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The Life of an Academic Does Not Have to be Confined to Sitting Behind a Desk ‒ 5in10 with Jacquelyn Veraldi

Jacquelyn Veraldi is a Junior Research Fellow at the Central European University Democracy Institute (Budapest). Her research interests include EU constitutional, in particular the values of democracy and the rule of law. She is also a Scholar at The Good Lobby. Jacquelyn holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (Trinity College).

A woman in a black longsleeve with long brown hair.
Jacquelyn Veraldi. Photo: Private.

1. How would you explain your research to someone who is not an expert in the same field?

When I explain my research to non-experts, I start by illustrating the existence of a problem which, in the case of my re:constitution project, is foreign interference that undermines EU values. Examples can make this problem more tangible. On foreign interference, there are many high-profile examples to choose from: the Qatargate scandal, suspicions of Russian interference in Romanian elections, pressure to water down EU digital rules and their enforcement by American state and non-state actors, or US threats to annex Greenland. All of these examples can be framed as instances of foreign interference that have direct consequences for EU values.

Once the problem has been set out, we can then begin to think about how it can be addressed. As my expertise lies in the area of EU law, this is the lens from which I analyse the problem. I decided to focus on external relations law based on the fact that it has seldom been used to address foreign interference, and so this area is underexplored in academic research. This, combined with the fact that many commentators in the media as well as national leaders have called for the deployment of external relations tools, makes it pressing to further understand this possibility from a legal perspective.

I therefore seek to understand the extent to which it is legally possible to use in particular Common Foreign and Security Policy sanctions as well as the Anti-Coercion Instrument to address foreign interference where it undermines EU values. I hope to inform discussions on the boundaries of what is possible—in terms of what and who in principle can be targeted by such measures—to contribute to the cultivation of a more evidence-based debate.

2. What were academic or personal inspirations that led to your current research?

Several factors in my journey as a scholar to date ultimately inspired this current research project. My belief that many issues related to the protection of Article 2 Treaty on European Union (TEU) values do not always come from traditional sources (i.e. the Member States) began in my research on private power. My competition law research, inspired especially by access to medicines advocates such as Ellen ‘t Hoen, made me realise that rule of law and democracy issues also originate in the private sector. This led to several research projects, one of which was a short Verfassungsbook co-edited with Alberto Alemanno on EU legal responses to American plutocratic actors such as Elon Musk, who has intervened in EU democracies on multiple occasions. When we concluded the volume, one thing we noticed that remained underexplored was the possible use in this respect of the external relations toolkit.

I started discussing this possibility with friends and colleagues and found that they were totally divided on such a use of external relations law. I decided it was definitely worth further exploring. In my preliminary research, I quickly realised that foreign interference came not only from non-state actors such as Musk, but also the highest levels of third-country governments. I also noted the strong connection between foreign interference and risks to EU values. So, when the call for applications to the re:constitution programme was sent my way, I saw this as the perfect home for my project.

3. Which stations of your professional journey were particularly formative to you?

Many of them! The first would be deciding to study in Groningen, where I quickly became fascinated by the EU as a complex political and legal project which, as a non-EU citizen, I recognised as quite novel.

My journey into research, specifically, started rather early. One of my professors—Dimitry Kochenov (who is now a decade later my postdoc supervisor at the CEU)—was taking on a research intern in my second year of my LLB. His approach to research, which often involves challenging core assumptions underpinning a legal framework that are often taken for granted, really resonated with me. It’s something I strive to incorporate in my work to this day. He (as well as scholars such as ‘t Hoen and Alemanno) also made me realise that the life of an academic does not have to be confined to sitting behind a desk publishing articles that get stuck behind paywalls. Instead, it can also involve mobilising research by contributing to public debate in media outlets, consulting for governments and international organisations, or advising in strategic litigation cases, for instance.

Finally, my own collaborations with civil society organisations, public authorities or legal practitioners where I put my research and legal skills to practical use have also been especially formative. I learned a lot in these projects that I now translate into my academic efforts, such as getting a more comprehensive ‘reality check’ by consulting a diverse group of stakeholders in the design of my projects and on the implications of my findings, or how to communicate research more effectively.

4. Do you think that academic mobility changes the way in which research projects are conceptualised/developed/carried out? What are your personal experiences in this regard?

I have studied and worked in universities in six countries, each with unique academic cultures. Some have been more locally or nationally focused, whereas others do large amounts of comparative, regional, or internationally oriented work. On this, I would say that neither is preferable to the other—both are necessary and extremely valuable. Research that takes a comparative, regional or international approach is highly dependent on the pre-existence of thorough research that understands things on the local or national level.

The institutions I have been a part of have also varied immensely with regard to the value placed on co-authorships, interdisciplinary research, and engaging beyond academia. I personally prefer a more collaborative approach, as this helps me understand problems from different perspectives, use more innovative methods, and can inform the interpretation of results. I also like being a part of communities that have strong relationships between academic researchers and other stakeholders, as this also brings in unique perspectives and can help me mobilise my research. My experience in Brussels as part of the re:constitution fellowship has been exceptional in that regard, with Brussels being a place that brings together academics, civil society organisations, public officials from all over the world, and industry.

5. What book, article, film, exhibition or song would you recommend, and why?

‘Mindfulness’ by Mark Williams and Danny Penman.

A more mindful approach has changed my life in many ways, including shaping who I am as a researcher. Mindfulness emphasises (inter alia) non-reactive awareness, attention to context, and recognition of cognitive bias, leading me to ponder and ultimately challenge the assumptions I or others bring to an analysis. In my own work, this helps me be more careful with the questions I ask and how I answer them. Mindfulness also helps me take pause and be more reflective in my research, asking myself for instance whether my claims are indeed evidence-based and whether they are fair. Finally, mindfulness also emphasises non-attachment—including to being right—which helps me be more open to revising my positions where circumstances change or new evidence comes to light.

There are a lot of books on mindfulness. I recommend that by Williams and Penman for two reasons. First, it is a succinct, evidence-based crash course on the field that is very accessible and teaches a range of practices. Second, with Williams being a psychology professor at Oxford, the book is also packed with empirical research insights from the fields of cognitive-behavioural psychology, medicine, and neuroscience. Plenty of research has been done on the 8-week programme the book lays out, with universities across the world providing it as a practical course for students and staff.


Citation: The Life of an Academic does not have to be Confined to Sitting Behind a Desk ‒ 5in10 with Jacquelyn Veraldi, in: TRAFO – Blog for Transregional Research, 23.04.2026, https://trafo.hypotheses.org/65307


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Forum Transregionale Studien (April 23, 2026). The Life of an Academic Does Not Have to be Confined to Sitting Behind a Desk ‒ 5in10 with Jacquelyn Veraldi. TRAFO – Blog for Transregional Research. Retrieved May 11, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/164bi


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