Lab People

Our students from the Research Lab

2026–2027

The interns who started in September 2026. Profiles are added as the interns send them.

Alessia La Delfa

Intern

Desiré Dell’Aira

Intern

Antonino Armando Napoli

Intern

Aurora Bertino

Intern

Pietro Morelli

Intern

Pietro Catalano

Intern

2025–2026

The Lab’s interns of the 2025–2026 cohorts, working on the EUQuest and PopMood projects and on the Chair’s communication. Profiles are added as the interns send them.

Laura Agata Cariotti

Intern, communication

Laura Agata Cariotti has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Languages Studies (L-20) and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is currently doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre, where she contributes to the centre’s communication activities.

Momna Khan

Intern, EUQuest

Momna Khan is an International Relations researcher and visiting lecturer of Political Science. She has an MSc in Defence and Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She brings experience in university-level teaching, legislative research at the National Assembly of Pakistan, youth leadership, and development sector coordination. She contributes to peer-reviewed international journals; her research covers political accountability, climate action, international security, economic governance and regional connectivity initiatives.

Marianna Nicolosi

Intern, EUQuest

Marianna Nicolosi is a law graduate and qualified lawyer currently enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree programme in History, Politics and International Relations (L-36) at the University of Catania, where she is further developing her expertise in socio-political studies. She is also currently doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre as part of the EUQuest project.

Serena Parisi

Intern, EUQuest

Serena Parisi has a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Sciences (L-15) and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is currently completing an internship on the EUQuest project.

Claudia Scalisi

Intern, EUQuest

Claudia Scalisi has a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages with a focus on Arabic Language and Literatures, along with History, and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is currently doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre within the EUQuest project.

Giulia Vetri

Intern, EUQuest

Giulia Vetri is a Bachelor’s student in History, Politics and International Relations at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Catania. She is currently doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre within the EUQuest project.

Claudia Sessa

Intern, PopMood

Claudia Sessa holds a Bachelor’s degree in History, Politics and International Relations (L-36) and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is also doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre as part of the PopMood project.

Laura Torrisi

Intern, PopMood

Laura Torrisi holds a Bachelor’s degree in History, Politics and International Relations (L-36) and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is also doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre as part of the PopMood project.

Yuri Ismaele Hassan Alì

Intern, PopMood

Yuri Hassan holds a Bachelor’s degree in History, Politics and International Relations (L-36) and is currently enrolled in the Master’s degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM, LM-62) at the University of Catania. She is also doing an internship at the LAPOSS Research Centre as part of the PopMood project.

Anna Gagliano

Intern, communication

Anna Gagliano worked on the Chair’s communication: the podcast, the video interviews, and the seminar coverage.

Vanessa Cutrona

Intern, communication

Vanessa Cutrona worked on the Chair’s communication: the podcast, the video interviews, and the seminar coverage.

Gloria Genovesi

Intern, MigMood

Giulia Martina Pierro

Intern

Doriana Sakiq

Intern

Giada La Gioia

Intern, MigMood

Simone Gabriele Perrone

Intern

Klara Bontempo

Intern

2024–2025, first semester

Giorgia Badalati

Student

Giorgia is a third-year sociology student in the Department of Political and Social Sciences in Catania. She is pursuing her internship at LaPoSS, where she performs various roles related to communication for the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe.

Luca Finocchiaro

Student

Luca Emilio Finocchiaro is a third-year Political Science student at the University of Catania, currently engaged in an internship with the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe, where he contributes to the communication section. His academic journey has been shaped by a deep interest in geopolitics and international relations, complemented by a strong enthusiasm for technology and digital media.

Laura Torrisi

Student

Laura Torrisi is a third-year student at the Department of Political Science at the University of Catania, where she is pursuing a degree in Political History and International Relations. Outside her studies, Laura is an avid reader with a deep passion for music, both as a listener and a musician. She also loves travelling and discovering new cultures.

Pietro Morelli

Student

Pietro Morelli is a student of History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Catania. He likes history and geopolitics. Within the project he works on collecting data on the members of the European Parliament.

Alessandro D’Agata

Student

Alessandro D’Agata is a computer expert, game designer, science-fiction writer, and political science student at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Catania. Within the project he deals with the data collection needed to create a dataset on MEPs.

Gaetano Bannò

Student

Gaetano is a third-year political science student living in Catania as an out-of-town student, originally from the province of Enna. His role in the internship involves gathering data about MEPs from online sources and developing a shared dataset with colleagues. In his free time he likes to stay informed about current events and politics, reading and studying.

2024–2025, second semester

The interns of spring 2025, working on EUQuest, PopMood, the dataset on the European Parliament, the website, and the Chair’s communication.

Alessandro Prezzo

Intern, PopMood

Alessandro Prezzo is a second-year student of History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Catania. He is particularly interested in History and the contemporary political landscape of Italy. He is pursuing his internship experience at the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe, specifically working in the populist mood project.

Antonio De Martino

Intern, European Parliament dataset

Antonio is a first-year Master’s student in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the Department of Political and Social Sciences in Catania. He is currently carrying out his internship by researching and conducting interviews on the behaviours and tasks of Assistant Members of the European Parliament. He has a strong interest in geopolitics and is also a passionate photographer.

Alessandro Motta

Intern, EUQuest

Alessandro Motta is currently enrolled in the Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations master’s degree programme. During his undergraduate studies, he focused on the European Union’s mechanisms for safeguarding the rule of law within its borders. His academic interests have since evolved towards the EU’s economic governance, with a particular emphasis on monetary policy within the Eurozone. Alongside his ordinary studies, he is also a student at Scuola Superiore di Catania and he is completing an executive master in Leadership for international relations and made in Italy, for which he was awarded a full scholarship by Fondazione Italia Usa.

Giulia Di Salvo

Intern, EUQuest

Giulia Di Salvo is a Bachelor’s student in History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Catania. She spent six months abroad in Prague as part of her academic journey, enriching her international perspective. Currently, she is pursuing an internship at LAPOSS within the framework of the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe, contributing to the activities of the EUQuest project.

Rosario Shari Rapisarda

Intern, EUQuest

Rosario Shari has a bachelor’s degree in History, Politics and International Relations and he is currently a master’s degree student of Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the University of Catania. Thanks to the EUQuest project he is collecting data on European parliamentary questions, where he contributes to create a specific dataset. He has a strong interest in international relations and geopolitics. His academic studies coincide with sport and music’s passions.

Claudia Federico

Intern, EUQuest

Claudia Federico is a first-year Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations Master’s student at the University of Catania with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. Beyond her academic studies, she’s always ready to listen to good music, watch a drama film and leave for the next adventures, especially if abroad!

Fabrizio Nicotra

Intern, EUQuest

Fabrizio Nicotra is a second-year undergraduate student in History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Catania. He is particularly interested in the European Union, Erasmus and student mobility, as well as international travel and intercultural exchange. As part of the EUQuest project, he works on coding and categorising parliamentary questions, including through the use of artificial intelligence tools. He joined the lab to gain hands-on experience in EU-focused research and to better understand how political representation is shaped at the European level.

Ramona Orefice

Intern, communication

Ramona Orefice is a first-year student of GLOPEM (Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations) at the University of Catania. She lives in Caltagirone, Sicily. After a bachelor’s degree in Linguistic and Intercultural Mediation, she decided to pursue her dream of understanding more about politics. She loves to understand more about the EU studies perspectives and travelling around the world.

Chiara Giaimo

Intern, communication

Chiara Giaimo is a 24-year-old Italian master’s student with an academic background in Political Science and International Relations. She graduated with honours from the University of Messina and is currently pursuing a degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the University of Catania. Alongside her studies, she is completing an internship with the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe, where she focuses on communication-related activities. Her main areas of interest include Comparative Politics and European Studies.

Veronica Viero

Intern, PopMood

Veronica Viero is a student at the University of Catania enrolled in the Master’s Degree in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations. Her research interests include European Union Foreign Policy and the role of civil society in humanitarian interventions. She has spent research periods at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris (2025) and at the University of Liège (2024). Currently, she is carrying out her internship activity within the project Populist Mood of the Jean Monnet Chair EuDARe.

Daniela Crimi

Intern, PopMood

Daniela Crimi is a first-year Master’s student in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the University of Catania. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Languages. Currently, she is involved in the PopMood project, focused on the study of populism, through a training internship under the EuDARe Chair. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time outdoors.

Ester Privitera

Intern, PopMood

Ester Privitera has an American bachelor’s degree in political science, and now she is enrolled in the GLOPEM master’s programme at the University of Catania, and she is an intern at EuDARe. She takes care of finding populist patterns in the CodeBook Gallup and CodeBook PopMood.

Claudio Sciuto

Intern, PopMood

Claudio Sciuto is a master’s degree student of Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the University of Catania. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Catania. He has had experience as a research intern at LAPOSS and currently he is contributing to the PopMood project exploring populist attitudes in Europe and in the MENA region. He is deeply passionate about International Relations and he closely follows European Union affairs. Outside of his academic studies, he likes planning his next trip abroad, doing karate and studying French.

Zakaria El Bir

Intern

2023–2024

Abdollah Baei Lashaki

Post Doc

Abdollah Baei Lashaki is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Catania, specialising in the EU policymaking process. His PhD research investigated the determinants of access to the European Parliament for human-rights NGOs, giving him comprehensive expertise in lobbying and advocacy dynamics. His work illuminates the strategies and obstacles NGOs encounter in their efforts to influence European policy.

Agata Tomarchio

Student

Agata is a Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations master's student at the University of Catania with a bachelor's degree in History, Politics and International Relations. Beyond her academic studies, she is a movie enthusiast and an avid reader, and enjoys curating playlists for the perfect soundtrack to her daily life.

Andrea Rubino

Student

Andrea Rubino has a bachelor's degree in History, Politics and International Relations, and is currently a GLOPEM student. He is researching populist attitudes in Africa as an internship activity at LaPoSS. He enjoys playing music.

Elisa Grasso

Student

Elisa Grasso is a Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations master's student at the University of Catania. When not engaged in her academic studies, she is likely to be found with a classic novel in one hand and a rock-concert ticket in the other, plotting her next travel adventure.

Emeka Eziukwu

Student

Emeka Eziukwu is a Nigerian master's student of Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations at the University of Catania, currently a research intern of the Jean Monnet Chair focusing on populism in Africa. He holds a BSc in Public Administration and Government from Imo State University, Nigeria, and has experience in the diplomatic and cultural sectors. He is interested in Europe–Africa relations.

Flavio Fuca

Student

Flavio Fuca is a student in the master's programme in Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (GLOPEM) at the University of Catania. He is passionate and experienced in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). His academic interests revolve around the historical and political dynamics of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Francesco Portoghese

Student

Francesco Portoghese is a bachelor's student in History, Politics and International Relations. In 2023–2024 he studied for one semester at the Institut d'Études Politiques in Fontainebleau on an Erasmus scholarship. He is an Italian native speaker, fluent in both English and French.

Mirea Nicolosi

Student

Mirea is a master's student in the Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations programme. She has always been passionate about foreign languages and cultures, and loves travelling and exploring new countries. When she is not working through a political-science handbook, she is likely planning her next trip and searching for the perfect soundtrack.

Mirko Narbone

Student

Mirko Narbone is a master's student in GLOPEM – Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations (LM-62) at the Department of Political Science in Catania. He earned his bachelor's in Foreign Languages (English and Chinese) in Ragusa Ibla. He developed an interest in International Relations and Political Science during his master's, and is always ready to face new challenges.

Silvia Rabuazzo

Student

Silvia Rabuazzo is a Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations master's student at the University of Catania with a bachelor's degree in History, Politics, and International Relations. She enjoys working in the communications sector.

Giulya Anzalone

Intern

Rosa Spinello

Intern

Matteo Terribilio

Intern

Shahzaib Hassan Shah

Intern

Veronica Viero

Intern