When you were at the EUI, what was your research on and how was your relationship with your supervisor?
My research focused on the globalisation of agri-food production, parallel to the process of Europeanisation, and how those two developments impacted the role of farmers in agri-food supply chains and their way of interest organisation, in the Common Agricultural Policy.
My two supervisors, Professor Alan Cafruny and Professor Colin Crouch, were very supportive and gave me valuable advice throughout my research.
What is your fondest memory from your time at the EUI?
When I came to the EUI, apart from the beauty of this place, it was really a privilege to be with my fellow students coming from all over Europe, to have this dialogue and open way of thinking about European integration issues. Then already it felt like paradise. Today, I truly measure how important those exchanges are. They should not be taken for granted.
I also have very good memories of social life at the EUI. One of them is related to music. I was in a jazz band, called the Bob Schuman 7. We were seven people of six nationalities, and almost all doing research on the European Union, hence the name. We played a concert at the June Ball, which was great!
During my time as a Jean Monnet Fellow, what I loved was that we had the chance to regularly exchange with outstanding scholars and practitioners who visited the Robert Schuman Centre. For example, we had dinner once with Romano Prodi and discussed transatlantic relations. This remains for me a very inspiring moment of that year.
Do you recall any particularly difficult time during your PhD and if so, how did you get through it?
I don’t recall a particularly difficult time, but there was a moment that I felt “stuck” with my research because I lacked a good understanding of the agricultural sector. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to find out that the EUI offered a scholarship to study at the University of Wisconsin, one of the top American Universities for agricultural economy, where a top-notch scholar on the political economy of agri-food production, Professor Buttle, was working.
So, I applied for and spent one semester at the University of Wisconsin. It allowed me to make a lot of progress with my research under the supervision of Professor Buttle, to follow some specialised courses on rural sociology, and even to teach first year students on the Common Agricultural Policy. It was a very rich and amazing experience, which I concluded with a presentation of my research at the Minda de Gunzburg Centre at Harvard University.
How do you think your time at the EUI helped shape you professionally?
My case shows that the EUI prepares you for many different careers. I started my career at university, so an academic career, which is quite the natural step after the EUI. Later, I switched career and started working for the Dutch government. Today, I am lucky to work for the Netherlands at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The EUI prepared me for both. It provided me with the research skills, and the international experience needed to work in a multilateral environment. At the OECD, it is all about making the link between research and policy making. The best moments are when research results directly inform changes in policy making. That’s the kind of impact that really motivates me, and for which my time at the EUI prepared me.
What advice would you give to current and future EUI-ers?
The EUI is a very stimulating and inspiring place which attracts the best scholars of the world, and where one is surrounded by great fellow researchers. It may seem like a distraction from writing one’s PhD thesis, but I would encourage current and future EUI-ers to exchange as much as possible with other EUI researchers on their own research project, as this will bring new and unexpected perspectives. Furthermore, I would advise them to attend as many of the seminars organized at the EUI as possible, even if they are outside of their direct field of interest. In sum, my advice would be to fully seize the EUI experience as it will benefit and enrich each individual research project.
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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.