Graduate Forum Committee
The Graduate Forum is run by an elected committee of UACES PhD Researcher and Early-Career Members. We work together with the UACES Committee of Trustees to organise events and conferences and to represent the voice of graduate and early-career researchers within the Association as a whole. Committee members are elected by members of the Graduate Forum.
Sydney Holt | Chair
"I am Sydney, a PhD candidate at Queen’s University Belfast, and I am eager to apply for the position of Chair in the UACES Graduate Forum committee. Building on my experiences leading the Peer Mentors and participating as a Student Skills Assistant at QUB, I look forward to continuing in a role focused on student representation, networking, and research culture. As a PhD student who benefits greatly from UACES’ networks, I value the work done by previous committees and am excited to continue this momentum over the next years through research events, personal development, and further community building."
Ilaria Lorusso | Events Officer (joint)
"I'm Ilaria, a third-year PhD candidate in Politics. My research focuses on EU migration policy and gender equality. I'm also passionate about teaching and interdisciplinary research methodologies. I look forward to working with the UACES Graduate Forum to build a welcoming environment for researchers at all career stages!"
Blanca Marabini San Martín | Events Officer (joint)
"Hi! I'm Blanca, a PhD student at the Madrid Autonomous University. I am eager to apply for the position of Events Officer, as it aligns with my experience organizing impactful academic and networking events in other youth-oriented associations, such as the European Guanxi Youth Conference or the Young Indo-Pacific Forum. I highly value UACES’ mission to support younger academics and have benefited from the opportunities it offers in the past to attend UACES Conferences and the Graduate Forum itself. I am committed to organizing engaging, inclusive events for others to benefit from similar opportunities and enhance their professional development."
Valeria Fappani | Communications Officer
"I am Valeria, a PhD candidate at the University of Trento and a Research Fellow at the University of Bologna, and I am excited to apply for the Communications Officer position with the UACES Graduate Forum Committee. After years of experience in youth-led initiatives focused on EU and EU-China relations and active involvement in UACES activities, I decided to apply to contribute to the Forum’s social media strategy. I aim to create engaging content that combines academic life, UACES events, and a touch of pop culture, making the Forum a dynamic hub for innovative research and academic exchange."
Alessio Scopelliti | Student and ECR Representative
"I am Alessio, and I am a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Milan. I work on Euroscepticism, populist and far-right parties, and political communication, with a focus on text analysis."