Economics student aiming to address the gender gap

An Italian student is setting her sights on addressing the economic gender gap after an Essex scholarship enabled her to pursue her dream of a research career.

Annalivia Polselli is studying for her Master of Research (MREs) Economics and plans to go on to complete a PhD. She 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 Women of the Future scholarships were established to support bright and inspirational women from across the globe and equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to become leaders and drivers of change.

“I have always considered studying to be the most genuine form of women’s emancipation and I firmly believe that we, as educated women, can make as much difference as our male counterparts,” explains Annalivia. “I want to use the tools I’m acquiring to address serious economic issues like inequality and the gender gap.”

The scholarship gave Annalivia the funding she needed to come to the UK to continue her studies after she achieved excellent results in her first degrees in Italy.

“I chose Essex because it is one of the top UK universities for economics,” she said. “The Department is renowned for empirical research and data collection. The Master of Research (MRes) is a good route into my main goal – a PhD. I’ll be the first person in my family to hold one.

“The environment here is extremely dynamic and international. The best experience so far has been meeting intellectually stimulating people from all over the world. I have also never seen such a huge library! It is a perfect place to study.”