Giulia has always been curious about the world around her, a curiosity that often found expression through an obsessive love of reading and writing. Growing up in Brazil, hearing her father talk about the military dictatorship and witnessing its legacy in Brazilian society today sparked her interest in the particular aspects of politics and history that shape a nation.

During her Bachelor’s degree at University College Maastricht, she channeled that curiosity into interests in International Relations theory, Conflict Studies, and International Law. Afterwards, she went on to do a Master’s in Crisis and Security Management at Leiden University, where she got to learn in a lot more depth about security issues from armed conflict to humanitarian crises, and what it means to devise policy in an ever-changing fragmented world. She also had opportunities to hear from experts that work in the field, providing perspectives that help bridge theory and practice.

There is often a gap between academia and the real world, but effecting change means moving beyond that gap towards using knowledge to produce actionable insights that can have a real impact. Now, at the Hague Institute for Geopolitics, she has the chance to meaningfully contribute precisely to that goal, of building a better understanding of geopolitics that can truly inform policy-making. Focusing on geopolitics and security in Latin America, she combines research, writing, and expert engagement to help bring greater attention to developments in the region. Giulia is particularly interested in fostering a deeper understanding of Latin America and its perspectives within European geopolitical debates. And the icing on the cake is that she gets to do it by talking to experts herself, building a network and learning about the world while honing her research and writing skills to bring her interests to life.