Post Overview
Meet the ECR Voices
Lorenzo Rizzelli
PhD Candidate
Lorenzo Rizzelli (October 26, 1982) is an Italian philosopher and Arabist.
In 2005, after receiving a scholarship, he studied advanced Arabic grammar at the Mezzeh Institute of Arabic Language for Foreign Speakers in Damascus, earning a fifth-level certificate.
He gained a BA in Euro-Mediterranean Languages and Literatures (2004, 110/110 cum laude) and an MA in Modern Languages for International Communication (2008, 110/110 cum laude) from the University of Salento.
His research focuses on Arabic grammar and classical literature, especially the Luzūmiyyāt by al-Ma‘arri, and he has published two papers on this author on academia.edu.
In 2011, he taught Italian at the Dante Alighieri Cultural Centre in Alexandria and published his first philosophical treatise, later translating it into English in 2020.
He completed an MA at Birkbeck University in Applied Linguistics and Communication (2022) and is currently an Early Career Researcher in Arabic Studies at the University of Westminster.
Timo Holtappels
PhD Candidate
Timo Holtappels is a Doctoral Researcher in Business Studies and Strategy at the University of Westminster With an MBA specialised in Digital Innovation and Management, Timo brings a practical, research-led approach to questions of ESG, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB), and digital transformation. He teaches across undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA levels in strategic management and innovation, and is passionate about fostering inclusive academic and professional cultures. Together with the Positive Academia team, he is committed to supporting early career researchers and postgraduate researchers and helping make academia a more positive, collaborative place for everyone.