My name is Giovanni Restivo and I am from Italy. I hold a master's degree in Political Sciences, International Relations, with specialization in International Political Institutions, from Università di Bari Aldo Moro”. I have been always interested in social and economic development and international cooperation. After my studies, I have been working with Ngo's around Europe in the field of human rights and extreme poverty. Thanks to this experience, I had the chance to work alongside the poor who live in social, economic and political exclusion; to analyze and discuss their experiences directly with them, which I believe is extremely valuable. So I have decided to apply for MESCI because I would enrich my backgroud and I would to enhance and increase the depth of my academic and professional background: from an economic perspective, to the research methodology and project cycle management. Therefore this master will be a great opportunity to strengthen my knowledge of quantitative and economic subjects and understand how to apply this knowledge in practice to developing countries. I am very keen to improve my skills and use them in a practical way in the future. I believe this program will help me achieve my career goal to implement sustainable ways of alleviating poverty.