I did my internship in the Security Program at CSD. It was a rewarding experience as I was actively involved in project proposal preparation, drafting literature reviews and short reports, and helping in the writing phase. I had the possibility to engage in a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, trafficking in human beings, firearms trafficking, white-collar crime, right-wing counternarratives, and investigative tools. This wide variety is a reflection of the expertise that you can find at CSD and it was a good possibility to challenge myself in topics that I was not familiar with, stimulating my interest every day. Yet the greatest opportunity I had was to follow the project proposal on environmental crime from the beginning to the end. Thanks to this activity, I was involved in a great variety of assignments which taught me a great deal. It also inspired me to pursue a specialisation in environmental crime.

The security team is composed of incredible experts. They made me feel welcomed and were always available to give advice on how to better achieve the objectives of assigned tasks. In particular, Dr. Tommaso Comunale was extremely helpful in guiding me through tasks, especially at the beginning when I had little clue of what was going on. I feel that through my experience at CSD, I gained new expertise and I was able to improve my skills. I especially ameliorated my analytical skills and my writing capacities. Working with the analysts of CSD allowed me to learn every day while benefiting from their knowledge, experience and guidance. Moreover, before the second wave of Covid-19 hit Bulgaria, the office was a lively and friendly space, hosting many interns from different nations and backgrounds, thus creating a vibrant international environment.