“I was curious and very enthusiastic when I first moved to Austria in 2017. I wanted to know more about the Austrian culture, society and language because – and I am convinced of this – new experiences are essential to the mind’s development.
I started my bachelor’s programme in Economics with a thousand of questions in my head which disappeared as soon as I got familiar with the students, professors and the environment. I engaged in different group projects and invested in my personal and academic growth. In short: a new horizon opened up to me.
During my university years I focused more on broadening my skills in problem solving and critical thinking. You will maybe not remember all the theory you studied after 3 years, but your critical thinking will for sure still be with you. Having been raised by my grandmother, who is an economist as well, is one important reason for my passion for economics. It not only interests me a lot but also inspires and motivates me to dig deeper.
The two subjects that got my attention during my studies were gender economics and feminist economics. I did not only enjoy everything new that I learned but these subjects made me want to know more about gender inequality. It was at that point that I realised that I have found what interests me the most. I wrote my bachelor’s thesis in the field of gender economics which even led to a research paper on this matter. Currently I am working on violence and abuse towards women in Albania: I investigate the historical and cultural background that has led to violence, the reason why it persists even now and the actions we can take to improve the situation.” – Xhioel Rica
Xhioel is studying Economics at the University of Vienna.
