Profile
Professor Marcin Jacoby is a sinologist and translator. His area of expertise includes social and political issues of the East Asia region, in particular China and the Republic of Korea. He is interested in the historical and cultural roots of transformational processes of this region. He carries out research on Chinese classical literature and culture of ancient China. He is fluent in modern and classical Chinese and translates Chinese literature into Polish. He is also an experienced English and Chinese interpreter.
From 2017 to 2021, Marcin Jacoby was Head of the International Office at SWPS University. Before joining SWPS University, he was the manager of “Project Asia” at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute (2008 to 2017). During the same period, he was also Assistant Professor at the Department of Sinology of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw. Prior to his academic career, he worked at the Oriental Art Department of the National Museum in Warsaw (2002-2008).
Professor Jacoby authored an academic monograph Sztuka perswazji w starożytnych Chinach. Opowiastka alegoryczna w okresie Walczących Państw (453-221 r. p.n.e.) [The Art of Persuasion in Ancient China. Allegorical Narrative of the Warring States Period (453-221 B.C.E.)] (2018). He has also written highly regarded popular science publications on East Asia, including: Chiny bez makijażu [China Without Make Up] (2016, 2021) and Korea Południowa. Republika żywiołów [South Korea. A Republic of Elements] (2018). He co-authored a Chinese language handbook Współczesny język chiński. Mówię i piszę po chińsku [Contemporary Chinese. I Speak and Write Chinese] (2008).
From 2020 to 2022, Professor Jacoby hosted the “Projekt Azja” (Asia Project) a webinar series on East Asia at SWPS University’s Strefa Kultur (Culture Space), including a series of interviews with experts specializing in the region – "China Talk".
Currently, he researches the ancient Chinese text Lüshi Chunqiu, and leads a research team, which is a part of the China Horizons international research consortium, funded by the European Commission (Horizon Europe project, 2022-2025).
At SWPS University, he teaches literature, art and culture of China and East Asia.