Roberta Valenti, MA in Societies and Development
Ph.D. Researcher
Roberta “Robbie” Valenti
PhD Candidate in Humanities and Social Sciences
GCAS College Dublin- The Global Centre for Advanced Studies
Biography
Roberta completed her undergraduate studies in Anthropology, Religious and Cultural Studies at Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna in Italy. Afterward, she moved to Paris, France, where she earned a Master's degree in Humanities and Social Sciences, focusing on Development Studies from Panthéon Sorbonne University. Her specialization centered on minorities, indigenous peoples, and sustainability. For this research, she conducted a study in Egypt to examine the long-term impacts of the Aswan High Dam on Nubian communities, 60 years after their forced displacement. This dissertation won the UNESCO Chair in Shared Challenges of Development Prize for Master’s Students.
Currently she is completing her doctoral research on the challenges faced by indigenous peoples due to large infrastructure projects and development policies, using a political ecology approach and participatory research methods. For the past five years, Valenti has also been teaching courses on ethnographic fieldwork methods, as well as ethics and risk management in social science and humanities research. Her introductive lectures on ethnographic research methods powered by GCAS are available online.
Research Interests
Cultural Anthropology
Participative Research
Political Ecology
Sustainable Development
Indigenous Rights
Minorities Rights
Decolonized Research Methods
Selected Activities
GCAS Lecturer on Ethnographic Research Methods (2025)
GCAS IRB Faculty Member (2025)
Outside GCAS
Roberta loves humans, but she also loves animals. She spends most of her free time with her two dogs, Coco and Leo, wandering around sunny beaches all over the Mediterranean. She enjoys traveling, cinema, and music concerts. She also tries to be a better version of herself by supporting volunteering projects to safeguard the environment and the amazing world we have the privilege to call home! Last but not least, she is a newly full-time teacher in Individuals and Societies, promoting an inclusive and holistic education, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary development for new generations of future researchers!