Lancaster Environment Centre’s new lecturer in Human Geography previously spent 15 years researching rurality, development and livelihoods in Africa.

Dr Antonio Allegretti, who now lives in Lancaster, began his new lectureship following two and a half years as a researcher in LEC working for the FAIRFISH project (ERC) with Prof Christina Hicks.

He initially came to LEC following research and teaching positions in Tanzania.

In between, he completed his PhD in anthropology with the University of Manchester, with fieldwork in a Tanzanian Maasi village at the rural-urban interface.

He said: “In Tanzania, I dedicated my attention to questions around African rurality, development, and livelihoods.

“My research led me to spend years in rural communities.

“I continue to hold dear all the people and experiences from those years.

“The days and nights spent in people’s homes in the countryside, being welcomed into people’s families, sharing anecdotes and stories, answering questions about life in Europe.”

Antonio said his time working at LEC has been exciting and challenging, especially readjusting to life in the UK after spending more than fifteen in Tanzania.

He said: “Working for the FAIRFISH project has given me the opportunity to work with a number of amazing researchers from different fields and allowed me to gain invaluable experience of different academic traditions, and research approaches.

“I look forward to strengthening collaboration with the other social scientists in LEC, and further explore the many possibilities for multi-disciplinarity research that LEC offers.”

Antonio said he enjoyed walking in nature, reading on spirituality and praying and meditating in his spare time.