Zayed University (ZU) is proud to announce that it has hosted the 2025 GlobCom Symposium on 23–24 May 2025 at its Abu Dhabi campus, bringing together nine student teams from 14 universities across 13 countries to compete in a global strategic communications competition focused on conservation and biodiversity.
Held in collaboration with Panthera, a global organization devoted to the conservation of the world’s 40 wild cat species, and the Global Communication Institute (GlobCom), an international academic platform empowering future public relations professionals, this year’s symposium will explore the theme “Game On: Interactive Campaigns for Biodiversity.”
The student teams, who have been working together virtually across borders for the past two and a half months, will now come together in person to present their proposals to Panthera, showcasing how gamification can be leveraged to promote conservation awareness and engage global audiences.
The two-day programme featured mentorship sessions, keynote speeches, panel discussions with experts in biodiversity, communications, and youth engagement, concluding with a gala dinner and the announcement of the winning student team on Saturday, 24 May 2025.
Hosting the event reflects the University’s commitment to global collaboration, experiential learning, and equipping students to tackle real-world challenges through innovative and strategic communication.
Dr. Gaelle Picherit-Duthler serves as the Acting Dean of Graduate Studies at Zayed University. She is also a board member of the GlobCom Institute and actively contributes to the public relations community in the UAE. For the event she is Head of Conference & President of GlobCom. In her statement, Dr. Picherit-Duthler goes: “Hosting the GlobCom Symposium 2025 is a strategic opportunity for Zayed University and the UAE. It reflects our commitment to fostering meaningful international academic collaboration and highlights the country’s leadership in addressing global challenges through education, communication, and innovation. The country’s emphasis on sustainability, youth empowerment, and global engagement is fully aligned with the values at the heart of the GlobCom Project.
The GlobCom Project demonstrates the university’s commitment to global engagement by connecting our students with teammates and professionals from around the world. It transforms learning into a truly international experience, where students must work across time zones, cultures, and frameworks to deliver professional-standard communication strategies.
The use of gaming as a tool for conservation is a powerful example of how communication is evolving to meet audiences where they are, especially younger, digitally native generations. It reflects a broader trend in the industry that involves leveraging immersive technologies to raise awareness and drive behavior change.
Zayed University joined the GlobCom Project in 2008 and has played an active role ever since. We have previously hosted the GlobCom Symposium in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2016, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to the initiative and developing a strong community of alumni who continue to carry the values of international collaboration and social impact into their professional lives.
What makes GlobCom unique is that it blends academic rigor with real-world complexity. Students will walk away with far more than a theoretical understanding of strategic communication.”
Teri O’Donnell, Founding Partner & Chair of Manara Global, who for the event is, Student Mentor and Competetion Judge, she is also a leading reputation management specialist with over twenty-five years’ global experience. She is the Founding Partner and Chair of Manara Global. Teri is on the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) strategy board and is a committed professional mentor. For Communicate, she also gave her own statement:
“I’m here as a mentor – a challenger, and hopefully, a bit of a guide through what it means to create communications that cut through. My job isn’t to give students the answers, but to help them find better ones – by asking the questions they’d need to ask their clients, teams or stakeholders in real life to get to the best outcome that creates the greatest impact.
What I love about the GlobCom format is that it mirrors the pace and complexity of the real world – tight timelines, global teams, multiple expectations. It’s brilliant. For students, it’s a crash course in how to think fast, stay focused, and work cross-culturally – all essential skills for anyone who wants to thrive in this industry. I’m here to help them bridge the gap between Panthera’s conservation mission and today’s ever-evolving communications landscape – making sure their ideas are compelling, creative and most of all, doable.
These kinds of competitions are incredibly powerful. They give students a taste of what our day-to-day looks like – throwing everything at a campaign brief, stress-testing ideas, and coming out the other side with something sharp, strategic and original.
What’s really exciting now is that comms is no longer just about media relations or press releases. It’s about blending storytelling with tech, with insight, with purpose. This year’s theme – using gaming to drive conservation – is exactly the kind of intersectional thinking that happens in the real world. You’ve got teams thinking across disciplines: behaviour, UX, storytelling, platforms, partnerships.
That’s the real value – students are leaving with creative muscle, yes, but also with a sharper sense of commercial reality and social impact. They’re learning that communications– it’s central to business, to purpose, and to influence. And that’s the future of this industry.
As an advice to them? I’d say, start with insights that lead to your strategy. Always.”
