EUROPEAN NETWORK OF EMERGING SCHOLARS

About Us

The European Network of Emerging Scholars (EUNES) is a researcher-led and inclusive network for early- and mid-career researchers who work in public relations and strategic communication fields. EUNES is responsive to the needs and interests of the early- and mid-career researchers and supports researchers in their career ambitions, through skills development, networking opportunities, workshops, and events.

Objectives

EUNES aims to bring early- and mid-career scholars in public relations and strategic communication together, to create and maintain lines of communication with scholars across Europe, to promote core values of solidarity, peace, equality and respect, to work on new ideas for research and teaching and to create an umbrella for skills development initiatives and future projects that are related to the study and analysis of public relations and strategic communication.

1. EUNES serves as a supportive platform for early- and mid-career researchers to share experiences on issues of their professional development.
2. EUNES serves as an open platform for international and interdisciplinary connections among early-and mid-career scholars.
3. EUNES facilitates mutual learning among early-and mid-career scholars.
4. EUNES facilitates intergenerational knowledge and skill-sharing.

The Bottom-up Approach in EUNES

We believe that EUNES thrives best with members who actively contribute with high levels of engagement. We therefore want to create an inclusive environment where all members feel welcomed and valued. Members are encouraged to take an active role in setting goals, making plans, organizing activities, and evaluating outcomes for EUNES. In this way, EUNES can chart a course of action that echoes the interests and needs of all members and that fosters a collaborative and intimate culture of pan-European collaboration.

What we do? EUNES Key Activities

Conference activities

• Career talk: Critical reflection on career development
• Research Escalator Session: Peer discussion and collaboration on research ideas

Online activities

• Monday Manuscript Madness: Weekly digital writing session based on pomodoro logic
• Research Talk Series: Method and theory reflection and discussion
• FOCUS – Friday Reading sessions: Monthly reading and discussion session

Networking and support

• Social gathering: Sharing experiences and networking
• EUNES café: getting connected over a cup of coffee (especially for newbies)

Impressions from Past Activities

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  Workgroup 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Research Escalator Session 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Research Escalator Session 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Research Escalator Session 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Social gathering 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Social gathering 2024 (Bucharest)
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  Research Talk about Computational Methods 2023
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  Social gathering 2023 (Prague)
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  Research Escalator Session 2023 (Prague)
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  Research Escalator Session 2023 (Prague)
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  Kick-off event 2022 (Vienna)
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  Career Talk 2023 (Prague)
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  Kick-off event 2022 (Vienna)
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  Kick-off event 2022 (Vienna)
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  Career Talk 2022 (Vienna)
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  Poster session 2022 (Vienna)
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  Social gathering 2022 (Vienna)
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  Online brainstorming session 2022

EUNES Network Map

Please click on the interactive map below to find our members’ research interest and contact information.

Join the Network!

EUNES provides support for early-and mid-career scholars (e.g., prospective graduate students, graduate students, post docs, non-tenured/tenured-tracked researchers, and adjuncts) from all backgrounds, affiliations, and locations who work in public relations and strategic communication fields. Interested in joining? Please fill in this form.

Founding and Working Groups of EUNES

EUNES was founded in May 2022 by Hui Zhao (Lund University, Sweden) and Alexander Buhmann (BI Norwegian Business School, Norway). The idea grew out of informal exchanges among emerging scholars who wished to create a dedicated space for collaboration, peer support, mentoring, and visibility within the European strategic communication and public relations research community. The initiative was approved by the Board of EUPRERA in May 2022, with an initial team of 11 members, and the network was officially launched at the EUPRERA Congress in Vienna in 2022.

The first working group (May 2022 – November 2023) consisted of:

• Leader: Hui Zhao (Lund University, Sweden)
• Nadine Strauß (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
• Alexander Buhmann (BI Norwegian Business School, Norway)
• Rickard Andersson (Lund University, Sweden)
• Jana Brockhaus (Leipzig University, Germany)

The second working group (November 2023 – November 2024) included:

• Co-leader: Hui Zhao (Lund University, Sweden)
• Co-leader: Rickard Andersson (Lund University, Sweden)
• Membership Manager: Jana Brockhaus (Leipzig University, Germany)
• Activity Manager: Denis Šimunović (IULM University, Italy)
• Communication Manager: Ester Conings Vanvik (Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Norway)