How did your time at the Florence STG help you grow both professionally and personally?
I think that now, two years after my fellowship ended, I can answer this question. It is an intense and challenging experience, and I tried to do it by fully putting all of myself into it. When you finish an experience that you lived completely, you always feel a little bit confused and empty afterwards. Today, I have to say that my podcast, Leading the Coloniality, which was born through my fellowship, is still being listened to worldwide. I just returned from the Humanitarian Leadership Center in Doha, where I was talking about my podcast. So, my professional life has changed a lot through the PLF, but because I really acted my agency fully. I put a lot of energy into this, and I did not waste a single second. So, yes, the PLF contributed to a moment of creativity and reflection --It's a unique opportunity if you use it in a certain way.
How did the fellowship shape your worldview?
I think that although it may seem stupid, before coming to the fellowship, all the metaphors I used were mainly linked to sound, to music, or to history. After the fellowship, I started using a lot of visual metaphors in my life.
And that's not only because I lived for one year in Florence, where I could benefit from all the beauty of the city, but also because it was a year where I could really witness so many different cultures, people, backgrounds, all together, all around me.
And it was a near observation. So, I don't know how my vision of the world changed, but I do know that my listening skills were changing and exercised.
What does being part of the alumni community of the School of Transnational Governance mean to you?
Maybe the most grand and indirect one is that I try to be here anytime I can and also to use my power of disruption at 46 years old I know that this is one of my talents and I try to disrupt this little world as many times as I can. Luckily for me, the STG staff allows me to do these little interventions and to bring critical perspective into this world.
Furthermore, there's a community of former PLF, who are still my community. For example, there's an Armenian colleague and friend, a Kazakh colleague and friend. We still are there for each other. And this is very important to me. So, if I had a question on certain matters, I know that I would call them. They are still a part of my life and they are the richness that I bring with me.
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The EUI Alumni Testimonials series offers a glimpse into the diverse paths and experiences of our alumni. Through their stories, we revisit meaningful moments from their time at the EUI and discover how these experiences continue to shape their personal and professional journeys.
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Disclaimer: All information reported in this article reflects solely the perspective of EUI alumni and former EUI members. In no case does this article represent the view of the organisations the interviewees are affiliated with.