Testimonial Elisabetta Manunza

Professor of International and European Public Procurement Law

Interdisciplinary and International

Elisabetta Manunza: “My students are primarily professionals. This is because the subject of public procurement law isn't taught in our Bachelor's or Master’s programmes. Besides lecturing, I also conduct a lot of research. Since last year, I have been working closely with colleagues of Economics, Governance and Geosciences and business partners in our hub: Social Entrepreneurship Initiative.

“I had always thought working in an interdisciplinary way is important, and it is also inherent to my research interest. But here it is not only allowed to work in an interdisciplinary way, it is even encouraged. That, combined with the international character – I was born and raised in Italy – of Utrecht University lets me work in an environment that suits me well.”

“As an academic at this university you work right where it happens.”

Think big

“As an academic at this university you work right where it happens. I'm working on new things all the time: innovative research projects that continuously challenge me to think outside the box. The ambitions are set high here and we don't think too small. We're actually asking the really big questions. For example: how do we make sure that climate change declines, or that cities remain habitable and that well-being is considered more important than financial wealth? To my field, that means the designing of objective and sustainable systems that make it possible for the billions spent by governments worldwide through procurements contribute to a better life. That means that we keep asking ourselves: how does our research contribute to a better world?”