Dr Małgorzata Fijał is a PhD in humanities in the studies on culture and religion discipline, holding a double master’s degree in European studies. Currently, a research assistant at the Institute of European Studies of the Jagiellonian University in international research projects within the Horizon Europe programme.

Her research and academic interests focus on the Mediterranean region with particular emphasis on the culture and politics of contemporary Italy, as well as on issues related to identity and the socio-cultural dimensions of nationalism and populism. In December 2023, she defended her doctoral dissertation entitled “Padania. Od źródeł idei do próby stworzenia nowego narodu w północnych Włoszech” (“Padania. From the Sources of Idea to an Attempt to Create a New Nation in Northern Italy”) supervised by Prof. Joanna Sondel-Cedarmas (the degree was awarded by the Research Discipline Council of Culture and Religion Studies of the Jagiellonian University on December 20, 2023). In the years 2018-2023, she was a participant of the Doctoral Programme in Cultural Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the JU. Graduated from the double-degree master's programme, under which in 2017 she received a double diploma with honors: Master of European Studies from the Jagiellonian University and "dottoressa magistrale" in European Studies from the University of Padua. She also holds qualifications in Italian language and culture obtained at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. She is the winner of a scholarship from the Minister of Education and Science for outstanding young scientists (2022) and the award of the Vice-Rector of the Jagiellonian University for scientific research as part of the Excellence Module ID.UJ (2022). She is a six-time scholarship holder of the Erasmus and Erasmus+ programmes, under which she completed studies and internships in Perugia, Palermo, Bari, Padua and Rome. She has experience in working in diplomatic-consular representations gained at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland to the Holy See and the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Rome (2019), as well as participated in international cultural exchange in the USA (2018).