Vera Dianova

I joined the London School of Economics in 2003, attracted by its reputation as a world leader in educating social scientists, aim for global impact, international student body, and location in the heart of one of the most incredible culture capitals in the world. I was aware that the LSE boasts a long list of notable alumni and faculty - including numerous winners of the Nobel Prize in economics, such as Sir John Hicks, Friedrich Hayek, Amartya Sen and George Akerlof - which was no less seductive to an aspiring economist.

Born in Russia but educated in the West, I was fascinated by the complexities and challenges of the post-Soviet bloc’s transition to a free market economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and hence I joined the European Institute to undertake an M.Sc. in the Political Economy of Europe under the generous and inspirational guidance of my graduate advisor and instructor Prof. Abby Innes. My time at the LSE offered everything I had hoped – intellectual challenge, motivation, an enduring enthusiasm for the economics discipline, and lifelong friendships with fellow students who are now making an impact around the globe. Many of them knew exactly what they wanted to do when they graduated, but I was less certain – I wish I could be a student forever! I would often respond when prompted.

Instead, after graduation, I joined the finance industry and over several years worked my way up to the role of Deputy Portfolio Manager for an emerging markets bond fund, learning much along the way but never feeling entirely fulfilled. The immense satisfaction of belonging to an academic community, sharing knowledge and ideas, and continuously expanding one’s own cognitive frontiers remained for me the apex of self-realization. To some extent, this conviction came from my father, lifelong friend and mentor, and renowned University of Oxford Professor of Biochemistry, Grigory Dianov. He dedicated his career to the study of DNA repair processes and their implications for ageing and cancer, one of the most formidable challenges facing today’s society. His work’s focus was microscopic, yet its impact enormous.

The birth of my first son and a family move to Switzerland gave me the perfect opportunity to reflect on my priorities, ambitions and dreams. It was then that I joined the University of Fribourg to study under distinguished Swiss economist Prof. Sergio Rossi, earning a PhD in economics in 2018. Since 2020, I have been teaching and conducting research in economics at Franklin University Switzerland, obtaining the position of Assistant Professor of Economics in 2024. I am once again a part of an academic community, exchanging knowledge and ideas with students and colleagues, and never ceasing to learn. It rarely feels like a job, but rather a vocation – a shared mission to create and spread knowledge, while humbly accepting how little we understand about the complex and ever-changing world we inhabit; a mission to inspire and motivate each other, and to aspire to make a positive difference in the world, one idea at a time.