I was born in Warsaw, Poland, during the Communist regime, when the Berlin Wall was still standing and Eastern Europe (the so-called "Warsaw Pact" countries), shut off from the "rest of the world," was dominated and influenced by the Soviet Union. Traveling abroad was almost impossible and required numerous hurdles: you had to plead with the governement to give you your passport (you were obliged to return it immediately upon completion of your travel); apply for and receive a visa; receive a personal invitation from an individual abroad; show that you had enough funds to complete a travel; and prove that you had reasons enough to return to Poland. 

Shortly before starting elementary school, my family decided to migrate "to the West": first to Norway, then to Austria, where we were granted political asylum. I was a refugee and stateless for almost ten years, before becoming an Austrian citizen. My personal experience of migration made me sensitive to the significance of borders and the question of beloning. It is fair to say that my constant move across borders, languages, and cultures triggered in me the desire, early on, to tear down walls and to mediate among people from different backgrounds. Curious about learning from others, I started to see myself as a cultural translator of sorts and academia as a privileged site and productice catalyst to build bridges across regions, nations, and continents.