Early on in my academic journey when I was young and dreaming about future research like the odd child I was, I must admit that starting my PhD in Italy never came to mind. For younger-me my future university was limited to the only English word Chinese parents know. Now that I’m older and slightly wiser, I realize that unlike an undergrad or masters degree, a doctorate is very different in the sense that it’s all up to you. While a brand name will get you places, in essence a PhD is about your own research. What matters most for a doctorate is that you identify your topic, that you like your topic, that you have a knowledgeable supervisor in your field of interest, and that you’re in a place that allows you both access to sources (living or dead) as well as the inspiration to write, and write.

The universe, I believe, granted me this. The Erasmus Mundus PhD Fellowship is offering generous financial support, LUISS Guido Carli is the Italian equivalent of an Ivy-league, and my supervisor Prof. Raffaele Marchetti is one of the best in the field of human rights and norm theory. And of course, Roma è la citta piu bella del mondo.