrived, once again testing our core capabilities in navigating an uncertain future.
Over the past few years, we've observed a consistent pattern among students from the digital-native generation. They are highly proficient in using social media platforms, skilled in video editing, graphic design, and writing emotionally engaging copy. They're accustomed to rapidly absorbing and expressing information in fast-moving content streams.
However, when it comes to discussing their future careers — or diving deeper into topics like brand management, strategic planning, or the mechanisms behind media operations — we often notice a flicker of uncertainty in their eyes.
As educators on the frontlines of communication training, we know all too well: in an era where generative AI is rewriting the rules of communication and digital marketing is evolving at a breakneck pace, traditional theoretical education is no longer sufficient to prepare students for the realities of the business world.
That's why, since 2021, the School of Communication at Ming Chuan University has been driving an educational reform centered on "Omnimedia Capability Building" and "AI-Driven Applications."
Our goal is to create a future-ready pathway that guides students from academia into the industry — bridging the gap between learning and real-world application. At the same time, we aim to cultivate in them the mindset and competencies necessary for sustainable communication and long-term professional growth.
Strategy 1: The Classroom as a Battlefield — From Creative Concepts to Brand Solutions
Our practical courses are designed around real industry scenarios and challenges, guiding students to transform creative ideas into actionable plans — including integrated marketing proposals, video production projects, and public relations campaigns. These projects provide hands-on experience in the collaborative processes among digital content, advertising, and PR.
To support this, we've established interdisciplinary communities composed of both university faculty and industry professionals. Together, they co-develop course content and conduct collaborative research on emerging topics such as convergent media practices, AI-generated content, and marketing technologies.
Strategy 2: The College as a Platform — Building a Cross-Media, Practice-Oriented Learning Hub
Unlike traditional department-based training models, the School of Communication at Ming Chuan University operates on a college-level integration model — merging teaching, faculty resources, facilities, and research platforms into a shared, interdisciplinary learning ecosystem.
In recent years, we have built an XR Smart Studio, a hybrid space for virtual and physical production. We have also consolidated media centers from various departments into a Cross-Media Base, now the central platform for hands-on training and innovation in media.
We've implemented co-teaching (dual-instructor) and project-based or competition-driven teaching models, working closely with communication industry partners to guide students in participating in campus-wide, national, and international competitions. These activities allow students to apply their learning in real-world contexts and receive direct feedback from industry experts.
Strategy 3: Deep Industry-Academia Integration — Nurturing Future Talent with MarTech Literacy
In an era of rapid technological evolution, companies seek talent who can effectively utilize tools, understand marketing strategies, and recognize the value of content. To meet this demand, we have introduced core modules in marketing technology, covering brand management, big data applications, audience journey analysis, and content technologies.
These are supplemented with hands-on exposure to experience design tools, generative AI applications, and cloud-based automation platforms. The goal is to cultivate students who are not only technically capable but also strategically minded, while encouraging them to pursue internships and employment matchmaking to ensure smooth entry into the industry.
As an educator, I believe that talent must be trained, inspired, and nurtured through long-term, hands-on guidance.
In response to the rapid evolution of the communications industry, the College of Communication at Ming Chuan University is committed to fostering strong partnerships across academia, government, and industry. Beyond building a robust industry-academia collaboration framework, we are actively reshaping our teaching and learning models to cultivate fresh thinking and practical experience—constantly adapting and evolving with the times.
We sincerely invite more partners from the business, public, and academic sectors to join us on this journey of talent cultivation, and help make education a vital lever for driving communication innovation in Taiwan.
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