Can you talk a bit about how you ended up in MUS and your educational journey before starting the program?
I have a background in sociology. I studied in Italy for all my life, and I would say that I was a bit unsatisfied with the excessive theoretical dimension of my studies. At a certain moment, I realized that the parts of sociology that were the most interesting to me had something to do with either regional development or urban issues. I feel like I received signals from the topics that I was studying and then it spontaneously led me in that direction. When I finished my bachelor, I felt intrigued by the idea of studying and living abroad; that was something I had never done before. I started checking what kind of master’s or study opportunities were available in the urban direction. Somehow that is how I got into the Brussels option. It was generally quite a big challenge to move abroad and honestly the MUS program was the most interesting one that I found. Another option for me would have been in Helsinki. Eventually I did not go there because I thought it was a bit too far.
How did you experience the interdisciplinarity of the Master?
The kind of interdisciplinarity I found in the MUS program was very methodological. In the master’s it is not only the topics that are crossing each other, but it is also a lot about the way you learn about them. For me, it was a positive experience, as I personally struggle to solely focus on one specific niche. I first though it was a problem, but with time I realised that can be an opportunity
"I think in both my master thesis and my bachelor thesis, I was exploring everything which is not metropolitan, and how these places develop, how these places are defined in terms of identity and narration. We see everything filtered through an urban perspective: very often we tend to see the more remote areas or mountain areas as exactly the opposite of what the city is."
How is your work like at the moment?
I have been in Brussels for five years now. Maybe I can tell you a bit more about my previous job, which I found some months after the Master. First of all, it was quite hard for me to get a job: especially with the kind of work I wanted to do. I was expecting it to respond to the critical attitudes that I became aware of during my masters. I was also hoping that my work would be in line with what I studied and that it would allow me to hopefully save some money too. Brussels is a very competitive place, especially for people that are looking for their first full-time employment. I quickly realized that despite I could speak some French, I did not feel as confident as a native speakers probably do. This fact pushed me towards only looking for English speaking stuff in the end. Automatically, that means the English-speaking bubble: which is very much focused on European institutions. Eventually, I found a job in this organisation working with European funded projects. I stayed there for two years and overall, it was a good first-time experience, I learned so much. I met wonderful colleagues and people, and I was lucky to work on one project focused on urban issues.
The organisation that I am working for right now is called Euromontana. It is a small European level, non-profit organisation. We represent our members, which come from many different mountain areas in Europe. I think in both my master thesis and my bachelor thesis, I was exploring everything which is not metropolitan, and how these places develop, how these places are defined in terms of identity and narration. We see everything filtered through an urban perspective: very often we tend to see the more remote areas or mountain areas as exactly the opposite of what the city is. This is a problem because it is not the case and it is extremely reductive. My role here is about project management and communications, always in the framework of European funded projects.
Can you name a couple of specific skills that you gained during the master that you really feel like you employ in your job?
100% teamwork. In the master we were "forced" to do that, but that is really a good way to test yourself. Teamwork can be very challenging when collaborating with groups of people having all kinds of background knowledge. During my bachelor, for instance, I was never asked to deliver a group project. Plus, exchanging with students from all over the world helped me to question my European-focused perspective. Realising how many things are taken for granted became like a precious extra filter when reading the urban space. Because the master is based in Brussels, and because Brussels is such a messy and chaotic place, dealing with complexity was a nice takeaway. I was good to get two years of: let me explain you this city - to then survive in Brussels. It is not the easiest place on earth.
"In the master we were "forced" to do work in teams, but that is really a good way to test yourself. Teamwork can be very challenging when collaborating with groups of people having all kinds of background knowledge."
What does the masters represent to you?
To me, living in a new place was a totalizing experience. Having never lived abroad before, it was exciting to start from scratch somewhere new. In the longer term it became also a bit hard to deal with, because of the connection with the city I grew up in, which remained strong throughout these years. It also represented a group of incredible people that all somehow left a mark. Some of them stayed here and became my friendship network here, which is super important.
What is one key lesson for you?
Commit a bit more in learning the local languages. French was fine for me, but I struggled when I tried Dutch. When I look back, I think I should have started since the very beginning to practice. Especially if you want to stay in Brussels; because for the kinds of topics we learn, if you really want a job which is in line with what you studied, you might not find that in the English-speaking bubble necessarily.
"Usually when I am asked to describe urban studies, I simplify it and say: it is everything about cities. I challenge you to accept the fact that you cannot really define it with precision. We approach the city from so many different perspectives. From here, you have a lot of freedom to frame your own interest and potential within the masters. Urban studies can get very experimental: it means gathering all these people with different backgrounds to reflect about a topic which can be seen from a million perspectives."
Do you still have contact with current students or across cohorts?
Yes, especially among those who stayed here. Some are friends, some I happen to stumble across at events in town, and so on.
How would you describe urban studies?
It is this kind of question that keeps haunting your brain when you are there. It was like studying something that I am not able to tell my parents about. Usually when I am asked to describe urban studies, I simplify it and say: it is everything about cities.
I challenge you to accept the fact that you cannot really define it with precision. We approach the city from so many different perspectives. From here, you have a lot of freedom to frame your own interest and potential within the masters. Urban studies can get very experimental: it means gathering all these people with different backgrounds to reflect about a topic which can be seen from a million perspectives.
This interview was conducted in November 2023.