STRATSEA 25 InterVarsity Crisis Comms Award

Organised by Citrine One Group as part of CommsForward25

Open to all public and private Southeast Asian universities undergraduate students

All team members must submit proof of student status (e.g. scanned student ID with full name and student ID number) together with the proposal

Each team must submit a realistic and structured crisis communication plan along with a 20-minute pitching video.

During the semi-finals, the top 10 teams will be engaged in a Q&A session with the judges. From there, the top 3 teams will be shortlisted for the finals.

Only the top 3 finalist teams will be invited to present their proposals in person. Each team will have 20 minutes to present in a clear, engaging, and practical manner, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session with the judges.

Top 3 teams will be flown to Kuala Lumpur to present live on Day 2 of CommsForward25
3D2N accommodation will be provided
Exposure to regional industry leaders, recruiters, and media
Prizes: (per team)

Gold

RM3,000 cash prize,

trophy and medals

Silver

RM2,000 cash prize,

trophy and medals

Bronze

RM1,000 cash prize,

trophy and medals

Eligibility & Team Formation

Q: Who can join STRATSEA25?
A: STRATSEA25 is open to undergraduate students from public and private universities across Southeast Asia.
Q: Can we submit more than one entry per university?
A: Yes, multiple teams from the same university are welcome to participate, provided each team registers separately. Each team must have different members, and no student may join more than one team or submit a proposal multiple times.
Q: Can non-comms students participate?
A: STRATSEA25 is designed primarily for communication-related undergraduates (e.g., public relations, corporate communication, media studies, journalism). However, interdisciplinary teams may include students from other fields as long as the team is led by communication majors and the overall proposal demonstrates strong relevance to the field of strategic and crisis communication.
Q: Do we need faculty approval?
A: Yes, faculty endorsement is mandatory. You need to get approval and stamp from the Dean of your faculty.

Crisis Case & Proposal Requirements

Q: Can we use a real crisis case for our proposal?
A: No. Teams must develop their crisis communication proposal based on the hypothetical scenario provided by the organisers. For STRATSEA25, the assigned case is titled "AI Data Breach Crisis: Trust and Technology at Stake”.
Q: What is the assigned crisis scenario?
A: Refer to the brief here
Q: How do I submit?
A: Submit by following these simple guidelines:
- Prepare a crisis communication strategy deck (PDF or PPT format)
- All materials should be in English.
- File size limit: 30MB per submission.
- File names must follow this format: [UniversityName][TeamName]_STRATSEA25 CrisisPlan.pdf
- All submissions must be emailed to commsforward25@citrine.com.my
- Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.
Q: What happens if our file exceeds the 30MB limit?
A: Submissions exceeding the 30MB limit or that do not follow the naming format or file type requirement (PDF or PPT) will be disqualified. Please compress your files or use cloud links with download access if needed — but submit all materials by email.

Registration & Accommodation Questions

Q: Will accommodation be provided for finalists?
A: Yes, accommodation will be arranged and fully sponsored for all members of the top three finalist teams during their stay in Kuala Lumpur from 1-3 July for the final presentation at CommsForward25. Any additional night stay will be borne by the teams themselves.
Q: Will air tickets be provided for finalists teams?
A: Yes, return flight tickets to Kuala Lumpur will be provided for the top three finalist teams travelling from other Southeast Asian countries. Once the flight tickets are issued, no changes can be made.
Q: Are lecturers from the participating universities eligible to attend CommsForward25?
A: Yes, lecturers are welcome to attend CommsForward25 and will be offered a 50% discount on the ticket price. Please note that accommodation and flights are not covered by the organisers.
Q: Can other undergraduate students attend CommsForward25 without joining STRATSEA25?
A: Yes, undergraduates who are not participating in STRATSEA25 are also welcome to attend CommsForward25. They will receive a 50% discount on the ticket price. Flights and accommodation are not included.
Q: How do I register to support my team?
A: Click on 'Register Now' button, enter Promo Code UGRADCOMM4WD25. Register under Special Ticket.

For further enquiries, email us at commsforward25@citrine.com.my