"Spotlight on..." New Doctoral Researcher Valeria Morales Rivera

Valeria Morales Rivera joined the GIGA as a Doctoral Researcher in the project German Latin American Center of Infection & Epidemiology Research and Training (GLACIER) in March. She holds a Master of Science in History of the University of Costa Rica. Get to know Valeria and her dissertation project in the short interview below.

What made you choose to do a PhD?

Most of my academic career was based on history. So, I felt I needed to diversify my theoretical and analytical tools. It was for this reason that I started a doctorate in another discipline, in this case government and public policy.

What are you looking most forward to during your PhD studies?

With the opportunity to complete my doctoral studies at GIGA, I hope to enrich my research questions as well as theoretical and methodological tools. I hope to have access to spaces for discussion, analysis, and exchange of experiences in terms of research processes. It is a great opportunity for my training as a researcher.

If you could choose one person to discuss your research topic with, who would that be (e.g. a well-known researcher, politician, other public figure)?

I would like to be able to speak on this topic with Bob Jessop, because of his background in the study of the state and state theory. This is especially important in a context like that of COVID, in which, despite the neoliberal advance, the vaccination process has fallen on the states.

And now to wrap up this interview: Theory or practice?

At this moment theory, because I consider that I am in a stage of learning theoretical tools to be able to improve the understanding of reality.

Reading or writing

Reading will always be my favorite activity, but right now I also need to write to be able to organize what I have read.