What I liked most about my education at Sciences Po

Andrea Klaric graduated with a Master’s in European Affairs in 2013, but she is still nostalgic about the halls of the Sciences Po campus in Paris, 27 rue Saint-Guillaume.

An education grounded in both theory and practice

"What I liked most about my education at Sciences Po was how the teaching was grounded in both theory and practice. Successful professionals lectured alongside outstanding academics and gave students insider accounts of the fields we were preparing to enter. I was also very satisfied with the amount of time professors dedicated to students, their availability and the open discussions we had. Critical thinking was always encouraged, which I have found useful many times in my career."

Opportunities to hear from key political actors

"In addition, I loved the access we had to key political actors. As a Master’s student in European Affairs, I found it an immense privilege to attend Jacques Delors’ lecture, where he spoke of his European experience. Another exciting opportunity was hearing Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and a personal role model of mine, who visited to speak about her book Lean In."

An internship at the European Commission

"For my fourth semester I decided to take up an opportunity offered by Sciences Po and do an internship, which allowed me to put my academic knowledge into practice and prepare for a competitive job market. I joined the European Commission in DG Trade through the EU’s Blue Book traineeship programme, and later as an interim agent. I worked mainly on trade negotiations and managed to learn about the EU’s policies and politics, not least by haunting the Commission’s hallways and meeting rooms. I also discovered Sciences Po’s extensive alumni community in Brussels and had many opportunities to meet people, network and share experiences."

Solid preparation for the international job market

"After leaving Brussels and interning at UNESCO in Paris, I returned to my native Croatia to join Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s presidential election campaign. Grabar-Kitarović, now president, is a woman with rich international professional and academic experience whom I found I could look up to. After the electoral victory, I was offered a permanent position in her office. "

"I now work with the spokesperson in the Office of the President of the Republic and am finding my specialisation in political communication. I am excited at the prospect of building my career in this field and may well give it a renewed European character in the years to come. I have the responsibility and the privilege of working on the president’s communication strategy and of accompanying her on visits, conferences and even state visits. I recently accompanied the president on her official visit to China where I “sat at the table” and observed diplomacy in action at the highest level."

"Throughout my – still budding – career I have always felt well prepared for the opportunities and obstacles that have come my way. This is thanks in large part to my years at Sciences Po, which not only made me a uniquely competitive candidate for the positions I sought, but also opened my mind, encouraged me to always think critically, gave me the confidence to express myself and taught me how to present my arguments and opinions."