Employees
anna.czyz@us.edu.pl
Assoc. Prof. Anna Czyż, Professor of the University of Silesia
A graduate of long-cycle studies in political science (major in local government) of the University of Silesia in Katowice (2004). She received a PhD in humanities in the field of political science in 2008, and in 2018 she was awarded the degree of Associated Professor of social sciences in the discipline of political science. Since 2004, she has been working at the Institute of Political Sciences of the University of Silesia as an assistant, since 2010 as an assistant professor, and since 2019 as a university professor.
The author, co-author and co-editor of several monographs and collective works, as well as several articles in scientific journals and chapters in collective works devoted to the issues of political systems of the Visegrad Group countries, cooperation of four Central European countries and issues related to the functioning of local government in Central and Eastern European countries.
As part of the Erasmus+/LLP programme, she lectured abroad, including at Univerzita Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici, Università degli Studi di Firenze, at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universita degli Studi di Napoli l’Orientale, Kadir Has Üniversitesi in Istanbul.
Her research interests focus on issues of political systems of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, local government, the Visegrad Group and the importance of Central Europe and the post-Soviet area in international relations.
rafal.glajcar@us.edu.pl
Assoc. Prof. Rafał Glajcar, Professor of the University of Silesia
PhD Paweł Grzywna, Professor of the University of Silesia
pawel.grzywna@us.edu.pl
Assoc. Prof. Sebastian Kubas, Professor of the University of Silesia
sebastian.kubas@us.edu.pl
He obtained the academic title of Associate Professor in social sciences in the field of political science in 2018, defending his doctoral habilitation thesis entitled The Process of Democratisation and its Determinants. Analysis Based on the Example of the Czech Republic and Hungary (1990–2016).
Participant of Polish and foreign conferences where he presents the results of his research in the form of papers. Twice he received the award of the Rector of the University of Silesia for scientific and research achievements. Since 2014, he has been the head of the Polish Political Science Association, branch in Katowice. Subject editor of the scientific journal “Studia Politicae Universitatis Silesiensis”. Reviewer of books and scientific articles. He lectured abroad, among others in Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
His current scientific interests and conducted research are related to the issue of democratisation and processes opposite to democratisation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the quality of the functioning of auxiliary units in the Polish local government on the example of Katowice. Author of works devoted to issues of political systems and the political history of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Japan, as well as the local government of the Third Polish Republic.
tomasz.kubin@us.edu.pl
Assoc. Prof. Tomasz Kubin, Professor of the University of Silesia
PhD Małgorzata Lorencka
malgorzata.lorencka@us.edu.pl
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science. Treasurer of the Katowice branch of the Polish Political Science Association. Member of the editorial staff of Przegląd Prawa Konstytucalnego and Pogranicze. Polish Borderlands Studies. A member of many international scientific organisations, including The Italian Political Science Association (SISP – Società Italiana di Scienza Politica), the Italian Association for Electoral Studies (SISE – Società Italiana di Studi Elettorali), the Hellenic Political Science Association (HPSA – Ελληνική Εταιπεία Πολιτήτη), ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research), IPSA (International Political Science Association), PSA (Political Studies Association).
She deals with the issues of the political systems of the Italian Republic and the Hellenic Republic, with particular emphasis on the electoral and party systems.
PhD Justyna Łapaj-Kucharska
justyna.lapaj@us.edu.pl.
Doctor of social sciences in the field of political science. Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Silesia.
She received the distinction of the Rector of the University of Silesia in Katowice awarded for scientific achievements for the best graduates in the 2011/2012 academic year.She received a scholarship from the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland for scientific achievements in the 2011/2012 academic year, as well as a scholarship from the Rector of the University of Silesia for scientific achievements in the years 2008–2012. In the years 2010–2018 she was a member of the editorial board of the journal of the University of Silesia Pisma Humanistyczne, deputy editor-in-chief, subject editor in the field of political science. Since 2019, she has been a member of the Polish Political Science Association, branch in Katowice.
Participant of several university grants devoted to diverse topics bordering on the media, theoretical aspects of democracy, the functioning of the European Union and international relations. Participant of scientific and research projects, among others in the field of access to public information, in cooperation with external entities, including the BONA FIDES Civic Activity Association in Katowice.
In 2012 she obtained the licence of a European trainer on behalf of the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation. Since 2012, she has been a human rights educator on behalf of Amnesty International. She conducted a number of trainings and workshops in these areas at national and international seminars. He teaches classes in the broadly understood field of international relations and national and international security in the study programme of political science as well as national and international security. Promoter of national and international security theses. Author of several dozen scientific articles in the field of international relations.
Her research interests focus on the foreign policy of Poland in the post-Cold War period towards European and non-European countries, Latin America (in terms of internal and foreign policies of Latin American countries and their position on the international arena, as well as Polish-Latin American relations), the Middle East (with particular emphasis on the state of Israel), as well as Jewish culture.
PhD Maciej Marmola
maciej.marmola@us.edu.pl
PhD Agnieszka Miarka
agnieszka.miarka@us.edu.pl
Master’s degree in political science (specialization: international relations). Ph.D. in social sciences in political science and administration (doctoral dissertation entitled Separatism in the post-Soviet area in 1992-2019). Chairperson of the Faculty Council of the Doctoral Student Self-Government of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Silesia in Katowice in 2017/2018. Member of the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Silesia on behalf of doctoral students in the academic year 2017/2018.
She received the award JM Rector of the University of Silesia for the best graduates of 2014/2015. She is a laureate of the 7th edition of the competition of distinctions of the JM Rector of the University of Silesia for achievements in scientific activity (2015), a recipient of the scholarship of the JM Rector of the University of Silesia for the best doctoral students in the academic year 2018/2019. In 2020 she received an individual award of the Rector of the University of Silesia for scientific and research achievements. Member of the Polish Political Science Association, Katowice branch. Author of several dozen scientific articles in collective works and prestigious, high-scoring scientific journals.
Interests: separatism in the post-Soviet area, South Caucasus in international relations, politics of the European states, politics of Eastern European countries, armed conflicts in the XXI century, international security in the political and military dimensions.
Assoc. Prof. Małgorzata Myśliwiec, Professor of the University of Silesia
malgorzata.mysliwiec@us.edu.pl
Representative for International Cooperation at the Faculty of Social Sciences. A graduate of the Institute of Political Science and Journalism at the University of Silesia in Katowice. In 1994–1998 she completed a long-cycle programme in political science, major in local government. She passed her MA exam based on the thesis The Constitutional Position of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia in the Political System of Contemporary Spain. In 2002, she defended her doctoral thesis Decentralism and Regionalism in the Political Concept of Convergència i Unió. The degree of doctor of humanities in the field of political science was granted by a resolution of the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia on 28 May 2002. The Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia in Katowice on 29 September 2015 conferred upon her the degree of the Associate Professor.
In the years 2014–2017 she managed the grant entitled “Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Operation of the Political System. Case study of Greece, Spain and Italy” (duration: 36 months; allocated amount: PLN 131,560.00) obtained as a result of the OPUS 5 competition announced by the National Science Centre (UMO-2013/09/B/HS5/00021 to Application No. 2013/09/ B/HS5/00021).
Her research interests are focused on: political systems of the European Union and Maghreb countries (with particular emphasis on the political system of Spain and Morocco), processes of decentralisation and regionalisation in Europe, the theory of nation and nationalism, national and ethnic minorities in Europe, regional and ethnoregional parties in Europe, as well as public administration in European countries.
PhD Elżbieta Proń
elzbieta.pron@us.edu.pl
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Silesia. She obtained her doctoratal degree in 2015 in the field of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom). She obtained two Master’s degrees: in sinology at the University of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2007) and national development, major in political development and constitution at the National Taiwan University (2009).
She repeatedly visited foreign institutions as a research fellow: American University in Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Institute for Management, Economic and Strategic Research in Kazakhstan, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in China and China Policy Institute in Great Britain. She was also a participant in the international research grant “The analysis of the One Belt One Road Initiative and the Social Stability of Religious and Ethnic Communities in China’s Western Regions” (2016-2019) managed by Professor Jin Wei of the Party School of the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. Before joining the Institute of Political Science staff in 2019, she worked as a lecturer at the OSCE Academy in Kyrgyzstan (2011–2012) and as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Linguistics at the University of Silesia (2015–2019). Currently, she is the manager of the research project “Chinese New Silk Roads in Central Asia – measures, strategies and actors of the Belt and Road Initiative” (2019-2022) funded by the National Science Centre (budget: PLN 416 745), project number: 2018/31/D/HS5/03371.
In her research, she deals with China’s foreign policy, especially China’s relations with Central Asia, China’s security policy, ethnic policy in western China, as well as Chinese-Taiwanese relations.
PhD Robert Radek
robert.radek@us.edu.pl
A graduate of the long-cycle studies in political science, major in local government and teaching. Doctor of humanities in the field of political science (doctoral dissertation defended in 2008 with honours), employed as an Assistance Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Silesia in Katowice.
Member of the Polish Political Science Association. President of the Association for Scientific Initiatives in Katowice. Member of the Editorial Team for the Polish Political Science Studies “Athenaeum” and Pogranicze. Polish Borderland Studies. Participant of numerous national scientific conferences. He has extensive teaching experience, including conducting classes in English with students participating in international exchanges. Multiple scholarship holder under the Erasmus+ Academic Mobility Programme. As part of the programmes he lectured, among others, in: Univerzita Mateja Bela in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia), Masarykova Univerzita in Brno (Czechia), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and Universität Stuttgart (Germany). A member of the Expert Team in Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts section to evaluate applications for funding research projects submitted in competitions announced by the National Science Centre in Krakow in 2013–2014. Author of two monographs and many scientific articles, as well as editor of three collective works.
His scientific interests are focused on the problems of the functioning of the executive power, especially the quality and effectiveness of its operations, as well as the phenomenon of minority governments in various countries around the world. In addition to his current research direction, he also deals with issues of locality and regionalism in the unifying Europe, in particular the problems of cross-border cooperation, as well as various aspects of the functioning of political systems, in particular the political system of the Republic of Poland.
PhD Natalia Stępień-Lampa
natalia.stepien-lampa@us.edu.pl
Doctor of social sciences, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Silesia in Katowice.
She is a member of the Polish Society for Social Policy and the Polish Political Science Association. She is a treasurer in the Association for Scientific Initiatives. In 2010 she graduated from the School of Business Trainers, and in 2018 from the School of Academic Tutors. She is the coordinator of the Teenagers’ University of Silesia and the University for the Best – an educational initiative of the University of Silesia directed at particularly gifted students. She cooperates with the Prospective Students’ University of Silesia and the University of Silesia for Teachers.
In her research she deals with issues related to the issue of equalisation of educational opportunities, educational policy, the phenomenon of poverty, including its spatial concentration.
MA Monika Szynol
monika.szynol@us.edu.pl
Assistant at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Silesia in Katowice. PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia in the field of political science. Master’s degree in political science, major in local government (University of Silesia in Katowice), graduate of post-graduate studies in Mechanisms of the Functioning of the Euro Area (University of Economics in Katowice).
Member of the Polish Political Science Association, branch in Katowice. In the years 2010-2016 involved in the NGO sector. Implementer of projects co-financed from both European (under the European Social Fund and grants from the European Commission) and national funds (under co-financing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development). European Affairs Consultant at the Europe Direct Information Centre in Katowice, operating as part of an information network managed by the European Commission (2011-2016), European Affairs Consultant at the Regional European Information Centre in Katowice (2011-2012) and International Consultant in Regional Centre for International Debate in Katowice (2013–2015), operating as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ information networks.
Editor of two peer-reviewed scientific monographs, author of several chapters and articles published in collective works and scientific journals. Author and co-author of several popular science and teaching publications.
Courses taught (selection): Polish foreign policy after 1989; EU common security and defence policy; terrorism as a threat to national and international security; national and international security strategies of powers; diplomatic protocol and savoir-vivre in practice; collapse of states in international relations in the 21st century (monographic seminar).
Prepared doctoral thesis: Development Cooperation in Poland’s Foreign Policy in the Years 1989–2017.
Her research interests focus on: international and Polish development cooperation, Poland’s foreign policy after 1989, European integration (with particular emphasis on EU enlargement policy, EU development policy, common foreign policy and EU security), international terrorism and the collapse of states in international relations.
PhD Wiktor Widera
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Doctor of social sciences. He is a graduate of bachelor’s studies in political science, master’s studies in journalism and social communication at the University of Silesia in Katowice and doctoral studies in management at the University of Economics in Katowice.
He is a participant of the European Academy of Diplomacy in the field of Polish Foreign Service. He is an author of several dozen scientific articles published in Polish and foreign scientific journals and an active participant in international conferences and research projects.
His scientific interests include, among others: issues related to migration in the context of the labour market in Europe, issues related to the design and organisation of development and marketing strategies for local government units, the area of social and marketing communication, media, as well as regional policy, migration policy, and climate policy.