New PhD student at MGMT - Alejandro Cordoba Ruiz

Dear colleagues,

My name is Alejandro (pronounced like the famous song by Lady Gaga), and my academic journey begins in 2009 at UA (not a misspelling because I started my studies at the Universidad de Alicante), where I completed the equivalent to a master’s degree in translation and interpreting. But after graduation I knew I was not done with my quest for knowledge, so in 2018 I started a bachelor’s degree in marketing management at VIA University College in Horsens, where I added marketing and business skills to my linguistic background. And in 2022 I was lucky enough to be the last promotion of the master’s degree in cognitive semiotics at Aarhus University, where I learnt about how people interact with each other and with the physical world. From September 2024 I have been part of BSS as a research assistant, and now I am really excited to be a PhD student at AU where I hope to make use of my background in languages, cognition, and marketing to contribute to the green transition and the promotion of alternative proteins. Doing a PhD program at AU sounds like a beautiful way to complete the circle that in 2009 I started at UA, and I hope to enjoy every minute of it.

My research interests are mainly two: social norms and their effect on decision making, and food and sustainability. I am aware of the impact of our food systems on the environment, and I would like to contribute to mitigate that impact. And since I look at eating behavior as a social behavior that we learn from and carry out together with other people, I would like to find ways of using social norms to promote different eating habits. I am at the beginning of the journey, but I am sure that, after social experiments and surveys, this journey will end with some answers and new knowledge that will take us closer to a more environmentally friendly future.

A little bit about me: I am originally from Cordoba, Spain, but I have been living in Denmark since 2018, and in Aarhus since 2022. Outside of work I unequally divide my time among my four main passions: sports (especially swimming and OW swimming; each year I try to participate in a 20+ km race), culture (in all its forms: art, music, languages, food, etc.),  travelling (to do sports and to learn about new cultures, especially new cuisines), and spending time with my loved ones. If we share any passions, feel free to stop by my office (2622-211) for enjoying a warm cup of coffee or tea.