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In other scientific fields, such as engineering or the natural sciences, there is often a close collaboration between businesses and universities. This is, however, not yet the case for communication science in Germany or Europe. Only in the United States was a similar initiative established in the 1980s – the Arthur W. Page Society.
As in the US, strategic corporate communications in Germany and Europe have undergone a significant professionalization in recent years. The field’s acceptance and importance have increased. Collaboration with other departments and involvement in strategic business decisions has also intensified significantly, and the need for highly qualified communication professionals has risen accordingly.
This led to the idea of setting up a joint research initiative between industry and science. In 2009, Professors Bernd Schuppener, Günter Bentele and Ansgar Zerfass from the University of Leipzig developed a concept, which was supported by other professors and companies.
In November 2010, the Academic Society was officially founded. Since then it has worked together with more than 30 corporate partners and has implemented more than a dozen research projects.