Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to UEA?
I am Italian born and bred. I come from Pavia, a town South of Milan and I moved to the UK almost 20 years ago to study. I took my MSc and PhD in Economics at the University of Warwick and my first job as a lecturer was at the University of St Andrews. I lived in Scotland for almost 5 years, and then decided to move to UEA, where I arrived in 2012. Norwich looks a lot like Pavia, so I feel at home here.
What are you passionate about outside of economics?
I love travelling and discovering new places and meeting new people. Sometimes I have the opportunity to travel for work, when presenting work at conferences. If at all possible, I take some extra days holiday to visit the place where I worked. I was fortunate enough to study Arts History at Secondary School. This is part of the curriculum in the Italian education system. This got me passionate about Modern and Contemporary Art. London offers countless opportunities to engage with this passion. I visit Tate and Tate Modern galleries very often, as well as the National Art Gallery, Saatchi, and many other exhibition venues. My favourite painters are expressionists, such as Schiele, Klimt, Munch, Van Gogh (his museum in Amsterdam is fantastic). My number one favourite is Francis Bacon.
What inspired you to pursue a career in economics?
I really didn’t know what to study when I graduated from Secondary School. I wanted to read Philosophy, but also Genetics…I was a tad confused. My father is a professional accountant, so I decided to be practical and enrol in a degree in Business and Economics. I didn’t really know what Economics was, but I fell in love with it when I started to study it. The rigour of the mathematical sciences combined with the human dimension of Humanities made of me a passionate social scientist.
What excites you the most about economics at the moment?
I am a strong believer in social equality and economic equity. The UK is characterised by one of the most inequal society in Europe, so there is a lot of work to do. I am conducting research on how to support students coming from disadvantaged background to join university and be successful, as one of the drivers for social mobility. I am combining these studies with my research on student learning and student confidence. The idea of empowering young minds to fulfil their potential truly excites me. I like to think I am giving my own contribution to society in this way.
What modules do you teach on?
I teach across the three years of our undergraduate programmes. At Year 1, I teach Introductory Macroeconomics. Students are passionate about Macro as they read about it in the news. I like that I can welcome them as soon as they arrive at UEA and guide them through their first discoveries in Macroeconomics. At Year 2, I teach History of Economic Thought. This is a nice break from mathematical formalisation into more philosophical and methodological issues about Economics. We read a lot in this module and exchange opinions and ideas about the evolution of economic thinking. At Year 3, I deliver workshops to support our students writing a dissertation in Economics. I cover topics such as how to formulate research ideas, how to survey the literature, how to research ethically and how to design questionnaires and surveys.
What do you enjoy most about the School of Economics at UEA?
All my academic colleagues are so different from each other, and they come from different parts of the world. We might have discussions and disagreement, but we are all very passionate about what we do. When need be, we come all together as one. The spirit of fellowship and friendship within the School is palpable, and it clearly reflects on our teaching and our ability to take good care of our students. Our administrative and support staff are fantastic, they keep us all together, they take care of us (academics can be a bit forgetful and up to cloud nine at times) and they also love interacting with the students. I wake up in the morning and I am happy to go to work. When the folks of the General Office welcome me at the School with a smile, I know it is going to be a good day.
What advice would you give to a student interested in a career in Economics?
If you are enthusiastic about research in Economics, there are different options. You could think about a career in academia, but not just that. There are numerous think thanks, such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which offer remunerative and fulfilling opportunities. Consultancy organisations are another option. Central Banks have research departments, where you can also continue scholarly activities along with forecasting. What are the differences? Pay, most certainly is a factor to keep into consideration, but also freedom. Here you face trade-offs; if you want more freedom academia is your place, but pay is lower. You should consider whether you would like to teach (something I would never trade-off for anything). If you wish to combine research and teaching, academia is the place for you.
What is your favourite place in Norwich?
Tombland, the area of Norwich surrounding the Cathedral is my favourite. I visited the Cathedral countless times with family and friends and I never get tired of it. I like dining at the restaurants in the square in front of the entrance of the Cathedral. There are three of my favourite pubs there: Take Five, and further on in Wensum Street you have Ribs of Beef and the Mischief. (Just watching the little houses and the buildings from the Fye Bridge is quite an experience, or you can walk along the Quay Side). Going back to Tombland, if you walk across the Ethelbert Gate and across Ferry Lane (leaving the Cathedral to your back), you get to Pulls Ferry (ancient stone gate) and to the River Yare: beautiful! From there you can follow the River Walk, something I find very relaxing.