EUPRIO celebrated its 25th birthday in style in Prague earlier this month when more than 200 delegates from all over Europe gathered for the association’s annual conference.
Presidents past and present were on hand to take part in a special Opening Ceremony in the historic Bethlehem Chapel in the Czech Republic’s capital to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the European Universities Public Relations and Information Officers Association.
Delegates heard Lauris Beets, founder and first President of EUPRIO, describe how the idea of a pan-European organisation representing university PR professionals was born in 1986 with financial support from what was then the European Economic Community (now the EU).
Joining Lauris Beets as guests of honour were three other past presidents and they were each presented with a copy of the newly published book EUPRIO A 25-Year Success Story, chronicling the development of the association from its early years to the present.
Current EUPRIO President Paolo Pomati paid tribute in his opening welcome address to the association’s founding fathers for their vision in establishing an organisation that was still going from strength to strength.
Explaining the concept behind the publication of the EUPRIO history, which he co-authored with Véronique Eloy, Paolo explained in the book’s forward that ‘history and the outstanding personalities of the past presidents were deeply united’.
The Prague conference, the 23rd to be held, was hosted by the Czech Technical University and featured two days of workshops and master classes presented by leading practitioners from both Europe and the US.
The conference keynote address, or Lectio Magistralis, was given by Frans Van Vught, President of the European Centre for Strategic Management of Universities (ESMU).
