IPRI Holds Strategic Communications Workshop 2026
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - August 25, 2026) The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) hosted a two-day Strategic Communications Workshop on 24–25 August 2026, designed to bridge theory and practice in the field.
Workshop Highlights:
- Trainers: Aamir Ghauri, Ms Amber Shamsi, Usama Bakhtiar, Talha Ahad, Awais Abbasi, and Ehtasham Abbas.
- Participants: Policymakers, researchers, communication professionals, academics, and media practitioners.
- Focus: Building skills for navigating the evolving information landscape.
The workshop combined discussions with practical exercises, reflecting IPRI’s commitment to translating policy research into learning and practice.
Key Observations:
Lt Gen (R) Majid Ehsan, President of IPRI, opened the workshop, stating:
"Strategic communication can no longer be understood simply as... managing public perception. It increasingly sits at the intersection of information, perception, behaviour, and national power."
He emphasized the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on strategic communications.
Siddique Humayun, Director of Advocacy and Communications, highlighted the need for a balance between technical skills and deeper wisdom:
“Strategic Communications is long-term... It requires the deliberate alignment of words, images, symbols, actions, and sometimes most importantly, silence... to advance defined objectives across any stratum of life.”
Workshop Objectives:
- Understand strategic communication as an instrument of national security, diplomacy, governance, and public policy.
- Examine trends shaping the information environment, including AI, disinformation, digital influence, cognitive warfare, and evolving media ecosystems.
- Strengthen capabilities in designing communication strategies, responding to crises, and countering disinformation.
- Explore tools of government communication, public diplomacy, media engagement, digital campaigns, and behavioral insights for audience engagement and influence.