Students interning at CeSPI (Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale)
In the Spring 2024 Notre Dame juniors Bryan Fok and Tyler Leonard are in Rome with the Rome International Scholars program and, as part of the program, they intern at CeSPI (Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale).
The Rome International Scholars program is an immersive research track where students participate in an internship relevant to their major and produce a final project. While in Rome Fok and Leonard are able to strengthen their Italian language skills living with host families and working with an Italian-speaking institution.
Fok studies Global Affairs and History with a minor in Italian. On campus, he lives in Knott Hall and is originally from New Jersey.
Leonard is originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, and lives in Stanford Hall. He is a Political Science major in the Notre Dame International Security Center, with minors in Italian and Anthropology, and is a member of the Notre Dame Air Force ROTC program.
During their time in Rome, both students are interning at CeSPI. As the leading Italian think tank, CeSPI focuses on public policy affecting the European Union. Located in the heart of Rome, the CeSPI office overlooks Piazza Venezia. Founded in 1978, it has worked with multiple international organizations to be a resource for Italian policy makers through decades of political, economic and social challenges. Fok and Leonard work alongside the CeSPI team, immersing themselves in the Italian work place; they regularly meet with their supervisors while speaking in Italian.
In addition to assisting existing projects, both students are conducting their own individual research over the course of the semester, related to their collaborative projects for CeSPI. Fok is focusing on a partnership between Africa and Italy, called the Mattei Plan, through which Italy is sponsoring projects across the African nations and evaluating the effectiveness of these projects and if they benefit both Italy and the countries of Africa. Leonard is researching European Parliamentary Elections, specifically examining the national security implications of these elections for Italy within the context of the War in Ukraine.
It is now halfway through their internships at CeSPI and both students have experienced tremendous growth and rigor. Fok appreciates experiencing the workplace in a different country, specifically getting to know his co-workers. He is excited to publish his work as he strives “to leave a tangible impact in the policy world.” Leonard has worked closely with Daniele Frigeri, the director of CeSPI. With guidance from Frigeri, he hopes to become a better researcher and writer as he creates a final report to add to CeSPI’s portfolio. As international scholars, they are challenged to describe their research in Italian, pushing them to explain complex concepts across linguistic and cultural divides.
Both International Scholars are looking to the future and see this opportunity with Notre Dame and CeSPI as a springboard for their future careers. As part of the internship, Fok has been able to network with industry professionals and as he continues his research, he plans to interview Italian policymakers during his stay in Rome to learn more about the Mattei Plan.
When entering the workforce, Fok wants to bring an international perspective to American policymaking. “This internship is instrumental in shaping my future career goals,” says Fok, “I can bring an international perspective to policy in the United States because I now know how people from other countries think about different types of policy.” Fok expressed how the skills learned while studying and working abroad will forever change his life and future career.
Upon graduation from Notre Dame, Leonard will become an officer in the US Air Force. During his time in the Air Force, he hopes to pursue a career at NATO at a European base. With his published research, Leonard is also interested in the possibility of earning a Ph.D. in political science later in his career. Leonard shared the value of immersing himself in Italian culture “One of the most interesting yet challenging parts of this internship” says Leonard, "is being able to explain my research in a different language.” He is now capable of discussing complex social science concepts to gain important context for the international relations research he is conducting.
Learn more about the Rome International Scholars program and watch the video interview here.