From Masters scholarship to PhD studentship

Women of the Future scholar Annalivia Polselli is a step closer to her dream of a research career in economics after being awarded PhD funding following her Masters.

Annalivia recently completed her Master of Research (MREs) Economics and has successfully applied for a PhD studentship at Essex funded by the ESRC’s South-East Network for Social Sciences. She will pursue her own research in econometrics. 

“There are several things that have made my Masters at Essex an amazing experience,” she said. “What struck me most is the attention to meeting student's needs in terms of timetable, and overall course organisation. The schedule of lectures and classes left enough time to study and go through the material. 

“The staff have been excellent. The teachers are always available to answer questions and happy to talk about your interests and future research. 

“Last but not least, the Masters has provided all the necessary tools for me to start my own research at PhD level.”

Annalivia was chosen as one of 30 recipients of our Women of the Future scholarships after completing her BSc and MSc in her hometown of Rome. The scholarship enabled her to study in the UK – her first time living abroad.

“Essex welcomes students from different cultures,” she said. “I didn't find any sort of linguistic barrier here that couldn't be overcome or any discrimination against me as a foreigner. The staff help if you can’t perfectly express yourself and they try to put students at ease in every situation. I felt really welcomed and understood, seen as a person rather than a number.”

Annalivia aims to work in a European university in the future, collaborating with research centres such as Essex’s UK Data Archive.

Read about our other Women of the Future Scholars Marina Lucic, Rebeca Nader López and Raíza Ponticelli.