Michał Łabenda

Michał R. Łabenda
Ph.D.
3rd Poland Ambassador to Azerbaijan
In office
2010–2014
Preceded byKrzysztof Krajewski
Succeeded byMarek Całka
Poland Ambassador to Mongolia
In office
7 July 2015 – 2018
Preceded byZbigniew Kulak
Succeeded byKrzysztof Bojko
Poland Ambassador to Egypt
In office
October 2018 – 18 August 2023
Preceded byMichał Murkociński
Succeeded byMichał Murkociński
Personal details
Born (1974-09-10) 10 September 1974 (age 50)
Wrocław, Poland
Alma materAl-Farabi Kazakh National University
ProfessionDiplomat, orientalist, university teacher

Michał Rafał Łabenda (born 10 September 1974, in Wrocław) is a Polish diplomat, serving as Polish ambassador to Egypt (2018–2023), Mongolia (2015–2018), Azerbaijan (2010–2014).

Life

He holds an M.A. in Arab studies (Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 1999).[1] In 2006, Łabenda defended at the University of Warsaw, Institute of Oriental Studies his Ph.D. thesis on Muslim movements in the Fergana Valley. His doctoral supervisor was Anna Parzymies.[2]

Łabenda worked at the KARTA Center between 1998 and 1999. In 1999, he started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2000 to 2001 he was an intern in Osaka. He has been Second Secretary at the Polish Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2002–2005), deputy director of Eastern Department (2007–2010), ambassador of Poland to Azerbaijan (2010–2014), visiting ambassador of Poland to Mongolia (2015–2018)[1] and, since October 2018, ambassador of Poland to Egypt, with accreditation to Sudan and Eritrea.[3] He ended his term on 18 August 2023.[4] Since September 2024, Łabenda is serving as Chargé d'affaires of Poland to Kazakhstan.[5] He has been also lecturing at the University of Warsaw.[6]

Łabenda is married and has a son Jan. He speaks English, German, Russian, Kazakh, Arabic, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and French.[3]

Works

  • Język kazachski ["Kazakh language”], Dialog, Warszawa 2000, ISBN 83-88238-59-0
  • Islam a terroryzm ["Islam and terrorism"], (ed. Anna Parzymies), Dialog, Warszawa 2003, ISBN 83-88938-44-4
  • Muzułmanie w Europie ["Muslims in Europe"], (ed. Anna Parzymies), Dialog, Warszawa 2005, ISBN 83-89899-08-6
  • Życie codzienne w Samarkandzie ["Everyday life in Samarkand"], (with Abdurasul Niyazov), Dialog, Warszawa 2007, ISBN 978-83-89899-69-9
  • Dolina Fergańska w czasach islamu ["Fergana Valley during Islam times”], Dialog, Warszawa 2016, ISBN 978-83-8002-329-1

References

  1. ^ a b "Zapis przebiegu posiedzenia Komisji Spraw Zagranicznych /nr 116/". www.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  2. ^ "Nowa Nauka Polska". nauka-polska.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  3. ^ a b "Ambassador". gov.pl. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  4. ^ "Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 13 czerwca 2023 r. nr 110.53.2023 w sprawie odwołania Ambasadora Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". isap.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  5. ^ Seilkhanov, Adlet (2024-09-22). "Kazakhstan and EU countries discuss cooperation issues". inform.kz. Archived from the original on 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  6. ^ "O Zakładzie Islamu Europejskiego WO UW". islam-eur.orient.uw.edu.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-01-17.