Erisa Zykaj

The lack of public confidence in the EU is a complex issue to tackle, for me that makes a great challenge. Taking into account the impact of some key National referenda during the last decade in EU, I’m really interested in uncovering what the EU institutions communication on those referenda tells us about EU. But this time not through journalism, but academic work. I have a fascination for the deep knowledge and consider that there is a beautiful combination between academic work and journalism experience. I’m glad that imec-SMIT-VUB gave me the opportunity to develop a PhD thesis. I’m a EU lover and at the same time, I am able to criticize what I love.

I am a Brussels-based correspondent on EU affairs and have been working for ABCnews TV and KLAN TV since 2010. I worked for EURONEWS’s weekly magazine “Parlamento” during 2008-2010 and for Radio France International (Albanian section) during 2002 and 2008. I am Vice-president of Press Club Brussels Europe and member of International Press Association Council API/IPA. I graduated in journalism and I hold a master degree in European Journalism in CUEJ Strasbourg, and another one in European studies in IEE (ULB) Brussels. Currently, I am doing a PhD at SMIT on EU communication.