Roja Zaitoonie

Short Bio

Roja Zaitoonie is an associated researcher at the EBI. She is a former fellow of the graduate school Medas 21 – Media Development in the 21st Century (learn more about the graduate school here). Her PhD project investigates the achievements and challenges of the UN’s media strategies in peacekeeping operations with a special focus on UN radios in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire (learn more about the project here). She holds an M.A. in Social Science from Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) and an LL.M. in Human Rights from the University of Valencia (Spain). Her research interests include Media Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, Human Rights, and the United Nations. 

Education 

• Since Nov 2018: Ph.D. studies, TU Dortmund, Germany (in cooperation with Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen) 
• Nov 2012 – Dec 2015: M.A. in Social Science (International Relations), Ruhr University Bochum, Germany 
• Sep 2013 – Sep 2014: LL.M. in Human Rights, Democracy and Global Justice, University of Valencia, Spain 
• Oct 2008 – Oct 2012: B.A. in Social Science (Sociology) and Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany 
• Sep 2010 – Sep 2011: Erasmus in Audio-visual Communication, University of Valencia, Spain 

Academic Work Experience  

• since Nov 2023: Research associate @ University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia
• Jul 2018 – Jan 2023: Ph.D. fellow and research associate @ Erich-Brost-Institute for International Journalism, TU Dortmund, and Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany 
• Apr 2012 – Mar 2014: Scientific Assistant @ Chair of Comparative Politics, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (Prof. Dr. Rainer Eising)

Other Work Experience 

• Sep 2020 – Apr 2022: Freelancer @ DW Akademie, Section for Research and Evaluation, Berlin 
• Oct 2019 – Mar 2020: Visiting Scholar @ DW Akademie, Section for Research and Evaluation, Ber 
• Aug 2016 – Dec 2018: Program Coordinator @ German Children and Youth Foundation, Berlin 
• Feb 2016 – May 2016: Intern and Project Coordinator @ German Foreign Office, Berlin, Division for Humanitarian Assistance and Humanitarian Demining 
• Oct 2015 – Jan 2016: Social Worker for Refugees and Asylum Seekers @ Malteser Germany, Düsseldorf 
• Mar 2015 – Apr 2015: Intern @ German Parliament (Bundestag), Berlin, Scientific Services, Division for Foreign Affairs, International Law, Economic Cooperation and Development, Defence, Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance 
• Jan 2014 – Sep 2014: Intern and Volunteer @ Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR), Valencia 

Research Focus and Interests 

• Media Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Relations, Global Governance, United Nations, Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Global Justice, International Cooperation, Humanitarian Assistance, Human Development, Sociology, Epistemology, Political Theory, Legal Philosophy, Global Citizenship, Empirical Research (Qualitative and Quantitative Methods)

Publications  

• Zaitoonie, R. (2023). Peace through the media? A historical outline of the UN’s peace-related media policies and activities [Manuscript submitted for publication]. In S. L. Connaughton & S. Pukallus (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of conflict and peace communication. 
• Matschke, A., Zaitoonie, R. et al. (2021). COVID-19 and the global media sector: Developments and ways forward. DW Akademie. https://www.dw.com/en/covid 19 and the global media sector developments-and-ways-forward/a-59765423 
• Matschke, A., Zaitoonie, R. et al. (2021). Coronavirus-Pandemie: Auswirkungen auf die Medienfreiheit in globaler Perspektive. DW Akademie. https://www.dw.com/de/studie pandemie beeintr%C3%A4chtigt-medienfreiheit/a-58838402 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2020, March 2). Building peace through radio? UN efforts on media and public information. Humanitarian News Research Network. http://www.hnrn.co.uk/building-peace-through-radio un efforts on media and public information/?fbclid=IwAR2v4vTHyXiQufn4LN66S7V82_zGIhPLhGqjhFG6jJeZz4Wa0RSqOcfnVEc 
• Zaitoonie, R. et al. (2018). UN peace operations radios: Lessons learned and best practices for their post-UN transitions. Fondation Hirondelle. https://www.hirondelle.org/de/unsere-news/673-an-expert-panel-on-united-nations-peace-radios-meets-in-geneva
• Zaitoonie, R. (2014). Between Idealism and Realism – The Global Governance of Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament [master's thesis, University of Valencia], https://roderic.uv.es/bitstream/handle/10550/70493/Roja_Zaitoonie_TFM.pdf?seq. 

Presentations 

• Zaitoonie, R. (2024, August 12-15). United Nations Radios in Peacekeeping Operations: Insights from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire [Paper presentation]. ECPR 2024, University College Dublin, Ireland (online).  [Paper presentation]. 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2021, July 11-15). Public relations or public broadcasting? An overview about the UN’s efforts on public communication in peace operations [Paper presentation]. IAMCR 2021, United States International University-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya (online). 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2021, April 22-23). The policy-making of the United Nations in the field of media and public communication – A historical comparison between the General Assembly and the Security Council [Paper presentation]. Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen, Germany (online). 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2021, April 20). Public relations or public broadcasting? An Overview about the UN’s efforts on media and public communication in peace operations [Power Point Presentation]. Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM), University of Sheffield, UK (online). 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2020, July 12-17). The achievements and challenges of the United Nations’ Security Council in the field of media and public communication [Paper presentation]. IAMCR Conference 2020, Tampere, Finland (online). 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2020, March 24). The United Nations’ efforts on media and public information in fragile and post-conflict settings – A comparative study on the peace operations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone [Powerpoint presentation]. Forum Media and Development (FoME), Berlin, Germany (online).     
• Zaitoonie, R. (2019, October 29). From idea to reality? The UN efforts on media development in fragile and (post-)conflict contexts [PhD presentation]. YECREA International and Intercultural Communication Young Scholars Workshop, Brussels, Belgium. 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2019, October 24-25). The achievements and challenges of the United Nations’ General Assembly in the field of information and communications technologies (ICTs) [Paper presentation]. DGPuK Intercultural and International Communication (IIC) Conference 2019, Dortmund, Germany. 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2019, September 18-20). Constructing peace through the media? The targeted use of media interventions in peace processes [Paper presentation]. ECREA Philosophy of Communication Section Workshop 2019, Tel Aviv, Israel. 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2019, July 7-11). The achievements and challenges of the United Nations’ General Assembly in the field of media and public communication [Paper presentation]. IAMCR Conference 2019, Madrid, Spain. 
• Zaitoonie, R. (2015, November 22). Between Idealism and Realism - The Global Governance of Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament [Training Session]. Training of the German Red Cross on International Humanitarian Law, Alsfeld, Germany. 
• Zaitoonie, R. et al. (2015, February 5-6). Detención incomunicada en España [Paper Presentation]. Second International Congress on Security, Justice and Criminal Law, Valencia, Spain.