Pristupačnost
Assoc. Prof. Tijana Vukić, Head of CEON
She is a Head of the Chair of Media and Communication at the Department of Croatian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, where she teaches communication studies courses across several study programmes. She graduated in Croatian Studies and attended the Journalism programme at the University of Zagreb. She earned her PhD at the University of Zadar (2014) after completing the doctoral programme in Journalism and Public Relations, with a dissertation on journalism education, which has since remained the central focus of her research. She previously worked as a Croatian language teacher and as a journalist and editor in regional and national media. She is the author of two academic monographs in the field of journalism education, From Journalist to Journalism – Study of Journalistic Skills (2017) and Colloquium on Journalism Education (2024). She chaired the international Temporary working group Journalism and Communication Education (JCE) (2021–2022) within the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), of which she has been a member since 2017. Since 2025, she has served as Vice-President of the Sustainable Journalism Partnership (SJP), where she initiated the establishment of the Education for Sustainable Journalism group in 2022 and continues to lead it. She has led the institutional projects Youth Radio in Croatia (2020–2021) and Higher Education of Journalists in a Digital Environment (HEJDE) (2021–2026). She continuously pursues professional development, currently focusing on e-learning in education and business and on Nonviolent Communication.
Team members
She earned her master’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, in 2015, and received the Rector’s Award for her work at TV Student. She completed her doctoral studies in the humanities at the University of Osijek (2023). Her work has consistently developed at the intersection of the social sciences and humanities, combining theory, practice, research and entrepreneurship. She developed her interest in the arts and visual storytelling through theatre acting and Stres Film, a non-profit association for audio-visual arts. After returning to Pula, she spent several years working at the Public Relations Office of Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, where she was involved in promotion, public relations, web content creation and event organisation. Today, she continues to develop her expertise through her own business, Check PR Consulting & Events, while also working as an external associate and lecturer in the Design and Audio-visual Communications programme at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.
She actively contributes to CEON’s development and strategic direction and helps strengthen the Centre’s visibility by developing promotional strategies and managing its communication channels. She is particularly involved in the organisation and promotion of professional events, including Journalism Forum 2026. Drawing on her experience in academia, the media and entrepreneurship, she works to establish strategic partnerships and, through her teaching, connects research and practice while engaging young professionals in the Centre’s mission.
Renata Boljun
She earned her master’s degree in Journalism from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, where she also worked as a project associate after completing her studies. She built her career in television and video journalism, from the TV Student, whose programmes were broadcast on HRT4, through work for local media, the Pula Film Festival and the Motovun Film Festival, to the Audio-visual Service of the Council of the European Union in Brussels, where she produced content for official EU platforms. Her journalistic work has received awards at international festivals, and in 2016 she received the Rector’s Award from the University of Zagreb. Since 2019, she has run Flip Clip, her own business based in Pula, where she combines journalistic precision with documentary and production experience, with an increasing focus on producing podcasts and content for social media. As a practitioner with experience in audio-visual journalism, she contributes to the development of practice-oriented educational programmes and digital educational content. Her production work at Media Agency conferences gives her first-hand insight into current discussions on the future of journalism and media education, as well as the ways in which the profession is responding to the structural pressures shaping journalism today. This combination of practical experience and an understanding of the broader media context underpins her contribution to the Centre. She is also committed to fostering interdisciplinary connections among journalism, cultural and educational stakeholders in Istria and beyond.
Lara Ljubenović
She earned her master’s degree in Marketing from the Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr Mijo Mirković” at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula. Since 2024, she has been a doctoral student in the Business Economics in Tourism and Hospitality programme at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka. Her research interests focus on the tourist experience. In recognition of her academic and professional achievements, she received the Rector’s Award (2024) and the Dean’s Award (2025). During her studies, she has actively participated in various projects and student initiatives. Her professional experience includes digital marketing, social media management and digital content creation. Since 2023, she has managed the social media channels of the Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr Mijo Mirković”, and since 2024 she has also worked at the Office for Communications, Branding and Public Relations at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula. Her work includes creating and publishing content, producing visual and video content, photographing and filming events, preparing newsletters, and contributing to digital advertising campaigns. She is also involved in the promotion of the ARCHAEODIGIT, FORTIC and TESTEAT projects within the Interreg Italy–Croatia programme. She contributes to the work of the Centre for Sustainability of Journalism Education by managing its social media channels and developing and adapting content for different platforms, thereby helping to increase the visibility of CEON’s activities and build its distinctive identity in the digital environment.
Irina Basara is an external associate of the Chair for Media and Communication of the Department of Croatian Studies at the Faculty of Humanities in Pula. She is a titled senior teaching assistant in communication science courses in various study programs. She is employed at the Italian high school in Rovinj, and has been a long-time editor and program manager of Rovinj FM radio. She graduated in economics from the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management in Opatija, University of Rijeka, and in 2021, at the J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, she received her PhD in Information and Communication Sciences on the social roles of Istria’s local radio. Since then, she has researched mostly within radio studies.
