New Student Cohort Joins CMDS
Eight students have joined the Center for Media, Data and Society as interns to work on various projects.
The students are conducting research work in line with the common methodology of the projects. They collect and tabulate data, carry out interviews, write analytical reports and feed into the projects’ outputs.
"In line with the mission of the CEU School of Public Policy to give students as much practical experience as possible, our center is welcoming a new cohort of students to involve in doing work on our research projects,” said Marius Dragomir, Director of CMDS, adding that
“the presence of these young researchers in our team is extremely important for many reasons,
but two stand out: not only that they do high-quality work, but they also bring a fresh perspective to how media and journalism should be studied, regulated, thought about.”
MEET THE NEW INTERNS
Khadija Aftab is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Policy at Central European University. Prior to CEU, she has completed her specialization in Sociology and served as a lecturer of Sociology, and also contributed to research in many top-ranking universities in Pakistan in the last seven years. The research areas included social exclusion, migration and curriculum and textbook research in Pakistan. She also works as a research consultant with Transparency International, focusing on perceptions of corruption in Hungary. Her works under publication include Effect of Digital Governance on the Quality of Higher Education: The Case of Central European University.
Khadija will work on the Media Influence Matrix project.
Rumi Akter is pursuing her MA in Public Policy at the School of Public Policy at Central European University. Originally from Bangladesh, she has pursued Graduation and Post-Graduation in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. She also did a Post-Graduation Diploma in Genocide Studies from the Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS) at the University of Dhaka. Prior to joining CEU, Rumi worked as a Research Assistant at the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) where her main tasks were to develop academic papers and present papers on seminars and conferences. She also gained editorial competency by editing articles for the Journal of International Affairs and working on book projects. She often writes for the English dailies of Bangladesh. She also has work experience as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) at the BRAC University and interned with the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) as well. Her research interests include human rights, Rohingya refugees, geopolitics, Bangladesh and China Studies.
Rumi will work on the Journalism Breakthroughs project.
Ayse Tuba Celik is a senior year Political Science and International Relations university student at the McDaniel College Budapest. Originally from Izmir, she had studied at the Izmir University of Economics for 3 years before joining the McDaniel College, and she also completed two Erasmus mobility programs at the Nottingham Trent University and in Slovakia. She has a European Studies Certificate with high honors from the Izmir University of Economics.
Tuba will work on the Who’s Who in Policymaking project.
Maria Chiara Franceschelli studies Comparative Politics of Eurasia at the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg. She is currently researching non-contentious environmental social movements strategies and environmental participation in the post-Soviet space. Her research interests cover social movements, civil society development and environmental democracy in Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. She also writes analytical articles about Russian politics and society for several Italian media projects.
Chiara will work on the Who’s Who in Policymaking project.
Nadin Helmi is a 2nd-year Master's student in Cultural Heritage Policy and Management at the Central European University. Her research focuses on influencing policymakers in Egypt for the protection of urban heritage. The research aims to provide grassroots and local communities with the proper tools for mobilizations to practice their right to protect their heritage. Nadin's experience working in the field of human rights and development in Egypt dates back to 2010. Her local knowledge and awareness of issues around these years have made her tackle challenges nationally and internationally through her research journey.
Nadin will work on the Media Influence Matrix project.
Iheb Klai is a senior student at the McDaniel College Budapest where he is majoring on Political Science and International Relations with a focus on journalism. Peacekeeping, conflict resolution, migration and security are also part of his educational path. He has worked with several organizations through volunteering and student-related jobs, such as AIESEC, Save The Children and UNHCR, and gained experience in journalism while writing and reporting through university workshops and associations. Iheb is fluent in three different languages: French, Arabic and English.
Iheb will work on the Power Brokers: Political Consultancies and Journalism project.
Ryan Switzer is a recent graduate of Central European University's MA in Political Science program. His research probes the intersections of social movements, network theory, technology, and the far right. He currently works as an editor with the cultural publisher tranzit.hu in Hungary, and will begin a Sociology PhD in Fall 2020.
Ryan will work on the Digital News Report and Media Influence Matrix projects.
Aiste Vaitkeviciute is currently pursuing the MUNDUS MAPP degree in European Public Policy at Central European University. Her interests include European governance, policy-making, and human rights. She holds a BA in Government and Global Studies from Colby College in the United States. Prior to CEU, she was involved in human rights and anti-corruption work and activism in Lithuania.
Aiste will work on the Who’s Who in Policymaking and Power Brokers: Political Consultancies and Journalism projects.