Laura is a PhD candidate in the Intercultural Communication department, working under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Gabowitsch. Her research focuses on civil society, historical narratives, and memory studies, with a particular emphasis on Russia and the post-Soviet region. Her doctoral dissertation, titled "War and Migration: Russian Activists' Memory Debates in their New Host Countries," explores how Russian memory activists utilize memory practices and narratives to challenge state discourse and promote social change. The study specifically examines these dynamics in the context of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting war-induced exile, investigating how activists' engagement with memory debates varies across different host countries.

Laura completed her Master's degree in International Relations at Monash University in 2023. Her master's thesis analyzed Putin's discursive legitimation of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine through the lens of identity and gender. Prior to her graduate studies, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Applied Foreign Languages (English-Russian) with a specialization in translation from Aix-Marseille Université.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Laura serves as a commissioning editor for the open-access website E-International Relations and contributes as a writer for the Young Diplomats Society, a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization.

Here below is the abstract of her dissertation.

War and Migration: Russian Activists’ Memory Debates in their New Host Countries

Following Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many Russian memory activists left the country, providing a unique opportunity for scholars to explore the interaction between Russian memory activism traditions and the memory debates in their new host countries. Because the Kremlin framed the invasion as a war over territory as much as memory and historical legacy, the conflict itself is deeply rooted in – and discursively legitimated through – competing historical narratives and the struggle over collective memory between the two nations. I will adopt a multi-method approach that includes conducting in-depth interviews with exiled memory activists and analysing their social media activities. My research has two main objectives. First, I aim to investigate how these activists use memory practices and narratives to challenge state discourse and promote social change, particularly in the context of war and exile. Second, I will examine how activists' engagement with memory debates varies based on their host countries. For example, Russian activists in post-Soviet nations often reclaim historical narratives that highlight independence and resistance to oppression, aligning with these countries' emphasis on sovereignty and defence against Russian aggression. In contrast, Russian activists in Western countries focus on promoting historical accuracy and encouraging dialogue about the impact of memory politics, as discussions tend to revolve around issues like authoritarianism, nationalism and historical revisionism.