Universidad de los Andes professor wins the International Aberje Award at IPRRC 2026

Researcher Pablo Miño, Assistant Professor of Communication at Universidad de los Andes, in Chile, was the winner of the International Aberje Award, announced on March 7 during the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), held in Orlando, United States. Granted by Aberje, the award recognizes international academic studies relevant to the field of communication and public relations in Brazil and Latin America.

Miño received the award for the study “Environmental Scanning Skills and Competencies in Public Relations: A Focus on Chilean Strategic Communication Agencies”, which examines the competencies that strategic communication professionals in Chile consider essential for conducting environmental scanning—a classic public relations concept referring to listening to and analyzing the ecosystem of stakeholders surrounding organizations and their clients.

The research was based on 22 in-depth interviews with senior professionals from 11 strategic communication agencies based in Santiago. The study examines how the practice of monitoring and interpreting the institutional environment has evolved over the past three decades, shifting from a strong emphasis on media relations—predominant in the 1990s—to a broader model of relationship management with multiple stakeholders, including community leaders, investors, political representatives, and internal publics.

Among the preliminary findings, the study indicates that the most valued professional profile in strategic communication has diversified, incorporating academic backgrounds in fields such as political science, psychology, anthropology, business, and sociology. This shift reflects the growing complexity of strategic advisory and relationship management demands within corporate communication.

Commenting on the recognition, Pablo Miño highlighted the importance of the award for continuing his research agenda. “It’s an honor and a privilege. I’ll put this money to good use and continue publishing studies focused on public relations and strategic communication in the South American landscape,” he said.

This is the third time Miño has received the recognition. In 2024, he won the International Aberje Award for the study “American and British Agencies Expanding their Global Footprint since the 1980s: The Global Public Relations Industry in Latin America Through the Lens of PRWeek,” which analyzed the expansion of major international public relations agencies in Latin America since the 1980s and their legacy in the consolidation of the sector in the region.

In 2023, he was also awarded for the study “Applying the Susceptibility to Disinformation Typology to Nation Branding: Perceptions of Latin American Countries Shaped by Americans’ Views on Immigration Issues,” co-authored with Joseph Czabovsky, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The research examined how U.S. citizens perceive eight Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru—and how perceptions about immigration influence the construction of national images.

Created in 2009, the International Aberje Award recognizes academic research by international scholars related to communication and public relations in Brazil and Latin America. The award is presented during the IPRRC in the United States, and the selection process is conducted by the conference’s board of directors, composed of scholars from different countries.