The 500th student to graduate from the School of International Studies of the University of Trento is Anna Mattedi, 25 years old, from Trento. With 15 other classmates, she will earn her Master's degree in European and International Studies (MEIS) tomorrow, Thursday 25 March. Other 8 students will graduate in the same session earning their Master's degree in International Security Studies. The thesis defence and the ceremony will take place online, because of the covid restrictions, but this does not take anything away from the value of this title, sought after and earned with commitment. She will not even have the time to celebrate because, like so many of her class, she will soon be off to work or involved in an internship. In fact, Anna Mattedi has just started an internship in the human rights sector as "Human rights trainee" at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in Geneva: a rather coveted position for those who enter the labour market with a background in international studies.
"I decided to study international relations after an experience abroad", she said. "I wasn't sure about which university I wanted to go to after high school, and I chose to take a gap year working as an au-pair in Germany. It has been a fundamental experience that helped me realize that cultural exchange, along with politics and diplomacy, was what interested me. International relations are a dynamic, constantly evolving world where you never get bored. Working for a European institution for me means to be able to make a contribution to society and its development, to help people become more aware of the world around them. It has always been my dream. Making it happen will not be easy, but I will work for it".
"Anna's story resembles that of many of our students who each year enrich their curriculum by participating in mobility programmes abroad to make important experiences", commented Stefano Schiavo, director of the School of International Studies. "We are proud of the progress we made so far, also in light of the many success stories among our 500 graduates, many of whom now hold prestigious positions in international organizations, in diplomatic services, and in the private sector. The multidisciplinary approach to the study of international relations, which characterizes the School of International Studies, is attracting a lot of interest: every year we receive an increasing number of applications and admission is becoming increasingly competitive. In recent years we have worked very hard to offer our students additional activities so that they could learn new skills, from different disciplines and for various professions, that are particularly important in the labour market. Through the School of International Studies, the University of Trento has inaugurated a series of multidisciplinary training and research activities, designed to respond to the challenges posed by the social, economic and institutional change connected to globalization and European integration. In a few years the School managed to make itself known at European level, establishing contacts and collaborations with universities and research centres in different countries. We are the only Graduate School in Italy that exclusively organizes postgraduate programmes in international studies, entirely taught in English".
The School of International Studies - Established in 2001 by the Departments of Economics, Law, Humanities and Sociology of the University of Trento, the School became a University Centre in 2012 and today has 24 faculty members and 200 enrolled students. In addition to the Master's Degree in European and International Studies (MEIS), the School offers a Master's Degree in International Security Studies (MISS, together with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa), an International Master's in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies (an Erasmus Mundus joint master's degree with University of Glasgow - UK, City Dublin University - Ireland, Charles University in Prague - Czech Republic), and a three-year PhD in International Studies. All programmes are in English.
Anna Mattedi, from Trento to Geneva to study international relations
Anna Mattedi is taking her first steps in international relations in an organization that has relations with the United Nations and other international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. "As a trainee in the field of human rights I participate in various conferences and meetings and provide reports to my supervisors. We are asked to conduct research work that can be focused on a particular theme or country. We are currently very busy with the session of the Human Rights Council, which meets three times a year".
She built her career in international relations step by step, with her studies: "One of the strengths of this programme is that it provides opportunities to study and do internships abroad. I participated in the Erasmus programme and spent five months in Tallinn. All these experiences shape you as a person, as a student, but also as a future worker. I also find it very positive that the School of International Studies offers English-taught courses. This allows students to improve their language skills but also to develop communication skills that are extremely important for the career they want to pursue. My first work experience was at the end of 2020, when I worked from home for a human rights think tank based in Geneva. I searched for weeks and sent applications to many institutes, think tanks and organizations throughout Europe before finding this position. I obtained the internship I am currently doing by applying through the official website of the European External Action Service (EEAS), where positions for internships all over the world are regularly published. I was selected because of my training and specific work experience. For the future, after this internship, I hope to continue working in a very international environment, even outside Europe. I would like to deal with matters relating to the Far East and Southeast Asia.
Finally, a quick look at her degree thesis that she will defend next Thursday: "I analyzed how fake news and, more generally, disinformation campaigns, have been used in recent hybrid warfare strategies to exploit the current vulnerabilities of digital and information spaces. In this regard, social media are considered a crucial new channel for the launch of disinformation attacks. The goal of my work is to understand how these strategies are used to undermine and challenge democracies, compromise their core values and infrastructures and their internal political and social cohesion. The research work focuses on Russia, and specifically on actions taken against Ukraine since 2014. I chose this theme because it is very current and relevant to today's society. We deal with fake news on a daily basis but not many people fully understand the negative consequences they have on democracies. Providing education and raising awareness on this issue is essential to protect a democratic and united society, especially in times like these".