Tell us a bit about yourself...
I was born in a small Italian town by the seaside named Chiavari. Since I was a child, I had a love for animals and nature and I spent much of my free time in the countryside, with my dog.
I am a very curious person and this characteristic brought me to travel a lot around the world in order to discover other places and cultures. During my travels, I realised that I wanted to make a difference and not just be a spectator of the world, and this pushed me to become interested in international law.
So, after high school, I decided to attend law school, in Italy. I seized every opportunity that my University offered me and thanks to that, I spent a month in Canada, working for an NGO named Ethiopiad, and three weeks in Colombia, in order to finalise some research for my undergraduate thesis.
What inspired you to further your studies?
During my years at University, I had the chance to meet some very stimulating professors. One, in particular, inspired me to further my studies and, due also to my passion for nature, to specialise in international environmental law.
Why did you choose to study for the LLM Global Environmental Law & Governance?
After my graduation from law school, I started looking for an LLM in International Environmental Law. There was nothing interesting in Italy and my desire was to find something in the United Kingdom, in order to improve my English and expand my horizons. When I discovered the LLM Global Environmental Law and Governance I understood that I had found what I was searching for: the programme of the course was very interesting and challenging, and gave the student the possibility to deepen their knowledge in this area and the coordinators and lecturers of the LLM were highly qualified in the field of International Environmental Law.
What attracted you to Strathclyde specifically?
First of all, my choice to study at Strathclyde was driven by the presence of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law & Governance (SCELG), a flagship of Strathclyde.
Moreover, I chose to study at Strathclyde also because it is a stimulating and open-minded environment, rich in opportunities and that attracts students and researchers from all over the world.
Last, but not least, Scotland’s landscapes are amazing!
What was the highlight of your time at Strathclyde?
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there haven’t been many extra-curricular moments so far, nor the possibility to engage directly with my professors and pals; however, I truly appreciate the efforts that our coordinators made for giving us a beautiful and challenging experience.
Thanks to them, there was more than one highlight during my experience at Strathclyde; in particular, I really enjoyed the opportunity to interact with my peers, creating presentations on different arguments to present to our coordinators and also to SCELG researchers.
Have you come across any challenges during your studies, and how have you overcome them?
The Italian scholar system is very different from the English one, so I faced some challenges at the very beginning. In particular, I was very scared of the lessons because I would have to talk and actively participate in the class debate, and this is something that doesn’t happen frequently in Italy. However, this fear left me quickly, thanks to the kindness of my peers and the encouragement from the coordinators and lecturers.
What would be your advice for people considering taking this course?
I would strongly recommend the LLM Global Environmental Law and Governance to everyone interested in deepening their knowledge in Environmental Law and engaging with people all around the world, in a very stimulating and passionate environment, rich in highly qualified staff.
My advice for them is to take advantage of every opportunity that coordinators and lecturers offer, and interact as much as possible with their peers.
What do you think of the support available?
Strathclyde offers many exceptional services to its students and this is another reason why I chose it.
I felt very supported in every moment and aspect of my path, in particular by my coordinators who were – and still are even after lessons are finished – extremely available and approachable, and they give great attention to our career interests.
What are your ambitions for the future?
During this year, I have had the possibility to understand what I would like to do in my future and what I would specialise in. I discovered a great interest in biodiversity conservation and in particular in protected area law; thus, my future ambition is to work abroad helping to protect endangered species and stimulating governments to understand the fundamental role of protected areas and cooperation in this field.
