Ambassador Spotlight Serena Chellini (Italy)
An academic career was not on Serena Chellini’s radar when she came to Leuven. She simply wanted to expand her knowledge on international economics through the MSc of Economics. However, some rather challenging optional courses from the MSc of Advanced Studies in Economics lured her down the research rabbit hole. During that second master’s programme she got so fascinated that she enquired about a PhD. In September 2022 she joined our Economics research department at FEB.
“I am originally from Florence in Italy and did a hybrid bachelor at the University of Bologna about politics and economics in an international setting. During that programme I realised that I wanted to focus on economy, specifically international economics. So for my master’s degree I assessed economic programmes in Europe and the most interesting one for me was the Master of Economics at KU Leuven. As I wanted to stay within Europe, I mainly looked at the rankings and affordability. I could start at several universities but KU Leuven has an excellent reputation and I also liked its central position, close to Brussels. Since I am passionate about European integration, I thought it would be a perfect place to further develop my knowledge about these matters.”
“The Master of Economics was everything that I had expected and more. During that programme you can already take research courses from the Master of Advanced Studies in Economics (MASE), which I did. I loved it and developed a big interest in the research side of economics, so I decided to do the MASE afterwards.”
Challenging courses
“In the beginning, especially during my first master, some courses were challenging for me because my bachelor was not strictly about economics and I had boldly decided to take the advanced classes immediately. So for example, with little training in econometrics subjects like advanced econometrics were rather hard. Nevertheless, I succeeded. Overall my study career at KU Leuven was intense but at the same time I definitely learned a lot and it was very rewarding for me.”
“During the first master I particularly enjoyed the course on advanced development economics and during the MASE I loved the courses on international trade and applied econometrics. After my initial struggle with (theoretical) econometrics I appreciated the hands-on approach. This time we looked at the empirical methods and in each class we applied them on some data or did simulations. The course was also addressed to PhD's around Belgium, so maybe that is why it was this particular format. Anyway, we did a lot of assignments, which was great.”
“I had never thought about an academic career before I came to KU Leuven. It kind of inspired me to go into the academic life. Professors are quite approachable at the faculty. So if you are really interested in a PhD, you do not need to wait for vacancies. You can simply mail a professor who teaches a topic that fascinates you to explore the possibilities.”
“Overall my study career at KU Leuven was intense but at the same time I definitely learned a lot and it was very rewarding for me”
International trade
In the second semester of my research master I took course on international trade that I greatly appreciated. The course made me passionate about the topic and sparked my interest in pursuing a PhD in the field. I now investigate in my PhD trade liberalization events and how they impact the environmental performance of firms. Since I liked both master’s programs I did at KU Leuven and knew the faculty, the professors, the standards, the quality… It was an obvious choice and I did not think of applying somewhere else.
“Currently my research looks at trade agreements between countries, such as preferential trade agreements or free trade agreements, where tariffs are reduced partially or even to zero. I investigate the practical impact of these tariff reductions on firms and more specifically on their environmental policies, for example regarding emissions, and if the liberalization is a way to make firms environment-friendly.”
“I have also taught a course for the Master of Economic Policy together with another PhD student. We took care of the methodological part of seminars on European policy evaluation. That master prepares students without a background in economics who still aspire a job related to economics afterwards. The students had to evaluate some anti-dumping policies and some trade policies and we helped them do so. It was my first teaching experience, and it was just as challenging as insightful to see how students learn a lot of things that they can apply when they go to the job market. I think you need a lot of practice in order to gain confidence and be a good teacher.”
The lively city of Leuven
“I knew Belgium before I came to study here since I spent several school holidays with one of my closest friends who lives here. Winters can be gray and cold, but when summer arrives it is always nice. I find Leuven to be a more lively city for its inhabitants than Florence, which is mostly geared at tourists. Leuven focuses on its students and the people who live and work here. That is one of the main things I like about the city. Also, it is very well connected to Brussels and other places.”
“Most people in Flanders speak English so you don’t have to worry too much about the language barrier. You can always take a course at the ILT, which offers excellent classes. I am currently finishing the last level of a Greek course since I went on Erasmus exchange to Greece. And now I should start thinking about tackling Dutch. For PhD students the first Dutch course is free, but for students I believe they are quite cheap as well.”
“In my PhD, I investigate trade liberalization events and how they impact the environmental performance of firms”
Covid-19
“From the administrative side everything went quite smoothly for me, but I had a setback to start my first semester in September 2020. After about three weeks of classes, Belgium went into lockdown because of Covid-19, and education happened online for the rest of the year. It was manageable though, since some classes were recorded and that makes it very easy to go back to them. We mostly had to stay at home and could not go out with other people. So it was a bit hard in the beginning. However, when things went back to normal during my second master, I saw that there were a lot of initiatives, a lot of things to do in Leuven.”
“The faculty and university have plenty of student associations like Ekonomika and Pangaea, the community for international students. I found the latter especially useful in the beginning to get to know people. Another tip to settle in is the buddy system. It puts you in touch with another student who will show you around and help you after you have just arrived. Ambassador Katarina Almeida was actually my buddy when I first came to Leuven. Plus, I found the sports infrastructure of KU Leuven’s Sports Centre a wonderful asset. With a sports card you get year-round access for just 30 euro to a lot of sports facilities. I also did a student job at the faculty’s International Office. It was a great way to get some experience and some extra money. I find students to be paid quite well.”
Finding accommodation
“The Master of Economics also allows you to do an internship instead of taking an actual course. You can work for a company of your choice for three to four months, which is a good experience to have on your resume, especially if you want to go into business. I found an opportunity to collaborate remotely with an Italian company - for which I did some research.”
“One of the biggest tasks when I came to Belgium was finding accommodation. I was not looking for a typical ‘kot’ but for an apartment because I live with my boyfriend. It took us months to find a suitable place. However, if you are looking for a student room do check out the university website. They have housing that is officially certified by kalevan. And start your search early because it can take time!”
Veerle De Grauwe