Obtaining your PhD in COVID times – the experience of Andrea Gini

How did you experience obtaining your PhD in COVID times?

When I think back to my PhD defense, I always have an initial sad feeling. In my past years at EMC, I walked a lot in the educational building. I imagined my future defense, including the emotions and the sentence that I wanted to write into the EMC’s PhD “room”. In the end, I found the right sentence (“my mark” to leave at EMC), but I never had the chance to write it down on the walls of that room. The pandemic made unfeasible what was common and ordinary. However, it also made possible what was unthinkable. Every complication that I faced (including the internet connection!) drove me to evaluate the unthinkable and to have an unforgettable experience. I had my defense in my home country, in a church (sure the best internet connection in town), with my paranymphs at my side (even though we were separated by more than 10,000 km), with my family, and friends. That was beautiful. However, never underestimate the tower bell of the churches! Those are always on time and can rival also the pedel! The pedel’s expression when the tower bell beaten her on the “Hora Est” moment (by 1 second!) … that was unique.