I am an established academic, with years of research & pedagogic practice, and active academic citizenship.
My research and pedagogic expertise are in the interdisciplinary gender and sexuality studies, combined with social and epistemic geopolitics, particularly focused on regional dynamics between Western and Central-Eastern Europe (CEE).
Over the years, I have built a coherent research profile around the following 4 pillars. On macro- and meso-level perspectives:
1. Interconnections of gender, sexuality, and nationalism in Poland.
2. Global sexual politics, particularly between the West and CEE.
3. Geopolitics of knowledge production & decolonial epistemologies in critical studies.
In the last 3 years, I have started developing also micro-level focus on interpersonal relations, especially:
4. Friendship & resilience of LGBTQ communities in Poland and the UK.
My career has considerably benefitted from an engagement with non-academic stakeholders nationally and internationally, such as The Arts Institute Plymouth and Equality Network Edinburgh (UK), Association Lambda Warszawa (Poland), The Feminist Autonomous Centre Athens (Greece). International networks of stakeholders, as well as research collaborations have been formative for several of my successful grant applications. Most recently, for the prestigious EU Horizon Europe multi-million consortium funding for the project (2022-2026): “RESIST – Fostering Queer Feminist Intersectional Resistances against Transnational Anti-Gender Politics” (grant no. 101060749).
Over the years I have also served as an Expert Evaluator or Grant Panel Member for EU Horizon 2020 calls, and for many national Research Councils, incl. ESRC & AHRC in UK, NCN in Poland, SEDA in Latvia, or NWO in Netherlands. I have been regularly peer reviving for major academic journals in queer studies.
I am always keen on integrating research into my pedagogical work with students, as well as developing research skills among them. I have taught and lead teams of teaching staff on core and elective UG and PG modules, across interdisciplinary social sciences and humanities, incl.: research methodologies, social theory, gender and sexuality, media studies, politics, among others. I supervise PhD students, and as an External Examiner and Exam Chair, I have an established doctoral-level mentoring experience, and I welcome expressions of interest from the prospective candidates.
My teaching experience lead me and Dr Mandy Winterton, to design and successfully validate in 2022 new MSc Applied Social Research. This is an innovative programme cultivating an applied ‘hands-on’ approach to learning key transferable research skills, while maintaining critical awareness of the economic, socio-cultural and political contexts that influence the practice of social research. Please check details at: https://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-applied-social-research-postgraduate-full-time
My pedagogical practice has been recognised with the Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS
1. I am co-Investigator on "RESIST. Fostering Queer Feminist Intersectional Resistances against Transnational Anti-Gender Politics" (2022-2026) (EU Horizon Europe grant no. 101060749). My roles are to lead on Communication and Dissemination work package and to coordinate the Polish case study. You can read more about the project on: https://theresistproject.eu
2. I am the Principal Investigator on "Collaborating Across: Developing Transnational Synergies To Strengthen Research Cultures" (2023) (ENU Strategic Research and Knowledge Exchange Fund). This project aims at increasing collaborations between researchers and non-academic partners, aiming at establishing a common research consortium platform.
3. I am Principal Investigator on “Friendship for LGBTIQ+ (Post-)Pandemic Social Resilience” (2022) (ENU Strategic Research and Knowledge Exchange Fund) together with Dr Katherine Ludwin (Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust). Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Research Interests
Gender and sexuality,
LGBT, queer, and feminist social movements,
National identities and nationalism,
Poland and Central-Eastern Europe,
Globalisation and transnational sexual politics,
Post-colonial, decolonial, and post-communist studies,
Geographies of sexualities,
Critical epistemology,
Friendship studies,
Queer kinship,
Cultural studies,
Discourse studies.
Teaching and Learning
I am co-Director (with Dr Mandy Winterton) on a new MSc Applied Social Research master's programme (starting September 2023).
We have developed from scratch a new, innovative programme cultivating a critical awareness of the economic, socio-cultural and political contexts that influence the practice of social research in various fields (i.e. academic, non-governmental, business, government & policy, media & creative industries). Join us! https://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-applied-social-research-postgraduate-full-time
On the undergraduate & postgraduate levels, I have been teaching and leading teams of teaching staff on core and elective modules, across interdisciplinary social sciences and humanities, incl.: research methodologies, social theory, gender and sexuality, media studies, politics, among others.
I supervise Doctoral Students, and as an External Examiner and PhD Exam Chair, I have an established doctoral-level mentoring experience, and I welcome expressions of interest from the prospective PhD candidates. Potential PhD topics incl. : Gender and sexuality; LGBT, queer, and feminist social movements; National identities and nationalism, Poland and Central-Eastern Europe, Globalisation and transnational sexual politics, Post-colonial, decolonial, and post-communist studies, Geographies of sexualities,
Critical epistemology, Friendship studies, Queer kinship, Cultural studies, Discourse studies.
I currently supervise three doctoral researchers:
• J. Smietanka – writes on unwanted sexual attention among LGBTQ communities in the UK (University of Plymouth).
• T. Kania – researches social resilience of gender diverse and trans* communities in Poland.
• O. McQueen – looks at first generation of drag queens in Poland in late 1990s/early 2000s.
I currently supervise three doctoral researchers:
• J. Smietanka – writes on unwanted sexual attention among LGBTQ communities in the UK (University of Plymouth).
• T. Kania – researches social resilience of gender diverse and trans* communities in Poland.
• O. McQueen – looks at first generation of drag queens in Poland in late 1990s/early 2000s.
List of possible (but not exhaustive) topics include:
Gender and sexuality,
LGBT, queer, and feminist social movements,
National identities and nationalism,
Poland and Central-Eastern Europe,
Globalisation and transnational sexual politics,
Post-colonial, decolonial, and post-communist studies,
Geographies of sexualities,
Critical epistemology,
Friendship studies,
Queer kinship,
Cultural studies,
Discourse studies.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
