AD+PR Prof Shares on PR Education Away: From the 80s to Now
AD+PR professor of practice, Eric Benderoff, traveled abroad as a student and now takes students as faculty
By: Paige Dell
In the 1980s, AD+PR professor of practice, Eric Benderoff was an MSU student who participated in a study abroad program in London, though focusing his studies on basic humanities to fulfill his social science credits. In 2024, Benderoff’s experience came full circle with a return to the UK as a faculty leader the next cohort of students in ADPR’s “PR in the UK” summer program.
With the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, “PR in the UK” education study abroad program underway for a second year, Benderoff worked alongside AD+PR professor, Dr. Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, guiding the next group of students in an immersive and unforgettable trip to the UK in summer 2024. During the program, students took public relation firm tours across the country to gain more insight into global public relations and identify skills used to navigate complex situations from a different, global perspective.
“What a wonderful opportunity to speak to colleagues in the PR communications industry about how they handle certain issues, as opposed to what I learned here in the United States,” Benderoff said. “There’s obviously difficult perspectives with complex situations that require sharper and more acute skills than here in the U.S. and this program helps us see how it comes into play.”
The program was created by AD+PR interim chairperson and professor of practice, Andrew Corner, in 2020. While COVID-19 disrupted the launch until summer 2023, the first cohort of students traveled with Corner to the UK to great success. Corner said he was motivated to create a program focused on the topic of public relations, allowing students with that major to have the same opportunity to go outside of the traditional classroom and expand their knowledge. Corner recruited Benderoff to help guide the next cohort of students for the upcoming summer, knowing Benderoff’s previous knowledge of study abroad in the UK as a student.
Aside from the class trips to firms, students travel to fun destinations in the UK such as museums, well-known landmarks and neighboring countries such as Wales. Weekends and nights are also a great time for students to explore more of the UK if they wish to go with fellow classmates.
“What’s great about education abroad is it really pushes your comfort level zone, to be there by yourself navigating a different culture, figuring things out like the grocery store or how to order a taxi or Uber,” Corner said.
To learn more about the public relation education abroad program, please visit