How did you come to join the European Institute?
It all started with me looking for master’s programmes in migration during the final year of my undergraduate studies. The EI’s MSc in International Migration and Public Policy was one of the first to catch my eye – its focus on migration and EU policy made for a perfect combo. I remember receiving a conditional offer on a sunny morning of January 2019. I’d say that deep in my heart I joined the EI when I skimmed through that admission email, although officially I joined in September 2019 when my programme started. The experience of my master’s was so good that I decided to stay at the EI for another four years and get a PhD!
What was the European Institute like while you were here?
I joined not too long ago, so the EI looked pretty much like it is today. Staff put a lot of effort into helping us MSc students feel at home for the short period we would spend in London. They organised academic talks, dinners, and social events. Professors were very welcoming, too, and they helped me transition to the UK academic system as gently as possible. I feel the same friendly atmosphere as a PhD student today.
What was the most memorable moment during your time at the EI?
It is hard to choose a single moment. It is rather a collection of moments that made my overall experience at the EI so memorable as to make me want to come back for a PhD. My very first days at LSE, for example. I would wander around campus, read the inspiring quotes on walls and windows, and admire the architecture, so different from the Renaissance looks of my university in Rome. This is also when the EI held the reception for new master’s students where I first met the professors that would later become my PhD supervisors and other students who are now good friends. Later in the term the COVID-19 pandemic put an abrupt end to my time at LSE, and for long I did not digest the fact that I would not see my fellow students, professors, or the LSE campus again. Coming back for the PhD, I saw people and places to whom I had never really said goodbye, so in a way it felt almost like a natural continuation of my time as a master’s student.
What was your favourite thing about being at the European Institute?
The great academics, experts, and ideas I was exposed to. I am referring not only to the EI’s academics, but also to the external speakers and visiting academics that the EI and LSE more generally attract. Having studied in a small university in Rome, to me this was a whole new experience. I vividly remember the excitement that I felt while walking into the Sheik Zayed Theatre for a lecture on immigration by Michael Walzer. Or the sense of curiosity with which I listened to Despina Spanou, Head of the Schinas Cabinet, present the priorities of the then-new European Commission. Or simply the grateful sense of privilege in taking courses taught by world-leading experts. This is something that I appreciate even more as a PhD student. It is stimulating to learn about doing research in such a dynamic community.
What makes the EI a special place?
The friendly and supportive environment that everyone, including staff and students, helps to create. As a master’s student I did not get to know the EI’s PhD students, and I was a bit too shy to approach them and ask questions about the PhD programme. Now that I have experience on both sides, I can tell that I was wrong not to ask someone for a coffee. Everyone is willing to help, and I myself enjoy engaging with master’s students.
What excites you about the future of the EI?
The growing body of faculty who do research on migration. When I started my MSc programme on migration policy, only two of the professors – at least to my knowledge – were based at the EI. Coming back as a PhD student, I found out that more scholars working on migration had joined in the meantime. This upward trend makes me feel excited about the prospect of students having access to more varied migration-related events and courses and me meeting more people with my same interests.
What’s your favourite place on LSE campus?
I like watching London’s skyline from the upper floors of the Centre Building. It calms me down after a long day grappling with research-related problems. It is also where the EI offices and the PhD working space are located, so a perfect spot for casual chats and encounters.
What is your favourite place to visit in Europe and why?
Rome. I grew up there, so I am not sure if it qualifies as a place that I can visit in the same way tourists do. But every time I wander around the city centre, I do feel like a tourist at her first encounter with Rome. I have watched the city from the Gianicolo hill or the top of the Spanish Steps countless times, but the view still gives me that sense of awe and wonder one feels the first time. I also love how picturesque the Forum is when seen from the arcades of the Colosseum. Gelato from Giolitti and an evening walk through Trastevere are a must.