The sliding doors of Catherine De Vries

One of those sliding doors moments helped propel Catherine De Vries, the new Dean for International Affairs at Bocconi, into her academic career. "After my MA in Political Science at the University of Amsterdam I was undecided if to deepen my study of international politics or apply for some international institution like the EU. But during a stint at the Social Science Research Center in Berlin I met the right person at the right moment whom to work with and convinced me to further deepen my knowledge first. And in time my passion grew and have ended up happily staying in the academic field."

A native of the Netherlands, after her PhD in Political Science at the VU University of Amsterdam, she worked for almost ten years in the UK (Oxford University and University of Essex) and then at the Vrije Universitieit of Amsterdam. In 2020 she joined Bocconi's Department of Social and Political Sciences, teaching European Politics and Economics & Politics of the EU.

"I joined Bocconi because I knew of its vibrant research environment and its strong academic and international focus, which for me was all very important. And at Oxford I had got to know Francesco Billari who later was Dean for the Faculty when I then joined Bocconi," she says.

Apart from her teaching and research, De Vries has also already made an impact at Bocconi in her role for two years as the university's first Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, during the rectorate of Gianmario Verona. Two intense years in which she developed and consolidated the university's existing initiatives and promoted new ones such as the drafting of the first Inclusive Gender Equality Plan.

"It was a very challenging experience, especially being a new role, but also very fruitful and enriching. I learnt for example that its not just about promoting diversity and inclusion but also broader aspects like innovation and thought-diversity."

And she will be taking some of these aspects also into her new role as Dean for International Affairs. "The integration of international students and different cultures, diversifying our campus, was a pillar of my mandate and will also be of my new role. In my personal experience and academic work I have a very strong international focus and it will be great to bring this into my new role and help serve the University in this function - consolidating and further broadening Bocconi's international outreach."