Nicola is an intern in the Irregular Migration and Regional Priorities & Transnational Crime and Technology teams at the RSO. He has a background in political science and holds an MA in Political Action from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Nicola has a strong interest in understanding why things happen the way they do and how they could happen differently, through approaches grounded in respect, dignity, cooperation, and human rights. This interest has been reflected in his various volunteering engagements, as well as in his passion for exploring and understanding the places he lives in and the people who shape them.
He brings experience in governmental and bilateral affairs from his previous one-year posting at the Embassy of Switzerland in Thailand and is now eager to explore multilateral mechanisms and cooperation.
Nicola supports several IMRP and TCT initiatives, including research on regional developments in transnational crime and technology, irregular migration patterns, and the RSO’s regional priorities. He is eager to draw on his academic background and professional experience to support the RSO’s initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region.
Recommended book: Narcotopia (2024) by Patrick Winn tells the story of how part of Myanmar became a massive and enduring narco-state, shaped by complex power dynamics involving the US CIA and DEA, the Chinese government, ethnic armed groups, and the governments of Thailand and Myanmar. It provides a compelling overview of the evolution of regional trafficking in one of the world’s least accessible regions, while offering a striking account of how failed intergovernmental cooperation contributed to the growth of crime and trafficking in Southeast Asia.