Pauline Engelsen, EPSO European Careers Ambassador for Sciences Po

Pauline Engelsen, a student at the School of Public Affairs and EPSO European Careers Ambassador for Sciences Po, talks to us about her commitment to European issues.

You are currently a student in the Master in European Affairs, doing an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and an EPSO European Careers Ambassador for Sciences Po. Can you explain how your strong commitment to European issues came about?

My studies at Sciences Po made me aware of the centrality of European issues on the contemporary geopolitical scene. During my undergraduate college years on the Poitiers campus, I chaired the local Young Europeans section. We organised campaigns to raise awareness of the role of the European Union. I then studied at the London School of Economics (LSE) as part of the European Institute. Living in London when the Brexit became official and seeing its consequences at first hand profoundly shaped my pro-European conviction. So it was natural for me to join Sciences Po's Master in European Affairs on my return to Paris.

I specialised in the foreign policy of the European Union, in particular European defence and security issues. During my gap year, I discovered the day-to-day workings of the European institutions through an internship with a consultancy firm in Brussels. I then worked in the European Union office of the French Ministry of Defence. I'm now very happy to be able to continue my commitment to Europe as a 'Europe of Defence' editor in the European Union Directorate at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, while doing my second year of my Master's degree.

What are your duties as an EPSO European Careers Ambassador for Sciences Po?

I'd say that my tasks can be summed up in two words: to inform and to encourage. To inform my fellow Sciences Po students about the various career paths and opportunities within the European institutions: internships, short contracts, competitive examinations for the European civil service. And to encourage them, because I am firmly convinced that we need more motivated young people to join the EU and take up the challenges facing our continent in the future.

To do this, I plan to organise information meetings as well as networking events, and will be available to answer any questions my fellow students may have. I will also be representing Sciences Po at the EPSO career ambassador training weekend in Luxembourg in October.

What advice would you give to students who would like to apply for this programme in the years to come?

An interest in European careers and a good basic knowledge of the European Union are obviously assets. But above all, I think that motivation and a desire to promote European careers among Sciences Po students are probably the most important factors.

learn more

• The Master in European Affairs at the School of Public Affairs
• Apprenticeship at the School of Public Affairs