Malwina Talik is a research associate at the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe in Vienna, Austria. She specializes in democratic transitions in CEE, Poland’s history and politics, women’s leadership and political participation, and China’s foreign policy toward the CEE. She has previously worked as a public diplomacy expert at the Polish Embassy in Vienna and as a specialist for international cooperation at the Viennese Office of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Malwina holds a joint master's degree in global studies from the University of Vienna and the University of Leipzig as well as an MA in English studies from the University of Lodz, Poland. During her studies, Talik completed research internships and exchange semesters in Austria, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Hungary and the United Kingdom. She is an alumna of the Peace and Security program of the OSCE/UNODA, Tatra Summit Young Professionals program and a certified Project Management Associate (IPMA standards).