Hola! I'm Ysa!
My name is Ysabel, but you can call me Ysa :) I am an LLB student based in the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University in the UK. I am passionate about research that can make education more inclusive for all.
My research interests lie in the intersection between law, economics, and technology (Empirical Legal Studies) with a special focus on education, discrimination, criminal justice, gender equality, development economics, human rights, and forced migration.
Even though my background and experience have been in law, more recently I have been interested in the fields of economics and technology which combine with law I find so fascinating!
So parallel to my degree I have been studying these fields on my own. I consider myself a self-learner and I find lots of motivation in studying, especially when this knowledge can be applied to solve real-world problems.
I have taken lots of courses from these two platforms (pll.harvard.edu) and (mitxonline.mit.edu), these are very well designed and taught by amazing professors from different departments, so I encourage anyone who likes these topics to study them from these sites. They are completely free and have a small fee if you want to receive a certificate after taking the assessment. This is the list of what I have so far taken:
- Data Analysis for Social Scientists
- Introduction to Econometrics
- R for Economists
- Microeconomics
- Qualitative Research Methods: Data Coding and Analysis
- Qualitative Research Methods: Conversational Interviewing
- Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations
- Tools for Academic Engagement in Public Policy
- Good Economics for Hard Times
- Harvard Business Analytics Program
- Using Python for Research
- Evaluating Social Programs
- The Challenges of Global Poverty
- Foundations of Development Policy
I like the idea of using data science tools like AI to transform complex data into practical insights to inform decision-making so the law can be changed (if it's not meeting its ends) support academic research, and solve complex societal problems (real-world problems) especially those that address issues of education and discrimination.
I'm also passionate about Science Communication (SciComm). As a first-gen student, I believe that education doesn't have to be a privilege of a few, SciComm helps make education more inclusive by bridging gaps and promoting equitable access to knowledge, since I can use accessible language that everyone can understand regardless of their academic background.
I use social networks as Science Communication channels, to read my posts and watch my videos feel free to connect.
Initiatives and Independent Research Projects
CLEIA Center for Law, Economics, and Artificial Intelligence
I am the founder of CLEIA, a non-partisan, non-profit, independent research centre using innovation and technology to tackle social inequality, educate the public, and ensure everyone has a seat at the table in shaping the future of AI.
For more information visit: www.cleai.org
MyMentorLab
I am the founder of MyMentorLab, an educational charity and evidence-based poverty alleviation programme through student mentoring and international education migration, we work towards reducing inequality through sports and education.
This mentoring programme aims to help children or young students from disadvantaged communities in developing countries access higher education and motivate them to pursue academic careers. Through our mentoring scheme, we select a cohort of these students and help them complete an undergraduate degree in a developed country under a full scholarship.
For more information visit: www.mymentorlab.org
Girls First Lab
I am the founder of Girls First Lab, an initiative that aims to increase the participation of women in academia and the workforce and bridge the gender gap.
Advocacy and Hobbies
I am an advocate of the neurodiversity community, which refers to the diversity of all people with neurological or developmental conditions such as ASD, ADHD or learning disabilities. Within my research interest in education, I want to help create a more inclusive environment for all. When I'm not studying I'm probably spending time on my hobbies, which mainly are: playing the piano/guitar, learning new languages, writing crime fiction books or making SciComm videos for my channel.
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| La Colonia Tovar in Venezuela |
My background
I am Portuguese, and I was born in a tiny picturesque German town in Venezuela called La Colonia Tovar, so I hold dual citizenship from Portugal and Venezuela.
Here is a little interesting story about my birthplace
In 1840, during the government of José Antonio Páez, there was a great emigration from the countryside to the city and the agricultural production of Venezuela was falling, so the Italian soldier and geographer Agostino Codazzi was entrusted with a plan to attract German settlers to work the fields.
Martín Tovar Ponte, one of the heroes of the independence movement, chose the lands at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level where the town is located today, graced by a mild climate and fertile soil.
Two years later, a group of 60 families from the village of Endingen, in the current German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, troubled after a time of bad harvests, accepted Codazzi's offer and began a crossing across the Atlantic that would take them to the lands of Colonia Tovar.
Besides my academic life, I am a single parent to a beautiful non-verbal autistic boy, I advocate for the neurodivergent community, and dedicate part of my study time to developing research that can improve the lives of people with disabilities. I also like to play the piano, and classic guitar, sing, and learn languages.
