VISTA Young Scholars
The VISTA Project brought together many aspiring young scholars to learn about the Single Market. Their active participation in the Summer School and the 2023 Annual Conference proved to be indispensable for the achieving the project’s deliverables. VISTA Network counted also on the hard work of its research assistants. Get to know some of them below!
Riccardo Bosticco
I graduated in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs (BA) from the University of Bologna, and I am about to complete a Research Master’s degree in European Studies at Maastricht University. Previously, I have worked as a research assistant at Maastricht University, conducting research on energy policy and security-related topics, and as a research trainee for Istituto Affari Internazionali in the Energy, Climate, and Resources team. In the future, I aim to pursue a Ph.D. in the politics of innovation in clean energy technology markets and shape my career at the intersection of policymaking and research. Taking part in the VISTA project allowed me to broaden my network of bright scholars and fellow students, and it stimulated my curiosity in conducting research on topics relevant to the European Single Market.
Anna Cornaggia
I am graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Maastricht University. I will soon begin my Master’s in European Affairs at Sciences Po Paris. My academic and career interests are centred around European policy analysis, with a particular focus on security, defence, and energy. During the VISTA project, I gained valuable insights into the European Single Market and financial sector. Through this experience, I developed skills in multitasking and teamwork by working on a real-life case study.
Noemi Sara Gentile
I am a Master’s degree graduate in European Law and Policies. I have a deep interest in European law & policies, with an emphasis in environmental and defence areas. After an internship at the International Research Institute on Disarmament, I had the chance to attend the IAI Summer School/VISTA project, which consolidated my knowledge on European defence and security policies, thanks to the mentorship provided by profs. Ana E. Juncos, Sophie Vanhoonacker and Aneta Spendzharova. I am currently a Research Assistant at EBCAM, an NGO based in Brussels, and I can’t wait to know what the future holds.
Rebecca Lizier
I am half Italian and German. I am currently finishing my BA in European studies at Maastricht University. Next year I will start the L.L.M. International and European Law (specialisation in European Law) at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. During my BA I participated in two Eurosim edition which is a simulation on the functioning of the EU legislation mechanisms. The simulation allows students from multiple universities to participate representing the different member states. I won the 2022 edition in witch I was an Irish MEP. I participated in the 2022 edition of the Vista Summer School where I was part of the defence focus group. The summer school allowed me to further deepen the knowledge gained in the first Eurosim and in the first two years of university. Moreover, during the project deepened my knowledge about the EU Single Market that helped me both during my 3rd academic year and to prepare the 2023 Eurosim edition. I am confident that it will be useful also for my future studies.
Batuhan Üsküp
I am a recent graduate from Hacettepe University/International Relations. I am working as an International Sales Specialist for French Market at ISKO Denim Company (SANKO Holding) During studies, I was interested in EU politics, Turkey-EU relations, private and civil society organisations. I have completed several internships in the following organisations: Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), TÜRKONFED, RDM Advisory, TTCSP, Turkey Recap. I was also a part of European Student Think Tank, Institute for a Greater Europe, and BridgeEurope. I was also one of the co-founders of Youth4change which is a dialogue and peace project for the young people from Israel and Turkey supported by the FNF.
After participating to the Jean Monnet Vista Summer School, I have gained a wide range of view on EU politics, Single Market and EU-Turkey relations. This led me to approach to the EU studies more and more and provoke him to study for advanced programs on EU and work in this field. Iam planning to participate a master’s program in Political Science in 2023.
VISTA Research Assistants
Chiara Russo
I have a Master’s Degree in European Studies from Maastricht University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Luis University. I used to be a Teaching Assistant at Maastricht University, mostly in BA and MA European Studies. I am currently working as PhD Researcher on the EU Horizon Europe project “ROBUST: crisis governance in turbulent times” (robust-crisis-governance.eu).
As the first student research assistant to VISTA, it was truly enriching to my work and personal experience to see such a diverse group of scholars collaborate closely together. I worked on the creation of the website and the collection of relevant literature and I also supported the professors involved in the creation of teaching materials, in the submission of the first special issue, and other deliverables. This allowed me to employ a variety of skills, from digital to research related ones – which definitely made me feel more ready and aware for my next career steps in academia.
Nia Raycheva
I am a third year BA European Studies student at Maastricht University and next academic year I will begin a Research Master’s in History at Utrecht University. I am currently working as a Research Assistant for the VISTA Project at Maastricht University and as a Spanish Language Teacher at Belingual Maastricht. For many years now, I have had a deep interest in European history and EU affairs which have determined my academic and working paths. Working for the VISTA Project and participating in the 2023 Annual Conference have not only taught me a lot about the current developments surrounding the Single Market, but also how are research projects managed. This experience will prove indispensable to pursue my career in academia.
