I arrived in Pisa on a sunny September afternoon in 2024, pulling my suitcase along the charming old streets to my apartment, just 200 meters from the famous Leaning Tower. Living so close to this amazing landmark was a daily reminder of how lucky I was to be doing research at the University of Pisa. Prof. Dr. Anna Monreale and her wonderful team welcomed me warmly as I began my work on protecting people's privacy on social media - an important issue in today's online world.

It is two weeks since I returned from Italy on a visit to Università di Pisa supported by the SoBigData++ Transnational Access Program. I am now gazing out of the window into the Welsh mist and drizzle.  While everyone there told me how unusually poor the weather was in Italy this October, including the occasional torrential downpour; it was still more like a typical UK summer!

When we open Google Maps, book an Airbnb, or call an Uber, we're shaping our cities in ways we're just beginning to understand. These digital platforms have transformed urban life, but they've also created feedback-loop effects that are surprisingly hard to study in the real world. What's fascinating: most of what we know comes from computer simulations, not actual data. [1]

During my recent Transnational Access (TNA) visit to the University of Tartu, I explored two highly relevant research areas: applying artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and innovative methods to tackle misinformation online. The university’s strong support and welcoming environment enabled valuable collaboration and knowledge exchange, fostering academic growth in a vibrant, home-like setting.

The TNA experience at the Paris School of Economics allowed me to work notably on two projects, one on discrimination against foreigners and another one on the minority political representation and immigrant integration with co-authors who were at the Paris School of Economics as well to work on the projects. 

The rapid development and adoption of AI technologies are transforming various fields, and
with that comes an ever-growing demand for responsible AI systems. The need for
explainability in AI is more crucial than ever. When I came across the opportunity to visit Pisa
through the SoBigData program, I immediately applied. Pisa, for me, is the "capital of XAI"
due to the groundbreaking work being done by researchers in this beautiful city. The chance
to collaborate with some of the world’s leading experts in AI explainability was incredibly

In recent years, climate change has brought new challenges to communities around the world, particularly those dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Droughts, often more frequent and severe, can cause crop failures, pushing individuals to migrate in search of better opportunities. This blog draws on research - conducted in collaboration with Katrin Millock, Lucile Dehouck and Alix Debray - in West Africa, investigating whether irrigation access can mitigate incentives to migrate when faced with climate-induced droughts.

In August 2024, using the TNA program of the SoBigData project, I visited the prestigious KTH Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm, Sweden, and worked with Prof. Aristides Gionis and his staff on topics regarding formal approaches to data analysis for Cognitive Buildings and their possible application to problems of smart environments in general.

Over the past two months, I have been conducting research at the Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISTI-CNR) in Pisa, Italy. During this time, my research focused on quantification learning, specifically on developing methods using deep learning. The SoBigData Transnational Access (TNA) program provided an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with some of the most renowned experts in the field of quantification and, without a doubt, I encourage other researchers to take advantage of TNA opportunities like this one.