Project Staff

Dr. Malwina Bakalarska
Initiator and Head of Research Project

Researcher at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She is also a cultural diversity management consultant and trainer at Polish think-tank DiversityHub.pl. Since 2006 she conducted research on time management and HR management styles in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria. She spent 6 months living with a Yoruba family in Lagos (2008, 2011, 2015). She also visited other locations in Nigeria including Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Calabar, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ile-Ife, Oshogbo and many more trying to understand diverse local traditions. After many years of being focused on African studies, she felt the drive to explore new cultures. In the past she expressed spontaneity and internal energy by practising West-African dances. Recently, by learnig Chinese-Mandarin language and Asian ink painting, she focuses on mindfulness and observation of the surrounding world. In her new ‘Africans In Asia’ project she analysises acculturation algorithms and biographic patterns of Nigerians studying in China and Malaysia in a new economic and political global context.

Prof. Łukasz Gacek
Senior Consultant

Łukasz Gacek, Associate Professor at the Middle and Far East of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His research concentrates on political systems, security issues, and international relations in East Asia. He is also the author of numerous articles and books about China’s foreign policy, China’s energy security, ecological security, Asian political systems, and others.

He is the author of the following books:
♦ Chińskie elity polityczne w XX wieku (Chinese Political Elites in the 20th Century), Krakow 2009.
♦ Bezpieczeństwo energetyczne Chin. Aktywność państwowych przedsiębiorstw na rynkach zagranicznych (China’s Energy Security. Activity of the state-owned enterprises on foreign markets), Krakow 2012 (with Ewa Trojnar)
♦ Pokojowe negocjacje czy twarda gra: Rozwój stosunków ponad Cieśniną Tajwańską (Peaceful Negotiations or Tough Play: Evolution of the Relations over the Taiwan Strait), Krakow 2012.
♦ Azja Centralna w polityce energetycznej Chin (Central Asia in China’s Energy Policy), Kraków 2013.
♦ Zielona energia w Chinach. Zrównoważony rozwój – Ochrona środowiska – Gospodarka niskoemisyjna (Green Energy in China. Sustainable development – Environmental protection – Low-carbon economy), Krakow 2015.
♦ China at the beginning of 21th century, (with Ewa Trojnar) (eds.), Krakow 2014.


Prof. Karin Tomala
Senior Consultant

Prof. Karin Tomala(1940-2014)
Senior Consultant (2013-2014)
Prof. Tomala was a German-Polish sinologist, specializing in modern social and political development in China (eg. demography, human rights). Since 1977 she was a senior researcher at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She had been visiting China regularly for long and short period research projects based on the exchange agremment with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. She was also an academic lecturer (ie. Jagiellonian University, Gutenberg University). Some of her recent international publications include: China zwischen Modernität und Aufbruch, in: ‚Hemispheres‘ No. 15/2000, pp. 125-139; Gesellschaft und Menschenbild, am Beispiel der chinesischen Zivilisation, in: Ralf Elm, Mamoru Takayama, Zukünftiges Menschsein, „Ethik zwischen Ost und West“, Nomos Verlaggesellschaft, Baden-Baden 2003; Der Diskurs über die Bedeutung des Konfuzianismus im 21.Jahrhundert, ‚Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia’, No. 23, 2010, pp. 45-84; Kulturspezifische Barrieren in der chinesischen Bevölkerungspolitik, ‘Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia’ No.24, 2011, pp. 23-64. She was the first cosultant of ‘Africans In Asia’ project and helped Dr. Bakalarska to clarify the basic research structure and questionnaire for the Asian part of the field research.

Prof. Roman Sławinski
Senior Consultant

Prof. Roman Sławiński (1931-2014)
Senior Consultant (2014)  
Prof. Sławiński, was a leading Polish specialist in modern Chinese history and in Taiwanese studies. He graduated from  the Department of History at the Renmin Uiversity, Beijing  and the Department of Sinology at the University of Warsaw. Since 1985 he was a senior researcher at the Polish Academy of Scinces. For many years he was an Editor-in-Chief of ‘Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia’ academic journal. In 2012 he initatited  The Center of Research on Contemporary Confucianism (in East Asia) affiliated to the Instutute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, PAS. Some of his recent international publications include: The Modern History of China, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Księgarnia Akademicka 2006; Taiwan Traditional Religions, ‘Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia’, Warsaw: Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre for Studies on Non-European Studies, 2007, no. 20, pp. 81-90; Chuantong yu xiandai xinyang in : ‘Commemorative Edition for the 70th Anniversary of Prof. Zhang Haipeng's Birth’, Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press,2008, pp. 71-79; The Traditional Customs of the Taiwanese, ‘Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia’, No. 22, Warsaw 2009, pp. 75-87.    


Mr. Jędrzej Czerep
Research Assistant

PhD student at the Institute of Political Science, Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw, developing doctoral thesis: Political Culture of Sudan and South Sudan. Graduate of the Master in Euro-Mediterranean Affairs (MEMA), an academic project covering politics, economy and culture of the Mediterranean area, co-organized by 16 universities from 7 countries of the region. Worked with numerous international institutions and media outlets, including Culture Action Europe, Council of Europe, Amnesty International, Al-Jazeera English, The Guardian. Expert of several leading think-tanks, including Casimir Pulaski Foundation. Specializes in relation between international issues and new social and cultural phenomena.

Mr. Niyi Aderibigbe
Social Media & Web Administrator

Mr. Niyi Aderibigbe is a holder of M.Sc in Information Technology and the sitting President at the Diaspora Events. A graduate of the University of Ilorin (B.Sc) and Clark University (MSIT) respectively who now champions the initiative HERITAGERY- the social reconstruction of African Heritage. He has years of experience in organizational planning and coordination and has at numerous occasion collaborated with the Ministry of the Interior of Poland and the office of Mayor of Lublin Poland. As the Vice President and National Administrator of AIESEC, he cooperated with chapters in various Asian countries as well as the Embassy of India in Nigeria. He is currently an IT consultant to the Embassy of Nigeria in Warsaw Poland.


Dr. Ahmad Maigemu
Field Research Assistant

Dr. Ahmad Yahaya Maigemu obtained his Bachelor and Master degree in sociology at the Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto. His PhD thesis in Medical Sociology and was dedicated to focus on the topic: "Influence of household behaviour on malaria control in Zamfara State, North-West Nigeria ” which was defended at the University of Utara Malaysia. He works at Zamfara State College of Education Maru.

Mr. Gordon Tsui
Field Research Assistant

Gordon Tsui is a PhD Candidate in Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. His research interests include higher education, philosophy of education and service-learning, with a particular focus on Africa. His current project focuses on how trust and engagement can facilitate a good university-community service-learning by case-studying a Hong Kong-Kenya university-community service-learning trip.

Dr. Tukur Tingilin
Field Research Assistant

Nigerian engineer and a researcher in the field of Material Science and Engineering at the National Center for Material Service Safety, University of Science and Technology, Beijing. Tingilin is an author of numerous articles about the activities of Nigerian students in Diaspora (China as case study ),  he also granted many interviews for Radio and Television both local and international on promoting ethical social behavior, economic, cultural and religious harmony in his community. This has made him a member of various Non-Governmental Organizations and Students Association both in Nigeria and China (where he currently lives), eg. ANSIC