PR & Communications News South Africa

RIP: Prof Sonja Verwey passes away

#NEWSWATCH: Prisa has announced that Prof Sonja Verwey passed away yesterday morning.

Verwey was the head of the department of strategic communication at the University of Johannesburg. She was also the chairperson of the department of communication at the previous RAU for a period of twelve years. During the incorporation and pre-merger phase (2003-2005) she was seconded to act as a strategic communication specialist and to manage the merger communication and re-branding process of the University of Johannesburg.

She specialised in the field of organisational communication/communication management and obtained both her masters and doctorate in this field. She was also the editor of Communicare, the official Journal of Communication Sciences in Southern Africa, and served on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Strategic Communication, Journal of Marketing Communication and Communication.

She was a past president of the Southern African Communication Association and was a member of the Advisory Board of Corporate Communication International. She has published various academic articles and was the editor/author of several chapters/academic textbooks.

The cause of death is not yet known but Prisa has stated that her last engagement with the organisation was in October 2019 during the Research Colloquium where she acted as a moderator to the various papers presented.

"Her wisdom, in-depth understanding of strategic communication and commitment to research earned her the position of thought leader both locally and internationally," reads a statement on the Prisa's Facebook page.
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