ANETA BĄK-PITUCHA, PhD, Catholic University of Lublin

She obtained PhD in Political Science (doctor of humanities in the field of political sciences), she is researcher at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. She is the curator of the National Security Scientific Circle. She is the author of monographs, numerous scientific articles and reviews. 2023-2024 she was the editor of the issue of the journal "Studies and Analyses of Political Sciences". She is also a member of many scientific societies. She organizes scientific conferences and she is a member of the Team of Experts of the Catholic University of Lublin. Research interests focus on topics related to international relations, formats of cooperation in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as national minorities and ethnic groups. She obtained a doctoral degree at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland (2012).

ŁUKASZ KWADRANS, PhD, associate professor, University of Silesia in Katowice

He is resocialization and intercultural pedagogue, political scientist, sociologist, trainer, manager, graduate of the Executive MBA program - Business Trends. From 2005 to 2016, he was a specialist probation officer (formerly a social probation officer and probation center educator) at the District Court in Swidnica. From 2006 to 2013, he was head of the Probation Center. He undertook research (17) and teaching (15) internships abroad under International Visegrad Fund, Erasmus+, BUWiM, NAWA scholarships and projects in European Commission programs and bilateral agreements (Australia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine). He was a participant, contractor and coordinator of projects (NCN, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Commission under the 7th Framework Program, International Visegrad Fund, European Social Fund, Human Capital Operational Program, VEGA, APVV). He is an author and co-author of more than 100 scientific articles, 3 author monographs, 5 co-authored monographs, 10 co-edited collective works, participated in more than 200 national and international scientific conferences at home and abroad. He is secretary of the Section of Pedagogy of Culture and Intercultural Education at the Committee on Pedagogical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Deputy Director of the Center for Roma Studies at the University of Silesia in Katowice and member of the Association for the Support of Intercultural Education and The Comparative Education Society in Europe, International Association for Intercultural Education, Ukrainian Academy of Acmeology, The Gypsy Lore Society. He is thematic editor of the journal Intercultural Education. As a member of the editorial board of the Romani Series, Lincom Academic Publisher, and thanks to this cooperation, he carries out scientific research work in an international consortium on the situation of the Roma in Central European countries, resulting in a series of publications. He is currently conducting team research under a NAWA grant on communication competence in culturally diverse environments and intercultural sensitivity.

ALEKSANDRA KUCZYŃSKA-ZONIK, PhD, Catholic University of Lublin

She is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, and head of the Department of the Baltics at the Institute of Central Europe. She is a political scientist and archaeologist and a laureate of the Polish National Science Centre Programs: “Mobility Plus” (2016–2017), “Miniatura” (2022–2023) and “Sonata” (2024–2027) devoted to national minorities. Her research focuses on politics and security in the Baltic states, Russian-speaking diaspora, and Soviet heritage.

SZCZEPAN CZARNECKI, PhD, Palacký University in Olomouc

He is an Assistant at the Department of Sociology and the Cultural Anthropology at the Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic and researcher in the Filling the Blanks project at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He is also analyst at the Visegrad Department in Institute of Central Europe.

MARIANNA MAKAROVA, MSc, Tallin University

has MSc in psychology from the University of Tartu and is currently working on her PhD in political science and governance at the Tallinn University. Marianna’s research focus is on the role of various factors in the public sphere – such as history interpretation and narratives, labor market equality, or public attitudes towards cultural diversity – on determining the relations between social groups, including ethnic minorities, and inclusiveness of the society. The concept of Open identity – national identity equally inclusive for both majority and minority groups – has been an important center point for her research. Marianna Makarova currently works as a research consultant with a number of projects, including consulting Moldovan strategic communication center on research issues. From 2018 to 2023 Marianna has worked as the Strategic Communication Adviser at the Government Office of Estonia, responsible for research supporting government crisis communication during COVID pandemic and later erupted full-fledged war in Ukraine. Previously Marianna has held a number of positions in public and private sector and academia, including being the Head of Research Development at the Estonian Integration Foundation, researcher at Tallinn University and Managing editor for academic journal Studies of Transitional States and Societies.