Home>Why choose Paris for your Master’s degree?
28.09.2016
Why choose Paris for your Master’s degree?
Khasan Redjaboev is from Uzbekistan and a graduate of the dual degree programme between Sciences Po and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. Prior to obtaining his Master of Public Affairs (MPA) and Master in Public Policy, Khasan studied business administration at Westminster International University in Tashkent, founded and led his own social enterprise in the field of education for four years, collaborated with numerous governmental agencies on education projects, worked for a leading university in Central Asia and for the United Nations Joint Programme, and became managing director of an online business newspaper (Kommersant.uz). More recently, he has worked on social policy projects with the OECD, the UNION (Vital Strategies) and Penang Institute.
How did you decide what to study in France?
I learnt about Sciences Po when I was working for the UN Joint Programme and UNDP, and researching and discussing places to study abroad; which universities provided the best education and value for future leaders in the public sector. The UN and public sector experience had heightened my interest in the field of public affairs and I particularly wanted to pursue a professional degree. The MPA at Sciences Po was one of the eight carefully selected programmes that I applied to and the only one in continental Europe.
Why did you choose to go to Sciences Po for your graduate studies?
Many people go to Paris because it is beautiful, romantic, and full of culture and history. While I agree with all of that, Paris for me is also a great location for a professional degree seeker who would like to gain truly international experience. In terms of the number of international organisations and impactful NGOs that have headquarters there, Paris can rival any other such hub in Geneva, London or New York, and it is far better than similar hubs in Asia. Plus, French is not strictly essential as Paris is very international, even though being able to speak French when living in Paris makes life much more enjoyable.
What do you think of the education and opportunities at Sciences Po?
I think Sciences Po is an excellent institution, and the best in terms of dual degree and international exchange options. This is clearly one of Sciences Po's major advantages over many other places. It was fabulous. To begin with, I wanted to continue studying in Europe for my second year but I ended up choosing the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy instead. That was great because I received two distinctly different perspectives on public affairs and policy, the European one and the Asian one.
The quality of the education and the networking experience were easily top tier. Sciences Po gave me the opportunity to be part of certain circles and have access to European professionals and policy-makers. I got the chance to work at the OECD thanks to the encouragement, training and support of the Sciences Po professors and to the profile of the institution, which supplies top quality senior staff to almost all major international organisations, including the OECD. In my opinion, there are only a few European schools with similar benefits. Moreover, Sciences Po’s experience in getting people together is amazing, although what I often felt in Paris is that it is not easy to talk to people because they are always busy, involved in too many areas.
Related links
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Learn more about the Master in Public Affairs at Sciences Po
The 2015 survey on the employability of recent Sciences Po graduates confirms that a Sciences Po diploma remains a strong asset for quickly entering the labour market. Read more.
