October 20, 2022 | News | Welcome to the MPIDR

Andrea Colasurdo is a new PhD Student at the Research Group Kinship Inequalities

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Andrea Colasurdo comes from the University of Bologna, Department of Statistical Sciences. He wants to detect the influence of kinship on migration and how the tendency to migrate is transmitted from generation to generation. While staying in Rostock, he wants to learn sailing.

What question drives you most in your research?

Since my early university career, I have mainly focused my studies on the migration and integration of foreign citizens, particularly in Italy. This is because I wanted to analyze with real data a phenomenon that we hear about on a daily basis, but usually from only one point of view. During my PhD, I would like to continue studying the migration phenomenon, investigating new aspects. My goal is to detect the determinants of migration, the influence of kinship on migration, and how the tendency to move is transmitted from generation to generation. 

What are you looking forward to as you start working at the MPIDR?

Being able to work in such a prestigious Institute for demographic research is certainly a great privilege. It will be very stimulating and challenging to conduct research in this environment and to be able to share experiences with researchers from all over the world who are such experts in demographic issues. I am convinced that I will learn a lot from each of them, and I am very excited to work in an environment that from the very first days has seemed very warm and friendly, where everyone is very helpful.

What do you like most about Rostock?

So far, I have been very lucky with the weather, as we had many sunny days. So, I was able to enjoy all the beauty of the river. I took numerous walks along the riverbank, which was really relaxing. I also appreciate the wonderful view we have from the Institute and that you can get to work in a few minutes' walk. I don't know how this will change as the days get shorter and the cold weather arrives... Since I have never lived near the sea, getting there in such a short time is a great thing.

What are you obsessed with at the moment besides demography?

Ever since I was a child, I have been playing basketball, both in teams and outdoors with friends, and luckily, I saw that there is a basketball court right in front of the guest house!! I enjoy playing team sports, walking around the city, and visiting new places. I hope to use these years to visit places I have never been in my life and which seem to be so different from Italy. I have always been fascinated by ships and sailing, so this could be the right opportunity to try this one out.