ProfessorNatalia Chaban

On December 2, 2025, Professor Natalia Chaban, the leader of the Work Package 5 "Strategic communication", presented an address at the Workshop “Weaponization of Cultural Heritage: The Case of Ukraine” at the Clingendael Institute, a leading foreign policy and diplomacy think tank in Europe. This event was organized by the University of Leuven, in the framework of the Russia and Eastern Europe Knowledge Alliance (REKA) network, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands and Clingendael Institute. It builds on the University of Leuven’s ongoing research on heritage diplomacy in the context of the Russian war against Ukraine. The programme centered on a one-day in-person workshop and tabletop exercise in The Hague, which brought together Dutch policymakers, academics, and international stakeholders. The event aimed to provide participants with strategic insights into heritage diplomacy and the weaponization of heritage in wartime context. During this day, participants were introduced to the method of Strategic Narrative (SN) Analysis to examine narratives surrounding cultural heritage and to reflect on how such narratives shape coordination and policy responses at national and international levels. The design and materials of this day were informed by a preceding research phase, which examines Russian and Ukrainian discourses on cultural heritage as a marker of identity. Specifically, Professor Chaban delivered her address in the Workshop part 1: HERitage UKRaine project introduction. Current state of play on heritage under attack in Ukraine presenting findings and recommendations developed within Work Package 5 “Strategic communication” of the Jean Monnet Network “Challenges and Opportunities of EU Heritage Diplomacy towards Ukraine”. The results of the workshop will be synthesized into policy recommendations, and published in a short bilingual (English and Dutch) policy brief to inform and support future cultural heritage protection strategies.

Professor Natalia Chaban, Leader of Package 5 “Strategic Communication” in HER-UKR Jean Monnet Policy Network, presented results of Year 1 of the WP5 at an academia-stakeholder event Academic & Policymakers Dialogue: Strategic Communication of Ukraine’s Heritage, on June 4, 2025, , at KU Leuven Campus Brussels, Belgium. Prof Chaban presented results of WP5 to a group of stakeholders and decision-makers, including representative of the European Commission (Directorate General of Education, Culture and Sports, Creative Europe Unit, and Directorate General NEAR responsible for EU enlargement); UNESCO representatives (UNESCO Centre for Living Heritage, HERE&Well project, Ukraine Commission to UNESCO, UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels), Deputy Ambassadors of Ukraine to the EU, representatives of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Government of Flanders. Prof Chaban delivered this stakeholder event together with Prof Lien Verpoest (the Network Leader) and Daryna Zhyvohliadova (the Network Manager)

Professor Natalia Chaban, Leader of Package 5 “Strategic Communication” in Jean Monnet Policy Network "Challenges and opportunities of EU hertitage diplomacy towards Ukraine", presented results of Year 1 of the WP5 at the 15th Sakharov Readings “Pulling Back from the Abyss. The global consequences of the war in Ukraine”. The Readings tool place at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania on May 21-22, 2025. The Readings brought together academics and stakeholders from different sectors and countries

Members of the Science Diplomacy Research Group at the UC (SDRG UC), Prof Natalia Chaban, PD-PCF Director, and Dr Tara Ross organised a science diplomacy collaboration with the Embassies of France and Germany to New Zealand for students in COMS 330. The course is coordinated by Dr Tara Ross and the Global Communication module, in which students collaborated with embassies, is led by Prof Natalia Chaban, PD-PCF Director. Two teams of 3rd-year Bachelor of Communication students have been selected to work with French and German diplomats to co-develop communication strategies for their science diplomacy initiatives. Teams of students in the core Bachelor of Communication course, COMS 330 Communication in Context, presented original social media campaigns to the Embassies of Germany and France on two different initiatives: The HALO-South Mission, which will be launched in Christchurch in September 2025 by German and New Zealand scientific partners, and the One Ocean science Congress (3 to 6 June 2025), which is organised within the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3, 9 to 13 June 2025, in Nice, France) and to which the Embassy of France will be sending 25 New Zealand scientists. Five student teams pitched their social media campaign ideas on the HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft) project, which aims to provide pressing knowledge about the relation between aerosols and clouds in the southern hemisphere. These findings will be extrapolated to a larger scale using satellite data and global climate modelling. Five other teams worked with the French diplomats to develop ideas and communications for One Ocean science Congress, with the goal is to spur action and implement SDG 14, which is the least funded of all Sustainable Development Goals. The diplomatic juries picked two winning teams. The German Embassy selected the social media campaign designed by Joshua Meredith, Connor Johnston, Elias Redpath, Leah Hills, Madeleine Barrett and Ruby Riley (featured on the photo). The French Embassy selected the social media campaign designed by Alexandra Scully, Teina Kotua, Scarlett Neame, Kenna Devane and Sophia Wright. On May 16, the two winning teams met at UC with Deputy Ambassadors for the respective Embassies -- Winnie Switakowski (the Embassy of Germany) and Vincent Gremeret (the Embassy of France) – and will continue to work with the embassies on their campaigns, and attend events later in the year where they will meet the scientists working on these projects.

On December 5, 2024, Student Research Hub of the Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (PD-PCF) (directed by Prof Natalia Chaban, UC Media & Comms) presented its analysis of the EU’s digital diplomacy towards New Zealand. The team visited the embassy of the EU to New Zealand in Wellington where students presented their findings and recommendations to HE Lawrence Meredith, the Head of the EU Delegation, and his team of diplomats and strategic communicators. The PD-PCF Student Research Hub included: Loredana Unsworth (MStratCom), Joshua Boucher (MPAG), and under-graduate students Davien Gray, Sophia Peacock-Price and Tarek Patchett. The work of the Hub was consulted by Sam Brett (PhD student, Media & Comms) and Margaret Vernygora (MIRAD). The PD-PCF Hub was supported by the EU Delegation to NZ.

On December 5, 2024, team of five students working within the framework of the UC Research Centre Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (PD-PCF) Hub (led by Professor Natalia Chaban) reported results of their analysis of frames and narratives of France in New Zealand’s leading media, with a special focus on the images of France in the RSTI issue-area. Students presented results to the French diplomats in the Embassy of France to New Zealand in Wellington. They concluded their presentation with a set of recommendation in the area of international strategic communication and public diplomacy. The presentation in the Embassy followed the first event in our collaboration this year – the Hub’s participation and contribution to the running of the Blue Talk ‘Science’ in Town Hall, Christchurch, on 20 November 2024. The 2024 Hub working with the Embassy of France marks the fifth year of collaboration between UC Media & Communication and its Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (directed by Professor Natalia Chaban) and the Embassy of France to New Zealand. The members of the PD-PCF Hub working with the French Embassy in 2024 are: Ella Bond (Hub’s senior researcher, MStratCom alumnus), Sophie Hill (Hub’s senior researcher, MA in Media and Communication alumnus), Mariyam (Falak) Ahmed (MStratCom), and undergraduate students Miles Peters and Ella Harsant. This PD-PCF Hub was supported by the Embassy of France to New Zealand

On December 2, 2024, members of Media and Communication’s Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (PD-PCF) (directed by Professor Natalia Chaban) presented their findings to the Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand, HE Vasyl Myroshnychenko. This PD-PCF Student Research Hub has brought together PhD, Masters and undergraduate students to analyse narratives and frames of Ukraine in the latest media coverage in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, following Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region and the US elections. The mulit-disciplinary team have succeeded in delivering a nuanced empirical analysis with multiple recommendations. The members of the Hub included: Mia Angeline (PhD in Media & Comms), Dmitry Romanenko (PhD in Media & Comms), Dinda Veskarahmi (MStratCom), Bryce Vevey (MIRAD), James Blanchett (MEURO), and undergraduate students Jamie Jovel-Flores, Charlotte McAleer-Menzies and Daisy Francis.

On November 28, Student Research Hub within Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum (PD-PCF)(directed by Professor Natalia Chaban), Department of Media and Communication, presented in-depth analysis of the narratives and frames of Germany in New Zealand’s leading media at the Embassy of Germany to New Zealand in Wellington. The Hub also developed and presented a set of original recommendations in the context of international strategic communication. The findings and recommendation were discussed in great details with the German Ambassador to New Zealand, HE Nicole Menzenbach, and the Deputy Ambassador, Winnie Swiatakowski. The Hub team included Megan Gnad (MStratCom); Francesca Harrison (MStratCom); Xavier Dickason (MIRAD); Marrion Omniwega (MPAG); Jasmine Barry (current UG graduate, future MEURO) and Alessandra Ward (BSENS). This PD-PCF Hub was supported by the Embassy of Germany to New Zealand.

The ongoing war against Ukraine presents new challenges for the EU’s external action and foreign policy. One of them is in the area of securitization of cultural and historical heritage of Ukraine. Professor Chaban, who leads Work Package 5 “Strategic Communication” within a Jean Monnet Policy Network “Challenges and opportunities of EU heritage diplomacy towards Ukraine (HER-UKR), reported about the main findings of the first year of WP5 research in Europe. Professor Chaban was key speaker at the panel “The EU and the World” at the 35th Anniversary of Jean Monnet Actions Conference (Brussels) invited by the European Commission (Oct 9-10, 2024)

In 2023, PD-PCF secured support from the Embassy of France to New Zealand to conduct research project on communicating France towards New Zealand (under the leadership of Prof Natalia Chaban). The team of five students worked with the Embassy in 2023: Ella Bond (MStratCom), Sophie Hill (MA in Media and Comms), Anne Joseph (MIRAD), Alex Short (UG), Monika Dhakal (UG). The team reported its findings to the Embassy diplomats in December 2023, at the Embassy in Wellington. This PD-PCF Hub was supported by the Embassy of France to New Zealand.

In 2023, PD-PCF continued its collaboration with the Delegation of the EU to New Zealand. The main objective is to observe digital diplomacy by the EU Delegation towards New Zealand and track its evolution vis-à-vis findings from 2021 and 2022. In focus are the Delegation’s communications through a number of social media platforms. Under the leadership of Prof Natalia Chaban, the 2023 team includes nine students – under-and post-graduates: Senior Hub Researchers: Shaylee Bright (Accelerator PhD, Media and Comms), Samuel Brett (PhD, Media and Comms), Oebe Roelant (UG, Political Science) Hub Lead Researcher: Margret Vernygora (Honours) Hub Researchers: Megan Roberts (MStratCom), Loredana Unsworth (Political Communication major, Media and Comms), Olivia Hundleby (Political Communication major, Media and Comms), Tarek Patchett (Political Communication major, Media and Comms), Roald Antill (Media and Comms). Student Research Hub reported its findings to the EU Delegation diplomats in Wellington in person on December 8, 2023. This PD-PCF Hub was supported by EU Delegation to NZ.

In 2023, in COMS 330, in the section "Global Contexts", Professor Chaban faciliated the collaboration between the EU Delegation to NZ and students in COMS 330. Students deisgned social media campaigns for the EU Delegation targeting NZ youth. The winning team selected Olivia Hundleby, BC Political Communication major and a member of the PD-PCF Student Research Hub 2023, to be a "shadow ambassador" for day. Olivia was invited by the EU Delegation to New Zealand to be a “shadow Ambassador” and experience a day in the life of an EU Ambassador, HE Nina Obermaier. On August 28, Olivia participated in meetings at the Christchurch City Council, including a meeting with the Mayor of Christchurch Phil Mauger, met with secondary school teachers who participated in the workshop on the EU at the UC, attended the Ambassador’s keynote address to Model EU participants at the UC, met with local MPs, and visited Lincoln University where she met with NZ academics collaborating with academics from the EU.

In 2022, PD-PCF secured support from the Embassy of France to New Zealand to conduct a student-led research project on communicating sports diplomacy of France towards New Zealand. The project’s context is France’s preparation to the Rugby World Cup 2023 and Olympics 2024. These large-scale global-visibility sports events will take place in France and they will serve yet another powerful link between the two countries. The team of five students (under-and post-graduates) under the leadership of Prof Natalia Chaban examined media images of France in New Zealand in the issue-area of sports. The team analysed the framing of France as a sports actor on a leading New Zealand e-news platform Stuff.co.nz, compares it over time vis-à-vis the 2021 finding by the previous Hub, and monitored audience’s reactions. The team also compared Embassy’s digital communications in the area of sports vis-à-vis other embassies’ online channels. Student Research Hub reported its findings and recommendations to the French Embassy in Wellington in person on November 28, 2022. Students Research Hub members: Ella Bond (MStratCom), Hannah Brown (MStratCom), Miriam Carr (MStratCOm), Anthony Orr (UG), Sophie Hill (UG). This PD-PCF Hub was supported by the Embassy of France to NZ.

In 2022, PD-PCF, under leadership of Prof Chaban, secured support from the Delegation of the EU to New Zealand to conduct the follow-up analysis of the digital diplomacy outreach by the EU Delegation in New Zealand. The team of six students (under-and post-graduates), led by Prof Chaban, examined social media and other online channels of diplomatic communication and compared them over times using the findings of the 2021 Research Hub with the EU Delegation. Student Research Hub reports its findings to the EU Delegation diplomats in Wellington in person on November 25, 2022. Students Research Hub members: Shaylee Bright (Accelerator PhD, Media and Comms), Samuel Brett (PhD, Media and Comms), Aspen Berry (MStratCom), Margrete Bendsen (MA, Political Science), Oebe Roelant (UG), Margret Vernygora (UG).

Images of France in New Zealand Mainstream Media With Embassy of France to New Zealand In 2021, PD-PCF secured support from the Embassy of France to New Zealand to conduct student-led research on media framing of France in New Zealand. The team of seven students – under-and post-graduates -- examined images of France in the reports by New Zealand leading newspapers (The New Zealand Herald, the Dominion Post, The Press and the Otago Daily Times) as well as by Stuff.co.nz, NZ TV1 and Radio NZ. Research Hub reported its findings and recommendations to the French Embassy in Wellington in person in December 2021. Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban Students Research Hub members: Sree Nair (team leader, MA in Media and Communication), Nicholas Hudson (MStratCom), Aspen Berry (UG), Caitlyn Penney (UG), Margrethe Bendsen (UG, Emma Hartshaw (UG) and Margaret Vernygora (UG)

In 2021, PD-PCF secured support from the Delegation of the EU to New Zealand to conduct analysis of the digital diplomacy outreach by the EU Delegation in New Zealand. The team of six students (under-and post-graduates), led by Prof Natalia Chaban examined social media and other online channels of diplomatic communication. Research Hub reported its findings to the EU Delegation diplomats in Wellington in person at the end of 2021. Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban Students Research Hub members: Shaylee Bright (MStratCom), Samuel Brett (PhD, Media and Comms), Zahra Emamzadeh (PhD, Media and Comms), Oebe Roelant (UG), Amy Morahan (MStratCom), Matt McPherson (MStratCom) The PD-PCF Hub was supported by the EU Delegation to NZ

In 2020, PD-PCF secured competitive support from the Embassy of France to NZ and conducted research of the digital diplomacy outreach by the Embassy to New Zealand. In focus are social media channels run by the Embassy – Twitter and Facebook – as well as the Embassy’s website and e-newsletter. The team also compared its findings with the data from German and Italian embassies to NZ. Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban Students Research Hub members: Shaylee Bright (MStratCom), Zahra Emamzadeh (PhD Candidate, Media and Communication), Amy Norris-Hibbert (MStratCom), Ian Blythe (MStratCom). Cathy Joshua (MStratCom)Davide Garello (BA Honours, Media and Communication)

On November 28, 2024, Professor Natalia Chaban presented the key findings of the Jean Monnet Policy Network "Challenges and opportunities of EU heritage diplomacy towards Ukraine" at the webinar organised by the Ukrainian foreign policy think tank “Ukrainian Prism”, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, sharing findings and recommendations with Ukrainian stakeholders and decision-makers in the field of international strategic communication.

HE Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand, visited the UC and the Department of Media and Communication for the second time on January 23, 2025. Professor Chaban organised and led a UC Media & Comms public event where the Ambassador met with students and academics to discuss the “battle of narratives” in the increasingly geopolitical world and Ukraine in this context. Contributing to the academia-stakeholders dialogue, the HER-UKR researchers – Professor Natalia Chaban (WP5 leader), PhD students Mia Angeline and Shalabh Chopra, as well as Media & Comms alumnus Dr Daniela Grimberg -- reported their research findings on digital heritage diplomacy of Ukraine towards “Global South” countries. These reports are a part of the research output of the Jean Monnet Policy Network “Challenges and Opportunities of EU-Ukraine Heritage Diplomacy”, a 15-poartner consortium, and specifically Work Package 5 “Strategic Communication” (led by Professor Natalia Chaban).

On December 10, 2024, Work Package 5 team (Global South section) of the Jean Monnet Policy Network "Challenges and opportunities of EU heritage diplomacy towards Ukraine" reported results of Year 1 research a UK diplomat from the UK High Commission to New Zealand, Alexander Hill. The team of presenters included Mia Angeline (PhD in Media & Comms), Dmitry Romanenko (PhD in Media & Comms), UC staff Dr Daria Kuznetsova (Media & Comms/Political Science) and WP5 PI Professor Natalia Chaban (Media & Comms).