About Me
Coming from a country whose development was severely hindered by totalitarian rule, corruption, and poorly managed central planning, I find purpose in studying economics, political science, and development to understand countries with similarly challenging histories.
Whether dealing with colonial legacies, external interference, or persistent poverty traps, I aim to understand how the international order can be changed and how these countries can reform their economic structures, institutional designs, and policy choices to improve the lives of their citizens.
I started this site to share what I’m working on, think out loud, and get feedback. Beyond my main areas of focus, I engage with topics such as philosophy, classical literature, and religion, which help me see development within a wider cultural and societal context. As a strong believer in collaborative learning, my goal in writing is to spark conversations and learn from others.
What Liberal Arts and Sciences Education Gave Me, and Why We Need More of It
Put simply, Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) education allows you to make one of the most important decisions of your life - your profession - not as a teenager living in their mother’s apartment and worrying about prom, but as a relatively educated 21-year-old who knows who Socrates was and why correlation does not equal causation.
The Book That Pushed Me to Dedicate My Career to International Development
Reading the book Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference by Dutch historian and author Rutger Bregman reminded me that while most of us want to be on the right side of history, many of us have forgotten what that really takes. Let's get back on track.
What Writing a Bachelor’s Thesis Teaches You, And What It Really Doesn’t
I wrote a quantitative study on the topic: Listening to Policy Signals: Ministerial Change Beyond Democratic Regimes. The process taught me a lot, not just about research design, data collection, or academic writing, but also about the inner workings of academia itself. It was undeniably a valuable experience.
Still, I’ve come away with a few reflections. From a student’s perspective, I find myself questioning how useful the traditional thesis process really is, and whether there might be more effective ways to use students’ time and energy to develop high-quality researchers who will provide good policy advice and help us overcome the many crises we are currently facing.
Exchange (🇭🇰) Should I have stayed or should i have gone?
In November 2023, I went through a long phase of deciding whether to go on an exchange or stay in the Netherlands. After bothering everybody I know—as I usually do—to help me make a decision, I decided I would apply to study at the National University of Singapore. After not getting in and realizing Tokyo University (my second choice) would be unaffordable for me, I decided to study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.