Meeting the Mayor on placement in Italy

Giulia Abrate (right) in Italy.

Giulia Abrate, BA Politics and International Relations student, recently completed an international placement in Italy with the Centre for African Studies. Here, she tells us about her experience.

I did not know what to expect when interning with the Centre for African Studies, but from my first day it was clear that the experience would be hands on. I felt I was really contributing to the centre's activities, mostly thanks to the inclusive environment created by staff.

I attended conferences on many varied topics, from business possibilities in Northern Africa to the role of the city of Turin in the European context. I even went to an awards ceremony where Turin was recognised as the 'Europeanist City' and got to meet Mayor Chiara Appendino.

Of course, I also spent time in the office where I performed many different tasks. I wrote articles about events I attended for the centre's English website and helped organise future projects. I developed relationships with interesting people who I met through the centre's library.

I am glad I seized the opportunity presented by this internship not only for my professional development but also because the Centre for African Studies is located at the heart of the historical centre of Turin, which allowed me to discover the beauty of the city.

I would strongly recommend this experience. As a placement student, you can establish a friendly relationship with staff from the beginning: they are very understanding and will take your interests and needs into account when allocating tasks, so don't be afraid to be open with them. Also I would advise finding accommodation within walking distance from the centre – you do not want to miss a single corner of this fabulous city!

An incredible experience

Third-year BA Politics and International Relations student Ayomi Ajibade also completed an international placement with the Centre for African Studies.

She commented: "My experience was very positive. The centre offers a very chilled yet productive and exciting work environment. They also had a very extensive library that I was able to use for my dissertation work, as well as giving me the opportunity to write an article which they published.

"Living in Turin was incredible – it's a beautiful Roman city full of great architecture, museums and art galleries and a lot of great food obviously! There is so much to see and do that you most likely won't be able to get it done in a month. I've gone back to Turin and other parts of Italy several times as I'm just in love with the country. From a cost perspective, it's pretty reasonable for food, drink and entertainment."