My name is Lena, and I was born in Ukraine. When I was a child, my family moved to Prague, Czech Republic, where we have lived ever since. I have two bachelor's degrees from Charles University in Prague. My first degree was in Liberal Arts and Humanities, focusing on Czech and European medieval history. My second degree was in Sinology (also known as Chinese Studies). My thesis was on Southeast Asian Migrant Literature and its Position in the Taiwanese Literary Field. During this period, I also had the chance to study in Taiwan for a year, specifically at National Chengchi University in Taipei.
My main hobby is media consumption in all shapes and forms - binge-watching TV series and films, exploring new podcasts, reading books, diving into video games, and staying up-to-date with the latest music and online content. My academic interests are quite changeable, but since writing my second thesis, I've become particularly interested in world literature and the literary production of ethnic minorities and marginalized communities. I also love to bake and am passionate about local pastries :)
My favorite book by a Czech author is The Cremator by Ladislav Fuks, my favorite Chinese-language novel is The Unofficial History of the Scholars by Wu Jingzi, and my recent favorite is Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion.
| Prior Knowledge | I have no prior coding experience, though I do have some experience with digitizing and cataloging books. I had the opportunity to work at the Czech Academy of Sciences, where I cataloged a collection of Burmese literature from the previous century, mainly using the Aleph system. |
| Expectations | I hope to gain a practical understanding of coding and database management so I can apply these skills to real-world projects. |