He is now based at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland where he teaches the programme of Applied Social Data Science and conducts research in European studies and political behavior.
What brings you back to the EUI today?
I'm part of the EUI Alumni Association, and we organized this annual conference that this year is on the theme of the role of universities in challenging times. The main reason for visiting was this conference. It’s always a pleasure to be back and to be part of social and academic events at the EUI.
What was the discussion that went on during the conference?
We covered historical perspectives like what the main ideas and figures were that played an important part in imagining or reimagining the role of universities. Then, focusing on current developments and how these new geopolitical and neoliberal challenges are affecting universities.
In the end, we looked forward with visions about the future where we tackled different strategies and roles of different segments and elements such as digitalization and artificial intelligence. We also focused on the role of emotions, the role of creativity and art in teaching and dealing with challenging topics.
Overall, it was an exceptionally inspiring event with EUI alumni sharing their perspectives on this very important topic.
What are the benefits of being part of the Alumni Association?
The Alumni Association is an important body that gathers alumni from different cohorts, nationalities, and countries and keeps them updated on what is going on at the EUI.
It is important to have this network. It is also kind of naturally maintained because we, EUI people, recognize each other everywhere we go such as conferences and similar academic events.
Nevertheless, this association is also trying to present the interests of the alumni who are still very much attached to the institute, and who want to be part of it and stay informed about what is going on at the institute.
The main events for us are the annual conferences that we have been organising for several years now, and they are becoming very successful. Based on the testimonials from participants, it provides a space to discuss important topics from social and academic aspects.
Becoming a member is voluntary. Once you are a member of the association, you can vote to elect the executive committee and see the annual reports of the President and the financial report of the association. Of course, you can also be part of all the activities.
Another important aspect of the association is the national or city chapters around Europe. For example, if there is a bigger concentration of alumni in one location, they can gather and organise social events like book presentations, but also social gatherings where they catch up and network.
What is it like to be back in Badia?
It's like walking down memory lane. It is always nice to be back. I try to come here at least once per year. It is beautiful to recall all these memories. Almost all of us still very vividly remember the interview day – where we went, and who we met on that day.
There are many stories because being part of the EUI means being part of the life of this institute and actually creating the life in this institute. We do that through social events, through the Coppa Pavone, through academic discussions and so on. It is always part of recalling those amazing times for most of us.
What is one question your EUI research was trying to answer and why does it matter today?
My PhD dissertation focused on voter demobilization and the role of party ideology shifts, ideological inconsistencies of the parties, and how they demobilize disenchanted voters. It was a comparative longitudinal perspective and analysis trying to understand the reasons for this voter demobilization.
I think today we are living in very challenging times when the rise of populism and the rise of extreme ideologies are very much endangering the way we have understood democracy in the last 80 years. We also see a concerning disenchantment of the voters with the political processes and their demobilization.
Today, my topic is probably even more relevant than when I started writing it. For example, yesterday in the alumni conference I was recalling how my idea for the topic was coming from historical developments in the English context and how actually this process nowadays is very different from how I imagined it.
How do you think your time at the EUI shaped your personal and professional path?
The EUI was a life-changing experience for me in so many different aspects. It is one of the most inspiring academic environments.
The EUI's academic style is sui generis. This is because the institute is made by the people, and the people are always changing. The researchers and the professors change, but what stays is this idea of academic plurality and academic awareness that we all bring with us. So yes, it shaped me exceptionally and I still recognize the EUI's contributions to my academic and personal development.
The idea and the focus on concepts and conceptualisation were so strong here. Now, when I travel and visit other places or work in other places, I see how important that aspect was. At the EUI we learned that everything is about concepts and conceptualizations and then the methods help us execute these concepts and these ideas.
On a personal level, it was absolutely inspiring to be in a place with so many different nationalities. All of us brought something from our background but also tried to adjust and adapt to this new environment. I think everything, like the setup of the institute, which was a bit more isolated from the city life of Florence and the fact that we spent the whole day here also helped us to mingle, think, reflect, and share.
Academically, there are people with different backgrounds and different ideas. So even if we stay as the defenders of our schools of thought and our methodological approaches, we are still immediately exposed to different ideas and different ways of doing it. I think this is a great advantage that I recognize in myself, but also in almost all my colleagues. EUI-ers think widely, they do not serve only their school of thought or methodology, but they are very much aware of the plurality of ideas and the importance of communicating these ideas and bringing something from different approaches in our ideas.
What advice would you give to someone applying to the EUI?
I would definitely advise applying because it is a unique place. It is unique mainly because of the academic style that is promoted here. There are many places that have diversity of nationalities and ethnicities, but the EUI is unique in its academic style and its approach. It is a privilege to be a PhD student here because the entire attention of the academic community is focused on PhD researchers.
The EUI is a place where many established and distinguished researchers want to come and present their findings. Research is coming to you, which is something that doesn't happen in many other places. For example, there were many possibilities for methodological workshops. They were led by scholars who were coming to the EUI and gave specialized workshops on certain methods. During my PhD I was the co-convener of a colloquium of a working group on political behavior, and we also had the pleasure of hosting a lot of people who were giving talks during their visit to the institute.
Research welfare is something that I was paying a lot of attention to. This is becoming even more important now and we are very much aware of the issue of mental health of academics and, especially, of young academics and researchers. In this sense, the EUI is such a considerate place.
Ultimately, you realize all this only after you leave the place. It is human nature to always search for something more, but once you leave the place, you actually realize that some of the things were already very well taught and quite helpful for a researcher.
Could you describe to us what the photo memory means to you?
The image that I chose is of my family at my graduation day and thesis defense day. I was panicking about how the defense would go and whether everything would be fine.
Although you enter the hall to defend and you see the secretary already with the champagne, I was still stressed. But looking back at it today, it was a beautiful day because so many of my colleagues were there with me as well as my family. They traveled all the way from my home country to come and be part of this event. And that's one of the nicest memories from that day.
This is a crucial moment for every researcher and sharing it with the people you love and care about is something very special.
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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.