Simone Franzi

Biography

Born and raised in the italian speaking alpine valleys of Southern Switzerland, I now live in the United States. After studying political science at the University of Bern where I completed a Bachelor and a Master degree, I continued my studies at the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech. Living in the capital cities of Switzerland and of the United States I have also experienced first hand domestic and international policy-making processes.

My interests spans from urban to global issues. In our age, almost 2/3 of the world population lives in cities. Hence, it is inescapable that urban areas are at the center of socio-economic and political challenges. In this respect, I conduct research on global cities, real estate, and urban planning. In global affairs, my research focuses on the political economy of trade and finance as well as on international cooperation.

At the Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience of Virginia Tech I have worked on interdisciplinary projects analyzing the co-evolution of finance, technology, and urban forms. At the School of Public and International Affairs I have worked on projects studying the impacts of trade agreeements to political institutions. At the World Trade Institute I have worked on the role of Switzerland as a hub for international commodity trading.

I also write and lecture about the Swiss political system, Swiss education, and Swiss-US relations. In my blog, I comment and reflect on the United States democratic institutions from a Swiss perspective.

Education

Graduate Studies Public and International Affairs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2019

Graduate Studies Urban Affairs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2017

MA Political Science (minor in Geography), University of Bern, 2015

BA Social Science (minor in Geography), University of Bern, 2013

Research areas

• Global affairs, international cooperation, trade and finance


• Urban studies, global cities, real estate

Publications

Working Papers

Franzi, S. (2018). "An Analysis of Regional Political Revival: The Impact of Preferential Trade Agreements to Subnational Governance." Presented at the International Studies Association Northeast Regions Annual Conference 2018.
Franzi, S. (2018). "Review Essay on the Political Economy of Trade Agreements." Presented at the International Studies Association Northeast Regions Annual Conference 2018.
Franzi, S. (2017). “Creating Markets, Building Institutions: The Institutional Consequences of Preferential Trade Agreements.” Presented at the Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting 2018.
Bieri, D.S., Franzi S. and D. Simundza (2018): “Regulatory Networks in the US Blockchain Ecosystem,” GFURR Working Paper, Blacksburg, VA.
Bieri, D.S., Franzi S. and D. Simundza (2017): “Mapping Innovation Networks in the Financial Industry: Geographies of Blockchain Consortia,” GFURR Working Paper, Blacksburg, VA.

Technical Reports

Bucher D, Bürgi Bonanomi E, Dey P, Elsig M, Espa I, Franzi S, Gelb SR, Giger M, Holzgang M, Rist S, Wehrli J, Wettstein F. (2015). “The Commodity Sector and Related Governance Challenges from a Sustainable Development Perspective: The Example of Switzerland – Current Research Gaps.” CDE WTI IWE Joint Working Paper No. 1. Bern and St. Gallen, Switzerland: Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), World Trade Institute (WTI), and the Institute for Business Ethics (IWE).

Book reviews

Franzi, S. (2020). – Youssef Cassis and Dariusz Wojcik (edited by): “International Financial Centres after the Global Financial Crisis and Brexit.” Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. The Journal of Urban Affairs. DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2019.1702822.
Franzi, S. (2019). – Nicholas A. Phelps “Interplaces: An Economic Geography of the Inter-urban and International Economies.” Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. Urban Studies 56(14): 3045-3052. DOI: 10.1177/0042098019866581.
Franzi, S. (2019). – Daniel Gorman “International Cooperation in the Early Twentieth Century.” London: Bloomsbury Academic Press. New Political Science 41(3): 495-498. DOI: 10.1080/07393148.2019.1631578.
Franzi, S. (2019). – Alexandra Guisinger “American Opinion on Trade: Preferences Without Politics.” New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Global Labour Journal 10(1): 98-101. DOI: 10.15173/glj.v10i1.3792.
Franzi, S. (2018). – Donald McNeill “Global Cities and Urban Theory.” London: SAGE Publications, 2017. The Journal of Urban Affairs 40(8): 1188-1190. DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2018.1446606.
Franzi, S. (2018). – Richard Baldwin “The Great Convergence. Information Technology and the New Globalization.” Cambridge MA: Belknap, 2016. The Journal of Politics 80(1): e23-e24. DOI: 10.1086/695294.
Franzi, S. (2017). – Christof Dejung. “Die Fäden des Globalen Marktes. Eine Sozial- und Kulturgeschichte am Beispiel der Handelsfirma Gebrüder Volkart 1851-1999.” Köln: Böhlau Verlag, 2013. Itinerario 41(2): 419-420. DOI: 10.1017/S0165115317000535.

Blogs and informational press

Franzi, S. (2020). "4 luglio tra libertà, indipendenza e emancipazione." TicinoNews, 7 luglio 2020.
Franzi, S. (2020). "Le faglie elettorali nella nuova decade." TicinoNews, 3 gennaio 2020.
Franzi, S. (2019). "La mobilità nell'era digitale." Opinione Liberale No. 27, 27 settembre 2019, p. 6.
Franzi, S. (2019). "Populismo, tecnocrazia e scioperi: strategie politiche nel 21esimo secolo." Ticinonline, 25 settembre 2019. [Pubblicato anche su TicinoNews.]
Franzi, S. (2019). "Politiche ambientali tra stato e mercato." Opinione Liberale No. 22, 14 giugno 2019, p. 13.
Franzi, S. (2019). "Diagnosi post-elettorale della politica ticinese." La Regione Ticino, 7 Maggio 2019.
Franzi, S. (2019). "Digitalizzazione del terziario." Opinione Liberale No. 7, 1 marzo 2019, p. 2.
Franzi, S. (2019). “Macroprudential Regulation and the Politics of Delegation in Financial Governance.” RE: Reflections and Explorations. 7 February 2019.
Franzi, S. (2018). “The Political Economy of Trade Agreements.” RE: Reflections and Explorations. 13 September 2018.
Repetti, M.; Bieri, D.; Franzi, S. and Camacho, L. (2018). "La monnaie, moyen de redistribution sociale?" REISO Revue D'Information Sociale. 26 April 2018. [Published also on DeFacto – plus que des opinions. ]
Franzi, S. (2017). “Trade Agreements and Democracy.” RE: Reflections and Explorations. 16 November 2017.
Franzi, S. (2015) "STIB e Pro Ticino, due associazioni sorelle." In: 100 anni Pro Ticino Berna. 1915-2015. A cura di Andrea Tognina. Pp. 30-31.

Blog

To my personal blog: "La Democrazia in America"

Teaching and Talks

Teaching

Bachelor level courses: "Principles of Real Estate" (UAP/REAL 2004, Virginia Tech, Spring 2017).

Guest lectures:
"Higher Education in Europe and Switzerland" (GRAD 5104, Virginia Tech, 03/2019, 03/2018, 03/2017);
"The Educational Landscape of Italian-Speaking Switzerland" (NEUR 4984, Virginia Tech, 02/2019);
"The Resilience of the International System: The Case of Trade Agreements" (CAUS Virginia Tech, 11/2018);
"The Regions of Democracy in America" (Liceo Cantonale Bellinzona, 12/2018).

Interviews

Reportage: "Explaining the Swiss and European Higher Education Systems to Virginia Tech Graduate Students", on RSI Rete Uno, Swiss-Italian Public Radio Station, 15-04-2019.

Interview: "Gli Espatriati", Interview to RSI Rete Uno, Swiss-Italian Public Radio Station, 1-12-2017.

Conference Presentations

International Studies Association-Northeast Region, Annual Conference 2018, Baltimore, MD. November 2018. Participant in the panels: Foreign Policy in Populist Times & The Political Contexts of Development.

Southwestern Social Science Association, Annual Meeting 2018, Orlando, FL: October 2018. Participant in the panels: Regional Politics and Foreign Policy & Twenty-First Century Concerns.

7th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures. New network structures: decentralization, prosumers and the role of online platforms. Florence School of Regulation, European University Institute, June 2018.

Southern Political Science Association, Annual Meeting 2018, New Orleans, LA: January 2018. Participant in the panel: Globalization and domestic politics.

Regional Studies Association, Annual Conference 2017, Dublin, Ireland: June 2017. Participant in the panel: The Geographies of FinTech.