Golin/Harris Ludgate has been drawn into the row over tobacco sponsorship for PR courses by landing business for the University of Manchester's Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).
The agency will help fill places on its MSc in strategic communications.
The course's sponsorship by British American Tobacco was criticised last week by Roger Haywood, a former president of the IPR.
Ludgate's public affairs arm was called in late last week as media coverage of the BAT backing began to worry senior UMIST staff.
The course, the UK's first master's degree in corporate communications, had received the backing of a raft of major corporations, including Tesco and Burson-Marsteller.
UMIST vice-chancellor Cary Cooper is the point of contact for the Ludgate account team, along with Paul Jackson, professor of corporate communications at the college.
The Ludgate account team is being led by consultant Justin McLaren and overseen by the division's MD, Ceri Evans.
'UMIST has asked us to communicate the importance of this course. We're delighted to be part of creating the equivalent of an MBA for the communications sector,' said Evans.
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