Viktoriya Jones ('25), an International Studies and Marketing double major, traveled to Poland to conduct research on the Ukrainian refugee crisis with mentorship from Dr. Rudra Sil (Department of Political Science). This research was supported by the Association of Alumnae Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Scholars Award.
This past summer, I had an amazing opportunity to conduct a research project in Poland on the Ukrainian refugee crisis. I was interested in learning about how Polish public opinion towards refugees has changed since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the impacts that this has had on policy making. I spent several weeks in Warsaw and other Polish cities conducting expert interviews with political scientists, NGO officials, and professors and scholars. These conversations provided me with a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to shifts in public opinion, specifically when compared to previous refugee crises in Europe.
The most challenging part of my research project was the initial steps in setting up my on-the-ground interviews in Poland. Before I arrived, I spent a lot of time sending cold emails to individuals and organizations, hoping to schedule meetings. At first, I did not received as many responses as I would have liked, which made me a bit apprehensive to enter the field. However, I found that once I arrived in Poland and began meeting with people, they were all willing to introduce me to individuals that could offer their expertise on the topic. Before I knew it, my schedule was busy and filled with interviews! This taught me the importance of persevering and remaining optimistic. I realized that although it is not possible to control every factor that goes into field research, continuing to develop and maintain on-the-ground connections and immersing myself in my work would yield incredible results.
Overall, I learned so much from this summer research project, both academically and personally. Through my experiences conducting fieldwork in Poland, I improved my skills in gathering and analyzing qualitative data. I also learned how to be more resilient and adaptable. Working on a project in a foreign country came with its challenges, but this allowed me to become adaptable in new situations and persevere through setbacks. This project has deepened both my interest in human rights and international law, while also providing me with a new, global perspective that I will certainly bring back with me to Penn.
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