WIPR and Universiti Malaya-Wales Formalise Partnership to Develop Future Communications Leaders
Women in Public Relations (WIPR) and University Malaya-Wales (UM-Wales) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising a strategic partnership focused on building leadership capability, advancing professional readiness, and strengthening the pipeline of future communications leaders in Malaysia.
The signing took place on 2 April 2026 in conjunction with the NEXUS Strategic Leadership Series — Communications as Power: Shaping Future Leaders — attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students of UM-Wales alongside communications professionals from across the industry.
Leadership development, by design
The MoU establishes a structured framework for collaboration between WIPR and UM-Wales, covering student leadership development initiatives, mentorship opportunities, applied learning activities, and professional engagement platforms. It also creates a formal channel for knowledge exchange between industry practitioners and academia — through leadership talks, student-led initiatives, and sustained professional engagement.
The partnership reflects a shared conviction: that communications should be a strategic leadership function, not an operational afterthought, and that this mindset needs to take root well before graduation.
Hazlina Hashim, Founder and Chairman of WIPR, articulated it plainly at the event:
"Women in PR was established to strengthen leadership pathways for women in the communications industry, where talent is abundant, but leadership representation remains uneven. Our collaboration with UM-Wales brings leadership conversations into the classroom — bridging academic learning with industry realities and ensuring leadership development starts early, by preparing future professionals to lead with confidence, credibility and impact."
She added:
"By engaging students at the university level, we are shaping mindsets, expanding leadership aspirations and creating clearer pathways from education into industry leadership."
Hazlina Hashim, Founder and Chairman of WIPR
A shared commitment from the academic side
Prof. Dr. Roselina Ahmad Saufi, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of UM-Wales, affirmed that the collaboration aligns with UM-Wales' approach to producing graduates who are leadership-ready, not just academically qualified.
"Our responsibility as an academic institution goes beyond academic excellence. We must prepare students to lead, think strategically and operate ethically in complex professional environments. This partnership with WIPR creates a strong platform for our students to gain industry exposure, leadership insights and professional networks that will accelerate their readiness for real-world leadership roles in the future."
L-R: Prof. Dr. Roselina Ahmad Saufi, Vice-Chancellor & CEO of UM-Wales; and Hazlina Hashim, Founder and Chairman of WIPR signing the MoU
Recognising leadership in the room
The NEXUS Strategic Leadership Series also featured a fireside chat with Dr. Hasnita Hashim, Patron and Advisor of WIPR, who spoke to the role of communications as a strategic power tool in shaping future organisational leaders. The event included the conferment of an Adjunct Professorship by UM-Wales to Dr. Hasnita Hashim — a recognition of her sustained contribution to leadership in the communications profession.
L-R: Arnee Ismail, Secretary General, WIPR and Dr. Hasnita Hashim, Patron and Advisor of WIPR during the fireside chat session
What this means for the industry
For WIPR, this MoU is more than an institutional agreement. This is a concrete step toward ensuring that the leadership conversations happening at the senior level — about representation, credibility, and strategic influence — reach the professionals who will eventually sit in those rooms.
The WIPR × UM-Wales partnership is part of WIPR's ongoing commitment to developing confident, visible communications leaders and advocating for stronger representation of communications practitioners in senior management and boardroom roles across Malaysia.
This story was covered by Press KL. Read the original article here.