During my research visit to University College Dublin (UCD) funded by the TAV Coordinate project, I worked on my project, titled “The Effect of Parental In-work Poverty on Child Development”. My stay at the Geary Institute for Public Policy provided the perfect scholarly context to immerse myself in data exploration and analysis, as well as provided me with a peaceful environment for reading and writing, surrounded by a particularly beautiful view (see those trees blossoming around the UCD campus below!).
I started my stay by familiarizing myself with the GUI datasets (both child and infant cohorts), identifying relevant variables, as well as cleaning and processing the data. I continued delving into the extensive literature on in-work poverty and poverty in general. As I advanced in my research stay, I reviewed specific studies leveraging the GUI datasets to examine poverty dynamics and made advances in refining the models I plan to employ.
Engaging in discussions with scholars working closely with the GUI dataset was of invaluable help. I am especially grateful to Orla Doyle for her help with the GUI dataset and her valuable advice on my project, and to Ebru Isikli for her organizational and personal support during my stay.
Amidst my academic work, I also had time to enjoy Dublin, notably the EPIC Museum, which taught me a lot about Irish history, the captivating Little Dublin Museum and the scenery area of the Howth. In summary, my time at UCD Dublin, sponsored by the TAV Coordinate project, has been a wonderful experience, both academically and personally!