About The UJ Times
An international political newspaper.
Made by students, for students.
The UJ Times is an independent, student-run newspaper of the Faculty of Political and International Studies at Jagiellonian University. Founded in 2018—previously known as the Global Observer and AIAS News—it was created as a platform for students to analyze, debate, and reflect on political, social, and cultural issues from a wide range of perspectives.
Shaped by a diverse team representing over ten nationalities, The UJ Times is rooted in dialogue rather than headlines. We do not aim to replicate mainstream news media; instead, we add nuance, empathy, and personal insight to complex global events, drawing on the lived experiences and intellectual curiosity of our writers. Our journalism values thoughtful analysis over sensationalism and recognizes that politics are never viewed through a single lens.
Beyond global affairs, the UJ Times is committed to bridging the gap between international and Polish university communities. Through dedicated Student and Social Affairs coverage, we provide accessible information about campus life, university events, and local traditions, often translating and contextualizing content to ensure language is never a barrier to being informed or involved.
Created by students, for students, the UJ Times reflects the shared realities of university life: debate, uncertainty, growth, and community. Above all, we exist to amplify student voices and to ensure that no perspective is too small to be heard.
Our Team
Editor-in-Chief, Staff Writer
Samantha Bennett
is a second year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program and is the Editor-in-Chief and Team Lead of the UJ Times. Her topic interests range from law to popular culture. She is from Denver, Colorado USA where she was an editor of her high school newspaper. Last year she was a staff writer for the UJ Times and is excited to help guide all the talented writers at the UJ Times and bring relevant information to the Jagiellonian community.
Deputy Editor, Staff Writer
Zoja Kacperczyk
is a first year student of International Relations and Area Studies and Deputy of the UJ Times. As well as assisting in the leadership of the team, she works as an Editor and staff writer of the online newspaper. Her areas of interest cover feminism, post-colonial theory and corporate influence on politics. Before university, Zoja acted as the leader of a Model United Nations team and organised two large conferences helping youth become politically involved. She cannot wait to see the UJ Times flourish and fulfil its purpose of empowering the student community.
Editor, Staff Writer
Rio Narag
is a second year in the International Relations and Area Studies program and is the Podcast co-deputy and an editor. She was born in the Philippines but spent half of her life in Dubai. In her free time, she enjoys reading and occasionally dabbling in creative writing. She graduated high school with an A level in Politics and is particularly interested in writing about Southeast Asian politics.
Editor, Staff Writer
Samantha Hicks
is a first year at Jagiellonian University. She is studying International Relations and Area Studies and is a deputy and editor of the UJ Times. Her interests include Western Asia, psychological warfare, and conflicts around the globe. She is from the Eastern region of the United States. In high school, she created the theme for her school’s 2024 yearbook and wrote many argumentative research articles. She is excited to write for the UJ Times and add new, unbiased perspectives and is looking forward to seeing how this experience will expand her skills.
Staff Writer
Alina Chernokon
is a third-year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program at Jagiellonian University. Originally from Ukraine, she focuses her writing on North America, exploring topics from mass culture to politics. She previously completed an internship with Zaxid.net, a major web news outlet in Lviv, where she covered cinematography and cultural news. Through her reporting and analytical writing, Alina brings a sharp, globally informed perspective to the Jagiellonian community.
Staff Writer
Leith El Euch
was born in Tunisia and has a French diploma. He is currently a second year student in the International Relations and Area Studies programme. His interests are centered on international relations between Europe and North Africa, North America, and general French news. He wishes to expand his skills and general knowledge by writing academic articles for UJ Times.
Team Graphic Designer and Staff Writer
Stepanyda Lavrusenko
is a second-year IRAS student and a staff writer for the UJ Times. As an intern at a local newspaper, she worked on news reports, short stories, and interviews as part of her prior journalism experience. Currently she is specializing in European and Asian regional policy analysis and cross-regional comparison and plans to further grow in the field of academic writing.
Staff Writer
Freya Misiuna
is a first-year student in the Global and Development Studies programme and is currently one of the staff writers at UJ Times. She's Polish, but grew up in Cornwall, in the UK, and developed a passion for writing early on in life. Her topic interests embrace anthropological and investigative themes, but as a quite green-fingered journalist she's still discovering the stretch of her interests. They currently relate to writing about challenging topics she wants to research and doesn't know much about, or topics she finds she's passionate about.
Staff Writer
Eduard Radulescu
is a first-year student in the Global and Development Studies program at Jagiellonian University. He is from Romania and focuses on international governance, development policy, and the strategic decisions of global institutions. His writing interests include foreign policy, European affairs, and major international events. He looks forward to contributing insightful articles to the UJ Times.
Staff Writer
Utku Taskin
is a second-year International Relations student at Jagiellonian University with a focus on European and Middle Eastern politics. As a writer for the UJ Times, he uses his academic background to provide deeper context to current events. He is particularly interested in how history shapes modern conflict and the shifting alliances across the Mediterranean and MENA regions
Staff Writer
Giorgi Vachandze
is a second year student of the International Relations and Area Studies program at the Jagiellonian University. He is from Tbilisi, Georgia. Giorgi's main research and writing interests consist of European affairs, Politics of the Former Soviet bloc countries and International security affairs. His academic experience includes: Various youth conferences, research projects, Security forums and even a journal article for a Georgian journal. He is a reporter of the UJ Times, as well as a member for the Academic Affairs team of AIAS.
Staff Writer
Jury Ajlouni
Staff Writer
Zuzanna Bugajska
Staff Writer
Renato Cruz Orantes
is a second year student in the Global and Development Studies program and is a regular contributor to the UJ Times. He was born in Guatemala and grew up in Mexico City. His interests range from urban planning and Canadian politics to Chilean literature and the study of ethnic minorities in Poland. He's hoping to inform the Jagiellonian community in a concise and thought provoking way.
Staff Writer
Malwina Janaszek
Staff Writer
Matthieu Lovera
is a second-year student in International Relations and Area Studies and a member of the university newspaper, the UJ Times. His favorite topics revolve around international relations, diplomacy, and political scandals, primarily in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. He is from Warsaw, Poland, but shares a Franco-Polish cultural background. He seeks to develop his writing skills by contributing articles on less frequently discussed subjects.
Staff Writer
Yuliia Novikova
is a second-year student in the International Relations and Area Studies programme. Originally from Crimea, she formed firm political views early in life in response to the occupation of her home. In 2018, she moved to the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson region. Yuliia began writing at the age of eight, creating poetry, short stories, and later books that explored psychological and philosophical themes. Her current work focuses on war, battle analysis, and bringing attention to subjects others tend to avoid. Devoted to writing, she has been developing a large-scale project for over three years and is certain that she will share it with the world.
Photographer and Staff Writer
Nikita Rybachuk
is a first-year IRAS student, his keen interest is in global mega projects and how they shape the world. Outside of academics, he loves traveling, exploring new cultures, and editing. He’s excited to bring his curiosity and creativity to AIAS News and share unique articles that reflect his passions.
Staff Writer
Ian Thompson
is a first-year student in the program of International Relations and Area Studies and a team member of the UJ Times. His specializations are focused on Europe and Asia, investigating present and past conflict and security issues. Ian is from Germany, living near Frankfurt am Main where he attended an extended class of Politics and Economics, investigating the mechanisms of modern economics, political systems and conflicts. With his knowledge gained back in Germany, Ian is excited to bring relevant information to the Jagiellonian community.
Staff Writer
Maia De la Vega
is a first year student in the IRAS program and a member of the UJ Times. She is half Chilean, half Polish, and was born in the UK. Her interests lie in criminal law and activity, general history and geography. She is eager to learn and understand more about Global Politics and to pursue her passion in writing and reporting.
Staff Writer
Magdalena Kotwica
is a second year student at the Jagiellonian University in the "International Relations and Area Studies" program. She is a staff writer of UJ Times and a member of Social Affairs in AIAS. She's Polish but was born and raised in Luxembourg. Previously, she had experience writing academic articles in high school as well as in her previous university. Main topics of her interests are Student affairs, but also regions of Europe and Asia. She seeks to develop her skills even further, contributing to this year's edition of UJ Times.
Staff Writer
Kateryna Lushchyk
is a first year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program. She is originally from Rivne, Ukraine. Her primary topics of interest are art and politics. By being a part of the UJ Times, she hopes to hone her writing skills and connect with a community of likeminded individuals.
Staff Writer
Maryna Pastukhova
is a first year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program and a writer for the UJ Times. She is from Kyiv, Ukraine, where she was the president of her school for two years. She enjoys committing to something that she knows is going to be hard for her. This brought Maryna to Poland to study politics, and last year to do an exchange year in the United States. This was also a driving factor for her to start writing articles for the UJ Times.
Staff Writer
Wera Staszak
is a first year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program. In her work at UJ Times, she aspires to cover issues such as the armed forces, the defense industry, geopolitics, security of Europe and African and Middle Eastern affairs.
Staff Writer
Yuliia Tsiupryk
is a first-year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program. She is from Ukraine, where she previously obtained a BA degree in Philology at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Her research interest is focused on Eastern and Northern Europe, cultural politics and memory studies. She likes theater, Wes Anderson movies and Rammstein music; dislikes raisin and men with totalitarian tendencies.
Staff Writer
John Wheeler
is a second-year student in the International Relations and Area Studies program. He spent his formative years in Chicago and Guernsey before having his secondary education in Charlotte, where he wrote for his high school. This is his second year contributing to the UJ Times, where he hopes to write about economic and international politics.