Portraits

Paul Claudel, French poet and dramatist, brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel, and member of the Académie Française, is also a Sciences Po alumnus.

Gregory Hrycaj is a graduate of the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs. In 2016, he obtained his MA in European Affairs and returned to the United States to launch a career with Analog Devices, a global leader in the production of semiconductors.

Since its opening in 1872, Sciences Po has welcomed thousands of British students from neighbouring universities across the Channel. Among the very first Brits to enrol at the university was Sir Austen Chamberlain, an ambitious Cambridge graduate with a brilliant future in European diplomacy. Best known for his role negotiating the Locarno Treaties, for which he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Chamberlain held the position of Foreign Secretary in the inter-war years from 1924 – 1929. What did he take away from his time as the only British student in Sciences Po’s Class of 1886, and how was that to shape his policy during such a pivotal period in Europe’s history?

The Sciences Po American Foundation awarded Maëlle Gavet its annual alumni award during a reception earlier in May. Gavet is a 2002 graduate of the Sciences Po master's program, and Chief Operating Officer of Compass, a real estate technology company building an end-to-end platform for agents and their clients.

In honour of World Oceans Day and Oceans Week at Sciences Po, read this interview of Eve Isambourg, a Sciences Po student and oceans activist. Eve spent her third year abroad raising awareness on oceanic issues around the world, and spoke at the United Nations in New York defending our planet's oceans. (Interview originally published in 2018).

Gregoire Medina is pursuing a Master’s in Communication at Sciences Po Executive Education. After ten years of professional experience, he decided it was time to “take some time”, not necessarily to acquire news skills, but to reflect on his profession and industry. In the course of the Master’s, students go on a learning expedition. Gregoire tells us about his experience.

Arturo is a 2nd year undergraduate student studying on the Poitiers campus. He was born in France but has lived the majority of his life in Mexico. He got his baccalaureate from a Franco-Mexican school, and he chose Sciences Po because social engagement is an important part of the curriculum. Read the interview with Arturo who is engaged and committed, well beyond the confines of the campus, to mental health issues...

Samina Ansari graduated from PSIA in 2018 and is currently the ExecutiveDirector at the Women’s Centre at the American University of Afghanistan. She realised that women were rarely at the heart of conflict resolution and the rebuilding of countries torn apart by war.

Many Sciences Po students dream of winning admission to the vaunted School of National Administration (ENA), which produces the highest rung of France’s political elite. But for Michel Perez rejection from ENA was possibly “the best thing that happened in my life.”

Sophie Durey graduated from the Paris School of International Affairs in 2011. She is co-founder of Twin Peaks Family, where she focuses on impact investing. In this interview she discusses her career trajectory and the world of Venture Capital.

Bianca Liu Herzog is an Associate Project Officer for UNESCO's Section for Mobilizing Resources. Her role is to provide inputs to enhance policy dialogue and to contribute to the cooperation between UNESCO and the EU.

Rohan Kocharekar graduated from the Dual Degree Masters in International Affairs with Columbia University in 2015. Now he works for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Boston, where he works on municipal fiscal health and land value capture. Here he shares his story and provides networking advice for students and young professionals.

Anthony Aslou is a graduate of the Paris School of International Affairs. In 2016, he completed his MA in International Security with concentrations in Middle East Studies and Intelligence Studies. After graduating, he moved to Washington, D.C. and is now an Analyst with the U.S. Department of State.

Olivier Lallement studied International Security at PSIA with concentrations on Intelligence and Africa. His first semester was strongly focused on studying international relations, Law and governance. Then He slowly moved to Defense and Security subjects during the following semesters. Olivier is currently International Sales and Business Development Manager at Safran Electronics & Defense.

Charlotte Nørlund-Matthiessen did her undergraduate studies on the Dijon campus, which hosts the European specialisation programme with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe, before enrolling in the European Affairs Master’s programme at Sciences Po. Since graduating in 2012, she has worked on multiple projects inspired by her drive to build a stronger Europe. Today she works as a Parliamentary Assistant for a French MEP at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Graduate of the class of 1972, professor at Sciences Po from 2006-2015, Salomé Zourabichvili is, as of 28 November, 2018, the first female president of Georgia. But she is also one of very few female alumna who is now a Head of State. Returning to her alma mater to give a lecture on the 18th February 2019, we look back at the path of a quiet but promising student. 

Matthieu Tordeur, who graduated from Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs in June 2018, has made an original career choice: to be an adventurer. Following in the footsteps of his heroes, explorers Scott and Admundsen, he has just completed a 51-day solo expedition in the Antarctic. 

Immaculada Miracle graduated in June 2018 with a Master’s in International Development from the Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs. She now works as an International Manager at both the French National Institute for Solar Energy (INES) (fr) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Former student Alice Koskas entered Sciences Po with her sights set on a career in international diplomacy. But during a year of study at Fudan University in China, she encountered the world of art and design. A graduate in Finance and Strategy from the Class of 2009, Koskas is now Sales Director at luxury goods brand Hermès. We interviewed her on her path from Sciences Po to Hermès.

Vanessa Topp is German but grew up in the United States. She studies Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at PSIA, the Paris School of International Affairs. Alongside her Master's, she volunteers by aiding refugees in Paris. 

The 2018 Columbia University Valedictorian is Justice Betty, a graduate of the Dual BA degree from Sciences Po and Columbia. Watch the speech she gave at commencement (beginning at 1:58:50) and read the interview of an inspiring young citizen.

Since graduating from Sciences Po in 2011 with a Master's degree in Finance and Strategy, Jingjing Fan has been pursuing her lifelong passion in the fashion industry. She founded Elleme, a luxury accessories brand based in the Marais but with an outlook that is global. Hear more about her path from Sciences Po to haute couture.

Ivy Sabwami is an exchange student from the University of Nairobi, in Kenya. This past year, she studied abroad at Sciences Po on the Paris campus. Interview.

Isabel O’Brien, first year student in the Dual BA Programme between Sciences Po and Columbia University, has been awarded the 2018 Henri de Castries scholarship. Below is an excerpt of her personal statement.