Crisis communication during emergency (on the example of the Al-Farabi KazNU)

Abstract

Higher education institutions in Kazakhstan face various imperatives to better deal with the myriad crises affecting their staff and campuses. A crisis is an unexpected or unforeseen event that disrupts and threatens an organization and can be caused by both human and natural causes. Social media has become a powerful tool in crisis management on campus. Social media has challenged crisis communications professionals at universities.

The main purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of social media as a crisis communication practice in the university. The main research question: “How and what social network technologies are selected, planned, implemented and controlled in anti-crisis management at universities, in particular, at al-Farabi KazNU, in the leading multidisciplinary higher educational institution of Kazakhstan?” The “January tragedy of 2022” is considered as a period of emergency. Because of this, secondary research questions arise that relate to linked components of social networks and crisis management and include the following: How was information received during the January events? What types of communication were used? How do university crisis communication officers monitor and respond to social media in the myriad stages of crises? The results of this study include documenting practices that contribute to the successful integration of crisis communication in social networks.

The conclusions are of particular interest and can be used in scientific research on the problems of studying crisis communication. The work also provides an opportunity to expand the understanding of the tragic January events, as it opens up the results of the online survey "Crisis communications during the inversion period of the January events". Therefore, the factual material introduced into scientific circulation, conclusions, assessments, recommendations make it possible to use them in the creation of generalizing works on the issues under study.

Keywords: crisis communication, social networks, January tragedy, emergency period.