Alena Harbiankova received her PhD in Urban and Regional Planning in 2015 and a DSc in Urban and Regional Planning in 2021. She worked as an Associate Professor and a Head of Department at the Belarusian–Russian University (2016–2022). Since 2023, she has been a Research Associate at the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Her research interests mainly include sustainable development, rural resilience, rural sustainability, well-being and quality of life, nature-based solutions, and energy efficiency of buildings. She is the author of more than 50 publications, including 2 monographs.