Dr Anke Oßwald awarded dissertation prize by the University of Münster

(10 December 2025) Dr Anke Oßwald received a dissertation prize worth €3,000 from the University of Münster at this year's ceremony at Münster Castle for her dissertation entitled ‘Public Relations and Decision-Making: On the Communicative Form of PR in the Digital Age’.

In her dissertation, Oßwald addresses the profound changes that the communications industry and PR research are facing in the wake of digitalisation. The work takes a sophisticated and nuanced look at the comprehensive transformation process that is currently shaping the communications industry and PR research. Based on systems theory approaches, the author shows how digital technologies are integrated into PR processes and derives a well-founded concept of automated PR from this.

Anke Oßwald researches and teaches in the field of public relations and strategic organisational communication. Her academic focus is on systems theory approaches, decision-making and risk theories, and digitalisation research.

The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Ulrike Röttger (first supervisor) and Prof. Dr. Kerstin Thummes (University of Greifswald, second supervisor). The doctoral procedure was completed in July 2024.

Back in October 2024, the work was awarded the dissertation prize by the DGPuK PR and Organisational Communication Section. In her laudatory speech, section spokesperson Dr. Sophia Volk highlighted the highly topical nature of the subject, the well-founded argumentation and the inspiring impetus for future discussions on digital technologies and AI.

The Rectorate of the University of Münster has awarded a total of 13 young researchers with the 2025 Dissertation Prize. In addition to scientific excellence, the dissertations must ‘demonstrate a high degree of originality and make a significant contribution to current research’.

The IfK warmly congratulates Anke Oßwald on this special scientific achievement.