The ACTIN consortium
The ACTIN consortium consists of an international and multidisciplinary team from seven European countries, consolidating connections between Universities and NGOs involved in migration and education.

Our Team

Prof Despoina Papadopoulou
Project coordinator
Despina Papadopoulou is Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Linguistics, School of Philology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research focuses on multilingualism, language acquisition and processing in monolingual and multilingual populations, migrant/refugee education and cross-linguistic/multilingual approaches to language teaching. She is the Director of the Linguistics Lab in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Within the ACTIN project, she is the Coordinator and contributes to the activities designed and implemented by the AUTH team.

Nikos Dalampouras
Project manager
Nikos Dalampouras is a PhD student in Linguistics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research focuses on pedagogical translanguaging and teaching Greek as a second/foreign language to migrant/refugee children and adults. He has experience in teaching Greek to these populations through almost 10 years being a part of SN’s educators in the programs of HELIOS and UNICEF. Within the ACTIN project, he is involved as a researcher of pedagogical translanguaging and as project manager of the AUTH team, and thus, being involved in all the Work Packages.

Dr Maria Martzoukou
Team member
Maria Martzoukou is a PhD holder in Psycholinguistics – Neurolinguistics. Her research focuses on typical (monolingual or bilingual) language development and developmental and acquired language disorders. She is a member of the “With two languages” at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Greek partner organisation of the Bilingualism Matters network. In ACTIN, she is involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of the language learning activities (WP2) and in the co-coordination of teachers’ training seminars (WP5).

Dr Anastasia Paspali
Team member
Dr. Anastasia Paspali is a post-doctoral researcher at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She is a linguist focusing on psycholinguistics, language teaching and language acquisition, bilingualism, language processing, first and second language teaching, migrant education as well as language disorders. Within the ACTIN project, she works on the creation, implementation and evaluation of teaching methods and materials for migrant students in formal education settings. She has worked as a lecturer and post-doctoral researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Konstanz, University of Crete, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and New-York College Thessaloniki. She has published articles in international peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Language Acquisition, Applied Psycholinguistics, Frontiers in Psychology, Glossa, Education Sciences, Journal of Language teaching).
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Stella Vogiatzi
Team member
Stella Vogiatzi is a postgraduate student in Applied Linguistics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research focuses on didactics of second and foreign language teaching. She also has experience creating texts for the Greek Language Certification. Within the ACTIN project, she is involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of language learning activities (WP2).

Dr Nina Douka
Team member
Nina Douka holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research primarily focuses on sentence processing in first and second language. In addition to her academic work, Nina has considerable experience teaching Greek as a second/foreign language. Within the ACTIN project, she is involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of language learning activities (WP2) and contributes to organizing and conducting teachers' training seminars (WP5).

Prof Theodoros Marinis
Coordinator at the University of Konstanz
Theodoros Marinis, Professor of Multilingualism at the Linguistics Department, University of Konstanz. His research focuses on language acquisition and processing across populations of typically and atypically developing learners and aims to uncover the nature of language processing in typical and atypical language development. He is the Director of the Center for Multilingualism at the University of Konstanz, which is part of the Bilingualism Matters network. Within ACTIN he is coordinating WP6 and WP7 as well as activities at UKON.
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Saskia Braun
Team member
Saskia Braun is a PhD student in Linguistics at the University of Konstanz, affiliated with the Center for Multilingualism. Her research focuses on pedagogical translanguaging and the didactics of second and foreign language teaching, particularly in linguistically heterogeneous classrooms. She also has experience in teaching German as a second and foreign language, as well as in teacher education and teacher training seminars. Within the ACTIN project, she is a member of the UKON team and contributes to the activities designed and implemented by the UKON team.

Dr Mariya Kharaman
Team member
Mariya Kharaman graduated in English and German Philology in 2001 and began her academic career at the Departments of Germanic Philology and English Studies at the Makiivka Institute of Economics and Arts in Ukraine. She later pursued further studies in Linguistics, earning a BA in 2008 and an MA in 2012, followed by a PhD from the University of Konstanz, Germany. She has experience in teaching English and German as foreign languages and in teacher education. Currently, she is a member of the Neurolinguistics Team at the University of Konstanz and, since 2024, also part of the international ACTIN Project. Her research focuses on the cognitive neuroscience of language, neurolinguistics, first and second language acquisition, and bi-/multilingualism.

Prof Zofia Wodniecka
Coordinator at Jagiellonian University
Zofia Wodniecka. Professor of Psychology working at the Institute of Psychology at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Her research includes: bilingual language processing and development, consequences of bilingualism, neurocognitive functions underlying a second language use, as well as consequences of second language learning on first language processing and other aspects of cognition. She is a head of Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab and a director of Bilingualism Matters Krakow. In ACTIN she is a coordinator of WP3 and activities at UJ.

Prof Krystian Barzykowski
Team member
Krystian Barzykowski is an associate professor in cognitive experimental psychology at the Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University (Kraków, Poland). He is also a head of Applied Memory Research Laboratory. His primary research interests include cultural psychology, with a special focus on psychological aspects of forced and voluntary migration (e.g., see project Migration in Action), as well as psychological diagnosis and memory research. He is a professional multicultural trainer recommended and authorized by the Helsinki Human Rights Foundation.

Marcjanna Kubala
Team member
Marcjanna Kubala- Bilingualism Matters Kraków coordinator at the Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab “LangUsta” at the Institute of Psychology at Jagiellonian University (Poland). Graduated from the Communication Sciences Faculty of the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. Experienced in working with children and teenagers in a multilingual and multicultural environment, especially in a non-formal education setting. In ACTIN mainly supports the work of WP4 and WP7 as well as other activities of local partners in Poland.

Prof Anna Seretny
Team member
Anna Seretny is an applied linguist and Professor at the Polish Faculty, the Jagiellonian University, Kraków. She has an extensive record of research and publications on vocabulary learning in Polish as a foreign and heritage language. Her major academic interests are language learning and teaching, heritage language maintenance/education and Polish as a language of schooling. In ACTIN project, she participates in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the language learning activities (WP2) and in the teachers’ training seminars (WP5).

Prof Magdalena Ślusarczyk
Team member
Magdalena Ślusarczyk is a Sociologist and Germanist, Associate Professor in the Institute of Sociology of the Jagiellonian University, member of the Committee on Migration Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She has been involved in numerous international (e.g. Erasmus+, Norway Grants, Horizon 2020) and national projects. Her research areas are sociology of migration, family and education. In ACTIN project, she is involved in WP3, focusing on issues of intercultural education, cultural awareness, and incorporating these aspects into work with migrant children in schools.

Prof Andrea Young
Coordinator at at Strasbourg University
Andrea Young, Professor of English and Language Education at the Faculty of Education and Lifelong Learning (INSPÉ) at the University of Strasbourg and member of the Language(s) and Society unit of the LiLPa (Linguistique, Langues, Parole, UR1339) research group. Her research and teaching interests include teacher education for the support of plurilingual learners, home/school educational partnerships, teacher language awareness and plurilingual and intercultural education. She is co-vice-president of the EDiLiC (Education et Diversité Linguistique et Culturelle) international association. Within ACTIN she is coordinating WP5 as well as activities at UNISTRA.

Karina Al-katauneh
Team member
Karina Al-Katauneh PhD student in Educational Sciences at the University of Strasbourg, affiliated with the LiLPa – UR 1339 (Linguistique, Langues, Parole) research laboratory. Her research interests include game-based language learning (ludopédagogie), innovations in language didactics, plurilingualism, sociolinguistics, and pedagogical translanguaging. Within the ACTIN project, she is a member of the UNISTRA team and contributes primarily to the work of WP2, WP5, and WP7.

Dr Peiru Bai
Team member
Peiru Bai holds a joint PhD in Sociolinguistics from University of Strasbourg and University of Luxembourg. She is currently a member of the LiLPa (Linguistique, Langues, Parole, UR1339) Research Group at University of Strasbourg. Her research focuses on language policy, plurilingual and intercultural education, as well as language and identity development in multilingual, multicultural and transnational contexts. Within the ACTIN project, she is involved in WP1, WP2, WP4, WP5 and WP7, contributing to the activities designed and implemented by the UNISTRA team.
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Dr Maria Zerva
Team member
Maria Zerva. Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Strasbourg. Her research focuses on multilingualism, diversity, stances towards languages, linguistic ideologies and the construction of identities and otherness in discourse. She is the director of the Department of Modern Greek Studies and a member of the steering committee of the Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute LIRIC Language, Inclusion, Remediation, Interculturality, Communication. Within ACTIN, she works with the Strasbourg team on WP2 and WP5 and activities at UNISTRA and especially on developing evaluation questionnaires, interviews as well as focus groups’ guides.