Polona is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen. As part of her master’s thesis and through involvement in the UPCHAIN project, she is focusing on commercial charcoal value chain analysis in Northern Uganda; mapping of its stakeholders; positioning and recognition of notions of power, interest, and agency; while emphasizing the occurrence of social, environmental and economic sustainability in the Region, where she has just finished her fieldwork research.

As part of the ASEF Research Abroad fellowship program, she will be visiting Assoc. Prof. Matevž Rašković at Auckland University of Technology, where she will broaden her understanding of global value chains along with their regional and economic peculiarities. In doing so, she will pay special attention to identifying and studying the so-called “wicked problems” and various forms of labor exploitation, including modern slavery.

Polona enjoys spending her free time outdoors, participating in numerous sports, reading piles of books, and volunteering as an article writer and as a co-chair of the Sustainable Development Community at Društvo VTIS.