Valentina Menzione holds a degree in Building Engineering-Architecture from Sapienza University of Rome (2022) and a second-level specializing master`s degree in Design for Development: Urban Planning, Architecture, and Heritage in the Global South from Politecnico di Milano (2024). She is also a qualified civil and environmental engineer in Italy.
Valentina has a background in building engineering and architecture with specific expertise in slum upgrading and social housing. Her Master`s thesis from Politecnico di Milano focused on sustainable intervention strategies in informal settlements in Manila, Philippines,exploring various slum upgrading approaches.
At Sapienza University, her thesis, titled "Regeneration and Redevelopment of the R5 Compartment in the Tor Bella Monaca Settlement in Rome," involved the renovation of a building 700 meters in length and included neighborhood revitalization strategies. The project also featured a seismic assessment of the R5 building, followed by its seismic retrofitting.
During her internship at the UNIDO Country Office in Manila, Philippines, Valentina contributed to the "Accelerating SDG Achievement in Vulnerable Urban Communities in Tondo" project, where she gained experience in data analysis, GIS mapping, project documentation, and stakeholder engagement.