Expat Next Door: Alessandro Testa from Italy
Alessandro Testa, an Italian Associate Professor at Charles University in Prague, has spent his career navigating the complexities of academic life across Europe. His latest achievement? Landing a visiting professorship at one of the world’s most prestigious universities—UC Berkeley. For Testa, this achievement is the culmination of a dynamic and far-reaching career, shaped by both mobility across Europe and a deep-rooted connection to key institutions like Charles University. Born and raised in Italy, Testa’s academic path has taken him through some of Europe’s most renowned universities, including those in Florence, Rome, Estonia, and Paris, where he trained in anthropology, history, European ethnology, and religious studies. After earning his PhD in social anthropology in 2013, Testa’s career trajectory led him to long-term, intensive research engagements in Estonia, Austria, Spain, and the Czech Republic. It was in Prague, however, where Testa found a strong base to further his research and teaching, and it is from here that he will now make the leap to Berkeley. Reflecting on his upcoming move, Testa says, “Landing a position at Berkeley is a very important achievement for me. It’s a validation of the years of work I’ve put into my research, and I couldn’t have done...
