Lal İlhan holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Bologna with a thesis on the limits of cosmopolitanism. She received a Master's degree in Development and International Cooperation from Sapienza University of Rome with a thesis titled" Capitalism and Democracy: Undeniable Contradiction or Constructible Harmony." Lal is fluent in English and Italian, and her main research areas are the European Union, international organizations, and international development.