Ana, International Security, Dual Degree with LSE

Ana Lankes has graduated Summa Cum Laude in International Security within a Dual Degree with LSE. She is >Argentina and Chile correspondent for The Economist, based in Buenos Aires.

What skills and/or strategy helped you to succeed at PSIA?

I’m very disorganised, but I hugely enjoyed the courses I chose at PSIA and so spent my free time reading up about themes related to my subjects. This helped me build up confidence in class and engage on topics with teachers and students outside the university as well. 

What part of your PSIA experience do you think will be of greatest help in your career?

I value three things about my experience at PSIA: one was the chance to live in Paris, improve my French, and study with classmates from all over the world. This was my first time living and studying abroad, and it made me keen to try new experiences. Perhaps too much: I am now living on the other side of the world, in Argentina, to my parents' dismay. 

Second, I appreciate how practical the degree was. My teachers all had a professional rather than purely academic background: for example, I learnt about American defence policy with Obama’s former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO, about Latin American politics with a former foreign minister of Peru, and about developments in warfare with a former Canadian soldier. We were made to write lots of policy-style papers at PSIA, which were concise and to the point. Other teachers allowed us to present information in different formats—for example, I made a 45-minute podcast with a friend on radicalisation. The breadth of experiences my professors had, along with the practical application of knowledge, contrasted with my theory-heavy undergraduate degree, in which all my graded work consisted of essays. I believe my experience at PSIA set me up well for my work as a journalist, and is very transferrable to other careers. 

Third, we had to choose a wide range of subjects. This broke down academic silos and allowed me to make links between subjects that may have otherwise seemed unrelated. For example, I unexpectedly took a class on demography, which ended up being hugely enjoyable. I applied some of the material from that course to one on violent extremism later on, which gave me a more nuanced perspective. 

What advice would you give to current and future PSIA students? 

Read around your subject in your free time—it allows you to link what you study to current events and understand different perspectives. And enjoy Paris! It’s a dream city to live in. 

• About The Economist
• About the Master in International Security
• About the Dual Degrees Programs at Sciences Po