Plamen Akaliyski holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Oslo and an MA from Free University Berlin. Prior to joining Lingnan University in August 2023, he was a postdoctoral researcher at University Carlos III of Madrid and Keio University in Tokyo. His research focuses on understanding cultural differences between contemporary societies, considering the role of historical legacies and socio-economic modernization. Having lived in nine countries over the past 17 years and traveled through many others, he draws on direct experience with everyday cultural differences—not just abstract theory and big data. Growing up in a post-communist society has also shaped his intellectual outlook, characterized by a healthy dose of skepticism toward established authority and a strong commitment to independent thinking. He serves as an Associate Editor in European Societies and an Early Career Representative for the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology.

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Dominik holds a PhD in Social Sciences from KU Leuven and a joint PhD in Sociology and Methodology of Social Research from the University of Milan and the University of Turin. His primary research interests include non-religion studies, sociology of religion, and cultural sociology, with a focus on meaning-making, secular worldviews, secularization, and identity. He is also engaged in research on public perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and its societal implications. Methodologically, he is interested in survey research, data ethics, and the use of computational tools – particularly Natural Language Processing – for the analysis of social and cultural phenomena. He is assisting on the project “Beyond Hofstede: The Significance and Implications of Refined Individualism-Collectivism Measures.”

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Ayu Okvitawanli holds a PhD in Psychology from Friedrich-Schiller University Jena Germany, a Master of Science (Brain and Cognition) from Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Cognitive Science from The University of Hong Kong. After her PhD, she was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Koblenz, Germany and worked at several universities in Indonesia in Bali and in Malang. She currently holds a tenured position at Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta. She conducted multidisciplinary research in the field of cognitive and social psychology. She loves travelling and is passionate about culture; she has visited more than 40 countries and lived for 15 years in 8 different countries. She is the South East Asia Representative for the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Co-Editor of the Proceedings of IACCP International Congress, and Principal Investigator for World Value Survey Indonesia Wave 8th. She is assisting on the project, “Individualism-Collectivism and Impersonal Prosociality/Cooperation".

Research Assistant

Regina is a psychology graduate with a Master's in Applied Psychology from the University of Melbourne. She is involved in both academic and applied research, with a strong interest in cross-cultural and behavioral psychology. She is assisting on the project of the relationship between individualism-collectivism and cooperation/prosociality.

YE Chengyu is currently an undergraduate student at Lingnan University, majoring in Translation with minors in Economics and Political Science. His interests encompass exploring cultural differences through the lens of linguistic nuances, both theoretically and empirically.