“As a comparativist of public law, living through a constitutional transition was like experiencing in reality what I had always studied in books.”
Gianluca was born and raised in Turin, but his surname is typical of the Vicenza area where his great-grandfather came from before moving to Saluzzo, in Piedmont. There he met his great-grandmother and finally moved to Turin in the 1910s. Since adolescence, he has understood the beauty of traveling and has always had what he calls “the movement bug”. At 15 he spent a period of schooling in Russia, and during high school he had the opportunity to live with a family in the United States for a year. “It was a very important experience for me, one that I would recommend to everyone, even more than Erasmus!”. He believes that at 16 you are still in a formative period and living in a different context and educational system is extremely beneficial. So much so that after, he volunteered for the project for several years.
Gianluca graduated with a degree in Law, and while studying comparative public law he developed a passion for the legal systems of Arab countries. A passion that stemmed from his frustration at seeing how “such a large and interesting area” was dealt in a hasty and superficial manner. So he began to study the Arabic language through university and evening courses. After graduating he spent a few months practicing law, even though he knew it was not the right profession for him, and in the meantime he was a subject expert at the faculty. He then began a PhD in Public Law and decided once again to move to Arab countries.
“Over the years, my experience has been divided into three areas: language, traditional bibliographic research and direct experience of what it means to be a citizen in different jurisdictions.”
After a brief post-doctoral period and a research grant, he won a competition announcement to work as a professor in Cairo, Egypt, where he taught at two of the American University of Cairo, and Cairo University (the State one). It was precisely thanks to his position at the first university – a private, highly prestigious institution – that he managed to obtain a work visa which is granted to very few and which acquisition and annual renewal are subject to a specific requirement: an HIV detection blood test. “There persists this obsession that is one of the idiosyncrasies that HIV comes from foreigners who are promiscuous.”
He taught comparative constitutional law, among other things, at both universities. A course that became particularly poignant and relevant when the Egyptian people took to the streets to claim rights and freedoms. Remembered in history as the 2011 Revolution characterised by mass demonstrations and dramatic clashes, this led to the fall of the regime and a constitutional transition.
“I lived in Cairo from 2008 to 2015. So before, during, and after the Revolution.”
Living in Egypt during the Revolution was an experience “full of ups and downs, with bursts of optimism and frustration” during which Gianluca continued teaching at both institutions. The American university’s campus was located in Taḥrīr Square, the centre of the demonstrations, and classes were moved to different neighbourhoods each week if there were clashes in the area. While at the state university there was a great sensitivity surrounding the topics of his courses, which he also experienced firsthand.
“As a comparativist of public law, living through a constitutional transition was like experiencing in reality what I had always studied in books.”
During his years in Egypt, he managed to build a network of support and friendships that still exists today, thanks in part to his interest in local issues and his knowledge of the language and popular culture, which aroused particular curiosity. The year after the Revolution, he lived both in New York and Tokyo from where he had the opportunity to reflect on his experiences in a comparative and global context. Reflections that, years later, he concentrated in an article written for a conference on the role of universities in crisis systems.
In 2015 the socio-political situation in Egypt changed and he responded to a competition announcement to teach in London, where he still lives today. Here he teaches at Aga Khan University, a Pakistan-based university spanning three continents and six countries, which he finds “very curious and interesting”. He continues to teach comparative law with a focus on Arab countries as part of a master’s degree program. However, he would like to be able to follow students for a longer period of time to cultivate their interests. At the time he moved to the UK he did not need a visa, and by the time Brexit was approved he had already met the requirements for naturalisation. “May you live in interesting times” says a Chinese proverb, but having lived through another event of historical importance, he jokes that perhaps he is the one causing events of such magnitude!
It was not equally easy to build a network of friends in London where “I am no longer an expat, but a migrant and instead of being at the top of the social pyramid, I am at the bottom – but with an Italian passport”. London, within the United Kingdom, is a unique hybrid reality, a mixture of cultures where you always hear languages you have never heard before. One of the few places in the world where this happens.
“I feel like a piece of a mosaic along with many other tiles that are made differently from me, but in some ways the same as me. Nothing more”.
A mosaic that prompted him to move there. He would like to work in Italy anyway, if he found the right opportunity, always remaining connected to international networks of colleagues and “the eastern and southern Mediterranean would still remain central locations for me”. Returning to Italy would make sense considering how much the country and contributors have invested in his education over twenty years. Investments that he is not repaying by working abroad.
Sometimes he finds it discouraging to see that Arab countries’ public law is still treated superficially in textbooks. But the motivation that drove him at the outset still drives him in part. We interviewed him upon his return from teaching a course in Beirut, Lebanon, a country currently experiencing a delicate and, at times, dramatic situation where “events are no longer even newsworthy”. Currently it is easier to find high-quality traditional Lebanese products in London, such as fresh thyme – which is used to make a delicious salad typical of Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan – huge, succulent pomegranates and za’atar, a spice mix that he imports to Italy in large quantities at the request of friends.
He misses Italian local flavours such as Piedmontese cuisine, but also the courtesy of Turin, a fundamental aspect for human relations, which is lost in a big city like London. However, there is a piece of Italy he bought with his grandmother and parents in Rome which accompanies him since his time in Egypt. “I travel with my moka pot. This is to maintain the standard of the average Italian”, he closes laughing.
Having talked about Egypt and its universities, we cannot fail to mention Giulio Regeni, an Italian researcher who was tortured and killed in Cairo in 2016, for whom we still demand the full truth and justice. For him and for all those who have been unjustly arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and killed.