PD-PCF tests innovative formats in the teaching-research-practice nexus.
Student Research Hubs are interdisciplinary cross-level research groups of under-and post-graduate students who apply skills and knowledge learnt in the classes on political communication and public diplomacy to work stakeholders who work in international political communication sphere.
Student Research Hubs 2025
Trans-national Yonsei IP4 Hybrid Threat Simulation 2025
In 2025, PD-PCF has initiated an experimental Student Hub, uniting students of a post-graduate course COMS 420 “Public Diplomacy” with students from Japan, South Korea, and Australia in a trans-national simulation Yonsei IP4 Hybrid Threat Simulation 2025, following the collaboration with NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division. On October 11, 2025, the UC team, representing a Soft Power Working Group for an imaginary country of Gers (working with another Gers team from Japan), shared the first place in terms of scores. The Simulation event was organised and facilitated by Daryl Bocket and Jae Jeok, both of Yonsei University, South Korea, who led the very first simulation of this kind supported by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division in 2024. The UC team included six students from COMS 420, led by Professor Natalia Chaban, COMS 420 coordinator and lecturer.
Research Leader: Professor Natalia Chaban
Team Leader: Jacob Laudenslager (MIRAD)
Team members: Holly Blake (MA in Media and Comms), Fanchea Molony (MStratCom), Daisy Francis (MIRAD), Samantha Ferrier (MIRAD), Craig Petersen (MIRAD).
Student Research Hubs 2024
Narratives and Frames of Germany in New Zealand’s Leading Media
With Embassy of Germany to New Zealand
In 2024, PD-PCF continues its collaboration with the Embassy of Germany to New Zealand, conducted a research project tracking the latest media narratives and frame of Germany in New Zealand. Student researchers monitored the frames and narratives in leading newspapers, Radio NZ and e-news platform Stuff.co.nz. The Hub team developed and presented a set of original recommendations to the Embassy of Germany to New Zealand in the context of international strategic communication. On November 28, the Student Hub members flew to Wellington, where they presented their The findings and recommendation to the German Ambassador to New Zealand, HE Nicole Menzenbach, and the Deputy Ambassador, Winnie Swiatakowski. The 2024 team included six students, listed below.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Hub Researchers: Megan Gnad (MStratCom); Francesca Harrison (MStratCom); Xavier Dickason (MIRAD); Marrion Omniwega (MPAG); Jasmine Barry (UG graduate) and Alessandra Ward (BSENS).
The EU’s Digital Diplomacy towards New Zealand
With EU Delegation to New Zealand
In 2024, PD-PCF continued its collaboration with the Delegation of the EU to New Zealand. This year, the PD-PCF presented it final report of the four-year collaboration (see Student Hubs in 2021, 2022, 2023 below). The Hubs undretook systematic observation of digital diplomacy by the EU Delegation towards New Zealand, tracking its evolution vis-à-vis findings from previous years, and developing consecutive sets of recommendations building on previous studies and the changes introduced by the diplomatic communicators following the Hubs’ reports. Research in 2024 focused on the Delegation’s communications through a number of social media platforms run by the Delegation and the Head of the Delegation. On December 5, 2024, Student Research Hub members and Professor Chaban (Research Lead) flew to Wellington where they presented their findings and recommendations to HE Lawrence Meredith, the Head of the EU Delegation, and his team of diplomats and strategic communicators at the EU Delegation. The 2024 team included six students – a team of UC under-and post-graduates.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Hub Lead Researcher: Sam Brett (PhD student, UC Media & Comms)
Hub Research Consultant: Margaret Vernygora (MIRAD)
Hub Researchers: 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 and.
Frames and Narratives of France as Research, Science, Technology and Innovation Actor in New Zealand’s Leading Media
With the Embassy of France to New Zealand
The 2024 PD-PCF Student Hub collaborating with the Embassy of France to NZ was the fifth student research hub from the UC collaborating with the French diplomats (see Hubs in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 below). In 2024, the members of the Hub team analysed of frames and narratives of France in New Zealand’s leading media, with a special focus on the images of France in the research/science/technology/innovation issue-areas. Students, together with the Hub Research Leader Prof Natalia Chaban presented results to the French diplomats in the Embassy of France to New Zealand in Wellington, on December 5, 2024. 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 PD-PCF collaboration with the Embassy of France to New Zealand in 2024 – the Hub’s participation and contribution to the running of the Blue Talk ‘Science’ in Town Hall, Christchurch, on 20 November 2024. The Hub included 5 students.
Research Leader: Professor Natalia Chaban
Hub Senior Researchers: Ella Bond (Hub’s senior researcher, MStratCom alumnus), Sophie Hill (Hub’s senior researcher, MA in Media and Communication alumnus)
Hub Researchers: Mariyam (Falak) Ahmed (MStratCom), and undergraduate students Miles Peters and Ella Harsant.
Evolution of Narratives and Frames of Ukraine in the Media Coverage in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji
With the Embassy of Ukraine to Australia and New Zealand
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 in 2024. The Hub has built on earlier media research of New Zealand media coverage of the war against Ukraine by a different PD-PCF team in 2023 (informing the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Think Tank “Ukrainian Prism” that consults Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine). 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. The members of the Hub included eight under- and post-graduate students who studied international political communication.
Research Leader: Professor Natalia Chaban
Hub Researchers: 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.
Student Research Hubs 2023
Digital Diplomacy of the EU
With Delegation of the EU to New Zealand
In 2023, PD-PCF continues 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. The 2023 team includes nine students – under-and post-graduates. Student Research Hub reports its findings to the EU Delegation diplomats in Wellington in person on December 8, 2023.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Students Research Hub members:
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)
Communicating France in New Zealand
With Embassy of France to New Zealand
In 2023, PD-PCF secured support from the Embassy of France to New Zealand to conduct a student-led research project on communicating France towards New Zealand. The team of five students works with the Embassy in 2023.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Students Research Hub members:
Ella Bond (MStratCom), Sophie Hill (MA in Media and Comms), Anne Joseph (MIRAD), Alex Short (UG), Monika Dhakal (UG)
Student Research Hubs 2022
Communicating Sports Diplomacy of France in New Zealand
With Embassy of France to New Zealand
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 – examines media images of France in New Zealand in the issue-area of sports. The team analyses 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 monitors audience’s reactions. The team also compares Embassy’s digital communications in the area of sports vis-à-vis other embassies’ online channels. Student Research Hub reports its findings and recommendations to the French Embassy in Wellington in person on November 28, 2022.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Students Research Hub members: Ella Bond (MStratCom), Hannah Brown (MStratCom), Miriam Carr (MStratCOm), Anthony Orr (UG), Sophie Hill (UG).
Digital Diplomacy of the EU
With Delegation of the EU to New Zealand
In 2022, PD-PCF 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 – examines social media and other online channels of diplomatic communication and compares 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.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
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).
Diplomatic Series 2022 in COMS 420 Public Diplomacy
In 2022, COMS 420 Public Diplomacy (coordinated by Professor Natalia Chaban) featured a series of diplomatic visitors and events:
Diplomatic guest speakers in 2022 included:
- Dr Alessio Guarino, Attaché for Education and Research of the Embassy of France to New Zealand;
- Kevin O’Connell, Counsellor (Political) / Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand
- Amy Norris-Hibbert, Public Diplomacy and Enquiries Adviser at High Commission of New Zealandto the UK
- Andrew Cutler, the Director of Communications of NZ MFAT
Public Diplomacy Campaign Presentation 2022
Students reported their original public diplomacy campaigns (the final assessment in the course) to the diplomatic jury – Dr Alessio Guarino, Attaché for Education and Research of the Embassy of France to New Zealand and Amy Norris-Hibbert, Public Diplomacy and Enquiries Adviser at High Commission of New Zealand to the UK, an MStratCom and Public Diplomacy course alumnus. The winning team – MStratCom students Ella Bond, Clair Gullidge and Fei Li – will present their campaign focused on the French sports diplomacy towards NZ to the Communication Team of the Embassy of France to NZ and attend reception organised by the Embassy of France at the UC.
Student Research Hubs 2021
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 -- examines 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 will report its findings to the French Embassy in Wellington in person by the end of 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)
Digital Diplomacy of the EU
With Delegation of the EU to New Zealand
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 – examines social media and other online channels of diplomatic communication. Research Hub will report its findings to the EU Delegation diplomats in Wellington in person by 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)
Student Research Hubs 2020
Digital diplomacy of France to New Zealand
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)
Political Communication and Information Warfare: Dis- and Mis-Information
with Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis (VIPA), Lithuania
The focus of this research hub was on assisting the VIPA with research report on information tactics employed by the Russian Federation in communication flows towards the Baltic States.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Students Research Hub members: Bipulendra Adhikari (PhD Candidate, Media and Communication), Declan Lowe (MStratCom), Anthony Orr (UG)
International relations political communication
with Foreign Policy Council "Prism", Ukraine
This research hub works on political communication assignments in collaboration with the Ukrainian Foreign Council “Prism” – a think tank that engages in its activities with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and National Diplomatic Academy.
Research Leader: Prof Natalia Chaban
Students Research Hub members: Dr Suvojit Bandopadhyaya) Media and Communication; Fathima Jaleel (MStratCom)
Diplomatic Series 2021 in COMS 420 Public Diplomacy
Ensuring a regular link between teaching and practice, COMS420 Public Diplomacy introduced its students to the diplomacy practitioners who shared their expertise in public diplomacy and communication. The Diplomatic Series in Public Diplomacy featured H.E. Peter Ryan, Ambassador of Ireland to New Zealand, Kevin O’Connell, Counsellor (Political)/Deputy Head of Delegation of the EU Delegation to New Zealand, Alessio Guarino, Science and Higher Education Attaché at the Embassy of France in New Zealand, Eric Soulier, Head of Culture, Education and Science of the Embassy of France New Zealand, Dr Simon Mark and Caroline McDonald of NZ MFAT.
MStratCom students present to Public Diplomacy Communications Division of NZ MFAT
MStratCom students Laura Tretheway, Kelly Dorgan, Lucy Weddell, Shaylee Bright and Amy Morahan presented their original cultural diplomacy campaigns to Adrienne Bonell and Bhavan Bhim of the Public Diplomacy Unit of NZ MFAT on October 29, 2021. The campaigns designed by student – the final assessment in COMS 420 Public Diplomacy (coordinated by Prof Chaban) -- were selected as winners by the diplomatic jurors: H.E. Peter Ryan, Ambassador of Ireland to NZ, and Dr Simon Mark, Massey University. Following the briefing, the reports will be passed to the MFAT’s wider Communications team as well as New Zealand’s Dublin Embassy and Fijian High Commission to showcase MStratCom students’ work.
