Portrait of Ronan GOUHENANT, class of 2022

After taking my baccalauréat ES, I started a generalist course at a business school. However, this did not meet my expectations in terms of intellectual challenge. So I decided to switch to a degree in political science at the University of Rennes 1, where I found the curiosity and intensity I was looking for. My interest in political science developed and was strengthened by tutorials in the history of political ideas and the sociology of political behaviour. A lecture on the political sociology of Europe, approached from a comparative perspective, definitively confirmed my desire to devote myself to research.

These two years of study have been extremely enriching, both intellectually and personally. They have taught me to ask the right questions, to make my thoughts more complex and to question my beliefs. The diversity that characterises Sciences Po pushes everyone to excel and to give the best of themselves. The guidance and kindness of the staff made me feel at home and supported in my project.

More than any one teaching or lecturer, I would say that it was the research-focused curriculum that made the biggest impression on me, because that's what I came for and what sets the School of Research apart from other political science courses.

I'm a senior researcher at the OpinionWay research and polling institute.

A happy combination of circumstances! As I didn't want to do a thesis, I was looking for an internship to discover new things. In the run-up to the 2022 elections, OpinionWay was looking for interns to work with them. So I was able to do an internship in a particular sector that I really enjoyed, that of opinion research, which was very intense and fuelled my curiosity. Politics, the environment, sport, finance, consumer affairs... we touched on all kinds of subjects, which made our day-to-day work very varied and rewarding.

My years at Sciences Po contributed to my professional development: the statistics courses helped me to understand and manipulate sometimes complex data; the methods courses helped me to ask myself the right questions; the written work taught me how to translate raw data in an intelligible way. Finally, at Sciences Po I learned to count, read and write - and that's what I'm still doing today.

If you're looking for constant intellectual stimulation and you're enthusiastic about the idea of working simultaneously on a multitude of sectors, then this is the field for you! What's more, if you're drawn to current affairs, politics and particularly election campaigns, don't hesitate to take the plunge.
My main advice would be to set aside your prejudices and adopt a very open mind, qualities that are essential if you are to better understand our fellow citizens.