I joined the MESCI program as the second module of Mundus Urbano, the Erasmus European Double Masters program. Since 2012, I have worked as a research assistant at Hamburg Institute of International Economics. Here, I am assigned to the department of regional economics and urban development where I contribute to empirical research on New Economic Geography (NEG) and its policy implications for urban and regional competiveness. My main duty is to support ongoing research projects by providing literature reviews and conducting data analysis. Currently, I am working on urbanization processes in Korea since early 20th century and its relevance to the national economic growth, combining a theoretical background of microeconomics and empirical methodologies. The economics focus of the MESCI courses and workshops on a statistical program, STATA were invaluable to enrich myself to be an urban researcher with solid quantitative research skills. Without a doubt, my life with MESCI has been the most rewarding and exciting, with an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful city of Rome. My further research areas are concerning regional economic communities in Africa and their deepening regional integration to promote trade and enhance economic growth.