Ernest Thaqi, MPM, B.Sc.
Former Project Staff
Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Studies (CMC)
Austrian Academy of Sciences | University of Klagenfurt
Bäckerstraße 13 / 1. Stock | A-1010 Wien
Ernest Thaqi is a political scientist and communication scholar working as a researcher/project staff at the Austrian Academy of Sciences since 2023. His interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersections of media, democracy, and misinformation, particularly within the Horizon Europe project MeDeMAP. Ernest holds a Bachelor's in Public Policy, International Relations, and Management from RIT, New York, and a Master's in Global Public Policy from the University of Potsdam, Germany.
Ernest has practical experience as a research fellow at the German Bundestag in Berlin. In MeDeMAP, he conducts interviews with media professionals, analyzes data, and contributes to research outputs on the role of media in democracy. His focus is on how media influences political participation and misinformation in EU countries.
Ernest also transcribes and analyzes interviews with key media stakeholders. Fluent in four languages, he is skilled in policy analysis, research, speechwriting, and social media communication, contributing significantly to MeDeMAP’s goal of improving the understanding of media’s role in democracy.
Research Interests
Government & Governance, Foreign Policy, Rule of Law & the Media, Political Communication, Strategic thinking & strategic communication, Comparative Politics, Data Analysis, Digitalisation, Diplomacy, Election Campaigns, Agenda setting, Geopolitics, International Political Economy, Policy Making
Academic Education
2017-2018: Master of Public Management at the University of Potsdam, Germany
Specialization in Global Public Policy
2009-2013: Bachelor of Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, New York
Specialization in Public Policy, International Relations & Management
Professional Career
2023- : Project Staff at the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Research Group ‘Mapping media for future Democracies’ (MeDeMAP)
Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Studies (CMC)
2019-2019: Research Fellow at the German Parliament, Berlin, Germany
International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS)
2016-2017: Sales specialist at the Insurance Company Insig sh.a, Prishtina, Kosovo
2015-2016: Internship, Assistant in the Bailiffs office, Ministry of Justice, Republic of Kosovo
Fellowships & Awards
2019-2019: International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS), Bundestag
2012-2013: Performance Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
2011-2012: Performance Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Publications
Publications pre 2023
2017-2018: Master Thesis on the Topic ‘Statebuilding in Kosovo; Challenges of Kosovo in Joining International Organizations’