Could you present yourself quickly?
"My name is Stefano Merlo, I am currently a Fellow in Public Policy at the Department of Government at the London School of Economics. I’m also in the final stretch of my PhD with my defense coming up on the 5th of March. The 4th floor is more than welcome to attend and hear about everything I’ve been working on in the last 6 years! Alongside teaching, I’m also starting some new research projects. It’s always the same lifestyle, balancing teaching and research."
What was the focus of your PhD research and what are you working on now?
"My PhD looked at freedom, understood as non-domination, in the Economic and Monetary Union. I explored the institutional frameworks that should be established to enhance freedom in a republican sense, particularly for Eurozone countries. It brought together literature from economics, macroeconomics, and political science, but my primary contribution was to political theory, focusing on translating philosophical concepts into policy plans or reforms.
These days, with being in the U.K., you hear a lot less talk of Europe, so my research has shifted to become less EU-focused. Weirdly enough, I’m currently looking into regulatory capture – something PPE students might recognize from Governance for Society. I’ve been looking at it from a political theory perspective, which I’m not entirely sure how I got into, but teaching law and politics of regulation in the MSc Regulation program, at LSE, definitely helped spark these ideas."
What else have you been up to since the VU?
"I left Amsterdam in 2021, with the pandemic the chronology of everything is a bit of a blur, but I moved to London to teach at LSE as a guest lecturer. Soon after, I also started guest lecturing at Oxford. The commute between London and Oxford wasn’t particularly fun but the experience was very engaging, teaching seminars with just six students really helped put myself in the students’ shoes. After that, I spent about a year and a half as an associate lecturer at UCL before starting at LSE this September. I feel quite lucky because there was such a demand for in-person teaching after the pandemic which really worked in my favor."
How has your approach to teaching evolved over the years?
"When I first started teaching at PPE, I was fresh out of my master’s, so it was quite a steep learning curve. I focused a lot on being very prepared, having all the answers and explanations ready. Over time, getting more confident with my presence as a teacher, I realized teaching isn’t just about having all the answers but also about facilitating discussions by creating a comfortable and engaging environment where students feel comfortable exploring ideas. Also coming from an economics background, where classes are often very structured around problem sets, the more interactive and discussion-based style of teaching that can be found in philosophy and political science helps you become more aware of how people think and learn, which has definitely shaped how I approach the classroom now."
Do you think the interdisciplinary nature of PPE influenced your research and teaching?
"Massively actually, I think PPE really teaches you to think beyond a single discipline and consider the bigger picture behind every idea. Most academic papers stick to one field, but with a PPE background, you can bridge the gaps between disciplines and create a well-rounded analysis. It can be a bit confusing because there isn’t a strict PPE methodology—you’re not always sure if what you’re doing "counts" as PPE— but that’s also a strength since it’s still an evolving field. You can draw on concepts from different subjects and find ways to connect these perspectives and tell a well-rounded story.
Regulatory capture is a good example of this, it’s mostly an economic or political science topic, but there is a lot to be said from a political philosophy perspective as well, which hasn’t really been explored yet. What I’ve tried to do is bridge these gaps and bring these perspectives together."
Do you have any advice for PPE alumni who are considering a PhD?
"I think there are three things to really consider. Firstly, have a think about what is really driving your curiosity, what do you want to read about on a free Saturday afternoon? You really need that strong internal drive and curiosity because a PhD is a long and individual journey, so that driving motivation is essential.
There are also some more practical considerations, in the Netherlands you are an employee of the university, so you actually have a job, whereas in the UK it’s more like a scholarship and often less well-funded. Definitely ask around to find what best suits you because all departments are different.
The last thing is something I underestimated, how much the people around you will shape your experience. Definitely look at who’s in that department and what research they are producing and don’t hesitate to contact them. PhDs can be a lonely project so it’s really important to be in a supportive environment.
Those are the three things, your curiosity, some money matters, and the people around you. Which are the steps you should take for any job, but particularly so for PhDs because, again, it’s just you."
Do you think doing a PhD creates some path dependency? How much flexibility have you had in your research since then?
"Not at all, especially with a PhD in PPE. Of course, you are trying to become an expert in a topic and contribute to some specialistic knowledge. It sounds like a paradox but to get there you need to know what’s happening in the field and the surrounding fields. So, you end up reading a breadth of literature that is way broader. I’m still reading a lot of new stuff today, like I’ve been reading about representation and the idea thereof which is nothing like what I looked at in my PhD. One way to see it is that PhD really teaches you the skill of research."
Would you consider a career outside academia?
"I definitely want to stay in academia for as long as I can. There is freedom that is quite understated in academia, which is that you really are free to think and express yourself without constraint. In other places, like think tanks which are more political, you feel like you maybe can have more of an impact, but I really appreciate the intellectual freedom you can get in academia."
Finally, is there anything exciting in your life you want to share?
"On a personal note, I recently got married, which has been a nice life development!
Apart from that, these days I’m trying to think about how to survive in busy London and appreciate the small wins in life. It’s easy to get caught up in big goals, but I’m learning to enjoy the little things and being happy with that."