His recent research focuses on education, labor, and public policy—areas that closely align with the UniCredit Foundation’s mission to empower youth and reduce educational inequalities across Europe.
Over the years, the UniCredit Foundation has played a crucial role in his academic journey, supporting his research and, more broadly, the research conducted at DiSES and CSEF. This support has enabled him to contribute to large-scale programs aimed at improving educational opportunities in Italy and other European countries. He has witnessed firsthand the Foundation’s commitment to fostering high-quality research and backing projects that enhance education accessibility and impact, particularly for students in disadvantaged areas.
The Marco Fanno Fellowship
His personal journey with the UniCredit Foundation began in 2020 when he was awarded a Marco Fanno Fellowship, a three-year grant for young economists working at Italian public universities. As an early-career economist, the Fellowship was pivotal for his academic growth, not only providing financial support but also opening doors to an outstanding network of scholars. Through the Marco Fanno Alumni network, he gained access to numerous conferences and initiatives alongside leading economists from around the world.
The 1st UniCredit Foundation Research Grant on Education: My Future Buddy
In 2023, together with colleagues from the University of Naples and CSEF—Michele Giannola, Tullio Jappelli, Monica Langella, Roberto Nisticò, and Valeria Zurla—he was awarded the 1st UniCredit Foundation Research Grant on Education. This three-year grant supports projects aimed at reducing school dropout rates and enhancing educational attainment. With this support, they launched ‘My Future Buddy,’ a study evaluating the effectiveness of a near-peer mentoring program for senior high school students in Southern Italy.
Developed in collaboration with the Ortygia Business School Foundation, ‘My Future Buddy’ combines laboratory sessions with psychologists and educational experts with near-peer mentoring sessions, where university students from the same communities serve as mentors and role models.
To measure the program’s impact, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed, assigning students to treatment and control classes within participating schools. This experimental design allows for the assessment of the intervention’s effectiveness in shaping students’ aspirations, beliefs about the return to education, academic motivation, and self-confidence. Additionally, it aims to reduce early dropout rates, improve school performance, and potentially generate long-term effects on university enrollment and career choices.
Given the scale and ambition of the project, the Foundation’s financial support has been essential in developing ‘My Future Buddy.’ The findings will hopefully provide valuable insights into the potential of near-peer mentoring to address informational and psychological barriers to academic success. If successful, ‘My Future Buddy’ could serve as a scalable, evidence-based model for improving student outcomes, particularly in areas with persistent educational challenges.
Evaluating the Re-Power Project by Junior Achievement Europe
Beyond ‘My Future Buddy,’ he and his colleagues are evaluating ‘Re-Power Your Future,’ a prominent initiative by Junior Achievement Europe, also funded by the UniCredit Foundation.
‘Re-Power’ is an ambitious educational program spanning 10 European countries and reaching over 30,000 secondary school students annually. It aims to reduce educational inequalities, lower early school dropout rates, and equip youth with essential skills for the school-to-work transition. The program consists of various educational activities, including inspirational and orientation sessions, development workshops, and entrepreneurship training.
To assess its effectiveness, large-scale surveys with students and teachers are being conducted, supplemented by experimental methods. The research seeks to determine how ‘Re-Power’ influences students’ engagement in school, motivation, career aspirations, personal development, and educational trajectories. The results will provide critical insights into optimizing large-scale educational initiatives to maximize impact. Policymakers and educators will be able to leverage these findings to better target students who stand to benefit the most from such initiatives and refine similar interventions in other countries or contexts.
The Broader Impact of UniCredit Foundation’s Support
The support he has received from the UniCredit Foundation has been instrumental in his academic development. It has enabled him to grow as a researcher and contribute to projects like ‘My Future Buddy’ and ‘Re-Power,’ which hold both academic and policy significance. These projects have the potential to shape academic debates on educational inequalities while also generating policy-relevant insights for designing cost-effective interventions that enhance education accessibility and impact.
By championing rigorous research and evidence-based education initiatives, the UniCredit Foundation plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of education in Europe. Their support empowers researchers like him and his colleagues to pursue ambitious and innovative projects with the potential to drive meaningful change, particularly for the most disadvantaged in society.