Meet the team of the University of Lodz

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The University of Lodz is a higher education institution, focusing its actions on intercultural and social integration. The University of Lodz boasts the oldest and most recognized School of Polish for Foreigners. International relations of the University are visible in various areas. Currently, within direct cooperation agreements, the school cooperates with about 260 partner institutions from all over the world. Within the Erasmus+ Programme, the University has so far signed 700 agreements with almost 400 partner institutions. In 2021, the University of Lodz has been recognised the best Polish university educating in the tourism.

Tomasz Napierała is the SPOT Project Manager. Since 2011 he has been working at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation, and cooperating with CiTUR Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (Portugal). His scientific interests are focused on spatial aspects of competition in the hotel industry, mainly spatial volatility of hotel prices and its impact on hotel competitiveness. Cooperating with researchers representing other disciplines (spatial econometrics and ICT), he investigates the competitiveness and attractiveness of tourism destinations. He has regularly been participating in mobilities granted by Erasmus+ Programme and EEA and Norway grants. Since 2020 Tomasz Napierała has been proudly holding the position of the Secretary General of Polish Geographical Society.

Katarzyna Leśniewska-Napierała holds the position of SPOT Project Coordinator. She is a geographer with special interest in socio-economic geography. She works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of the Built Environment and Spatial Policy and cooperating with CiTUR Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (Portugal). In her research she is mainly focused on the social aspects of spatial planning and the use of qualitative methods in geographic sciences. She participated in educational and research projects, both Polish and international. She has been regularly participating in mobilities granted by Erasmus+ Programme and EEA and Norway grants. She is Polish representative in the AESOP Association of European Schools of Planning.

Jacek Kaczmarek works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation. His scientific interests are focused on human behaviour in urban space, geobiography, urban geography with special regard to the concept of a place, and tourism economy, including creating the image of the city. He participated in an academic internships in Tbilisi and Manchester.

Sylwia Kaczmarek is an associate professor at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation. Her scientific interests are focused on problems of spatial, functional and social transformations of the cities, with special regard to the revitalization of degraded urban areas, living conditions and tourism in urban areas. She cooperates with research centres in Great Britain and France. She also participated in the implementation of international research projects.

Marta Nalej works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences, at the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation. She is geographer and engineer in the field of geodesy and cartography with the speciality of Spatial Information Systems. In her research she is mainly focused on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial data and spatial analysis especially on issues related to Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) and land cover studies. She also applies GIS and spatial analysis methods in tourism research.

Iwona Pielesiak works at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences in the Institute of the Built Environment and Spatial Policy. Her scientific interests are mainly focused on urban geography, spatial policy, urban resilience and metropolization of space. She is also interested in spatial connections, transport, and cooperation of local government units.

For several years Bogdan Włodarczyk is employed as an associated professor and the director of the Institute of Urban Geography, Tourism Studies and Geoinformation. Since 2016 he holds a position of a Dean of the Faculty of Geographical Sciences. His research interests are focused on tourism geography and tourism destination management, theory and use of tourism space, tourism flows and tourism product. He holds the chairman position of Tourism Geography Commission of Polish Geography Society.