On 15 December 2020, Valeria Lauria successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled 'Beltways of Agency: Drivers, Modalities and Outcomes of Chinese Engagement in Ethiopian Infrastructure Investments'
Valeria Lauria investigated China’s presence in the Ethiopian infrastructure sector. The research shed light on how, despite the diversity and fluidity of Chinese companies’ behaviour and their multifaceted effects, their presence in the Ethiopian infrastructure sector exhibits positive development synergies through creating employment opportunities, accelerating technology transfer, and diversifying the production structure.