USI alumnus appointed Assistant professor at the University of Bern

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Institutional Communication Service

16 May 2019

After completing her entire academic study curricula at USI - Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. - Costanza Naguib is now preparing to embark on an academic career after being appointed Assistant professor (with tenure track) of Econometrics at the University of Bern (Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences).

 

Costanza, tell us more about your study curricula and your experience at USI.

"At Università della Svizzera italiana I received my university education in the field of Economics, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in 2013 (Summa cum Laude), a Master's degree in Economics and International Policies in 2015 (Summa cum Laude) and finally a Ph.D. in 2018. I have learned appreciate the small size of the classes and the close interaction with the professors, who have been of great support during the whole process. During my Bachelor's I started working at the Institute for Economic Research (IRE, USI Faculty of Economics), where I continued my collaboration during my doctorate as an assistant for the Microeconomics A and B courses."

 

A career in academia is one of the many professional outlets for a graduate. What led you to pursue the academic career path?

"During my doctorate, I had the privilege of attending the Swiss National Bank's course programme in Gerzensee, which allowed me to get in touch with professors from the best universities and to start creating a network of contacts both nationally and internationally. Exchanges of ideas with members of the international academic community are fundamental in the field of research. My decision to pursue an academic career stemmed, on the one hand, from my passion for scientific research and, in particular, for the application of quantitative methods to respond to economic questions of importance to society. On the other hand, I have always appreciated the possibility of teaching at university level and I have taken every opportunity to be introduced to this during my training, for example by also collaborating in the courses of mathematics and statistics."

 

When will you start your new position in Bern? What does the 'tenure track' entail?

"I will join the University of Bern in the spring semester of 2020. I am currently a researcher with a doctorate at the University of St. Gallen and a lecturer at USI. In Bern, I will take on the role of Assistant Professor of Econometrics. This is a tenure-track position, i.e. if I achieve the required objectives, particularly in terms of scientific publications, I will be promoted to the level of associate professor. The goal is ambitious, as it requires the publication of 3-5 high-level scientific articles on the main internationally recognised journals over a period of four to six years. I trust that the motivation and passion that have pushed me so far will help me to achieve this important goal when the time comes."