SAA ALUMNI

My name is Giacomo Comincini. I have been enrolled in the African and Asian Studies program since 2021, focusing primarily on the Asian component, including the study of the Japanese language. I spent a semester abroad in Ōita, Kyushu (2022–23), after which I completed my Master’s degree in October 2023, with a thesis on the Japanese New Left. I was subsequently admitted to the 40th cycle of the PhD program in History, with a research project on the occupation of the Amami Islands after World War II. I am also the founder and director of Tadaima, the Japanese Studies student association at the University of Pavia, established in 2023, which has organized a dozen cultural and academic events. Since 2025, I have served as Vice President of the Italian Center for Interlinguistics and as a member of its Scientific Committee, as well as a jury member for the Il Tempo della Storia competition.

My name is Giulia Paini and I completed a Master’s degree in African and Asian Studies.I chose this academic path even before finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, because I already knew I wanted to focus particularly on the study of African and Middle Eastern countries. The idea of studying the Arabic language excited me from the very beginning. In the second year of my Master’s, I spent a semester in Istanbul through the Erasmus+ program, an experience that allowed me to grow not only academically, but above all on a personal level. The two topics that interest me the most are climate issues analyzed through an anthropological lens and migration. It is the latter that I decided to pursue after graduation, first as a volunteer and then through employment in the field. I am currently working as a social worker for the SAI DM project (Reception and Integration System – Mental Health Distress) at a cooperative in Brescia. The studies I undertook during my Master’s help me every day, especially in terms of decolonizing our ways of thinking. Thanks to the program’s aim of moving beyond the Eurocentric perspective, I’m able to interact with the migrants I work with using an open and inclusive approach.

My name is Giuliano Bosco. I had the pleasure of attending the Master’s Degree Course in African and Asian Studies from 2021 to 2023. The motivation that led me to choose this program—after completing a Bachelor’s degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences—was my desire to deepen both the historical-political and linguistic aspects of my passion for East Asia, particularly Japan. During my studies at the University of Pavia, I had the opportunity to spend the final semester of my academic career at Keio University in Tokyo, where I developed a research project entitled: “Soft Power as a Tool of Foreign Policy: A Comparison between Cool Japan and the Korean Wave.” The language skills I acquired and strengthened through courses offered by both universities enabled me to enrich my field research through the consultation of original-language sources, as well as questionnaires and interviews conducted in Japan. Choosing a well-structured Master’s program that aligned with my interests proved to be a valuable investment in my future, as it opened the door to a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where my skills have been recognized and put to good use.

My name is Francesco Agostini, and I have always had a deep passion for the Japanese language, as well as the history and cinema of East Asia. After taking a Japanese language course during my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Pavia, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in African and Asian Studies (SAA) to further deepen my knowledge of the Asian region and to fully develop my interests not only linguistic, but also those related to the complex dynamics of international security in East Asia. This program allowed me to enhance my language skills while also exploring the multifaceted and sensitive security issues affecting the region. Thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the course and the interconnection between the two thematic and geographic areas, I had the opportunity to focus on what I was most passionate about, while also expanding my knowledge through a high-quality academic experience. One of the most significant moments of this journey was the semester I spent abroad at Keio University in Tokyo, an extraordinary opportunity made possible by my home university. It was an unforgettable academic and personal experience that further strengthened my interest in the field. My studies within the SAA program will conclude in 2025 with a thesis focused on international security in the Eastern Indo-Pacific. After graduation, I plan to continue my academic journey by enrolling in a postgraduate Master’s program starting in September.

My name is Alessia Di Francesco, and throughout my academic journey I chose to focus on the political and social dynamics of West Africa, drawn by the historical and cultural complexity of the region. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florence (with a specialization in International Studies), with a thesis on Ghana’s independence. Driven by a strong interest in the African continent, I pursued my Master’s studies at the University of Pavia, where I had the opportunity to learn from professors who inspired in me a deep passion for anthropological, historical, and political subjects. It was here that I was able to combine a solid theoretical approach with valuable fieldwork experience. Thanks to the Erasmus program, I spent a year in Istanbul, where I attended internationally oriented courses and lived an immersive experience in a multicultural context, an essential step in both my academic and personal development. I concluded my studies with an anthropological research thesis on witchcraft accusations and the marginalization of women in the so-called “witch camps” of northern Ghana, based on three months of fieldwork. This experience represented the culmination of my academic path and strengthened my commitment to social research and to supporting vulnerable communities. I am currently working as a social worker in the field of immigration at a foundation in Prato, where I coordinate a reception center for women, children, and families. At the same time, I volunteer with a local NGO active in two orphanages in Uganda. In addition, thanks to my experience in Ghana, I am contributing to the design and monitoring of a three-year program funded by an association based in South Tyrol set to begin in 2026 in the “witch camps” of Ghana. The project includes structural interventions such as the construction of wells, dormitories, and schools aimed at improving the living conditions of the women and children who reside there. I will return to Ghana to oversee the implementation of the project, continuing my commitment to fostering concrete and sustainable change.

My name is Giulia Crispu, and I graduated in 2024 with a Master’s Degree in African and Asian Studies from the University of Pavia. After beginning my academic journey in International and Diplomatic Sciences at the University of Trieste, I chose to transfer to Pavia to pursue a program that would allow me to further explore my curiosity and growing passion for the SWANA region, with a particular focus on Lebanon. During my studies, I deepened my knowledge of the region and dedicated my thesis to the evolution of Lebanese borders and national consciousness, from the late Ottoman period to independence. A key moment in this process was my thesis research period in Turkey, at Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir—a city I became very fond of, so much so that I returned the following year for an internship at the Italian Consulate. My years in the SAA program, together with my two experiences in Turkey, not only provided me with a solid academic foundation but also enriched me on a personal and human level. They broadened my perspective, making me realize how freedom of movement is not guaranteed for everyone, and how international student mobility can play a crucial role in enabling it and building bridges between people and cultures. This awareness led me to my current role: I now work at the International Mobility Office of the University of Pavia, where I support the implementation of four internationalization projects funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

My name is Marco Feroleto, and I completed the Master’s Degree in African and Asian Studies (SAA) between 2021 and 2024. I chose this area studies program driven by the desire to combine international relations with socio-anthropological approaches to local realities. During my time at SAA, I became particularly interested in identity-building processes, the politicization of “ethnic identities,” and postcolonial discourse, with a focus on the political and cultural formation of African nation-states. In line with these interests, I dedicated my master’s thesis to the study of the Lebanese diaspora in West Africa. I focused in particular on the case of the diaspora in the area that today corresponds to the nation-state of Ghana. My aim was to trace the historical trajectory of a “non-African” group like the Lebanese within an African context, starting from the early colonial period (post-1884) up to the contemporary relationship between the Lebanese community and the Ghanaian state and society. As part of this research, I had the opportunity to spend three months at the Institute of African Studies (IAS) at the University of Ghana in Accra. This was an incredibly formative experience, which I consider essential to gaining a deeper understanding of the historical processes I explored. I am currently working in the field of higher education at the Training Office of Collegio Ghislieri in Pavia, where I support the design and management of the college’s educational and cultural activities. I continue to pursue the topics I explored during my studies, while also developing new research interests.

I attended the Master’s Degree in African and Asian Studies, graduating in 2020. I chose this course to continue the studies in African history that I had begun, also at the University of Pavia, during my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations.

I was thus able to pursue my research, which I began during my Bachelor’s
thesis, on relations between Tunisia and Italy in the 19th century. This research was
enriched, during my Master’s Degree, thanks to the knowledge I acquired while attending
SAA courses and thanks to the international mobility I carried out in Tunisia at the
Université de La Manouba within the framework of the Erasmus ICM project.

My international experience, archival and field research, and the skills provided to me by the
SAA courses were fundamental to the success of my Master’s thesis, and subsequently
enabled me to win a PhD scholarship in History at the University of Teramo, thanks to
which I am continuing the work I started at the University of Pavia.

The Master’s Degree in African and Asian Studies therefore offers excellent tools and a solid basis for approaching even long-term historical research. Furthermore, the study of non-European languages, the various possibilities of international mobility and the multidisciplinary nature of the course represent a wealth of knowledge necessary to approach an increasingly interconnected and
complex world and useful for any professional path.