Adventures in Paris: Student Reflections on the International Placement Program

Week 3 and 4: All good things have to come to an end…
The final week is up and we celebrated graduation at SciencesPo by going out together with the teaching staff. It was very sad, as we have enjoyed our classes and our time together over the last five weeks. We enjoyed dinner and drinks and later, the class handed over some nice treats for the coordinators of the European Studies Programme. We all decided to stay in touch via LinkedIn.

After the dinner we were given an academic diploma for the completion of the European Studies Programme at SciencesPo. It is a great addition to my resume and adds value as I seek to reach my aspirations of acquiring an international career.

After finishing classes which have taken up most of our evenings, more free time opened up. As we were pretty used to the fast pace, we suddenly had lots of time spare for sightseeing. Bring on Paris!!

One thing I have noticed which differs a lot from Australia is the amount of people enjoying lovely picnics in the parks. We went several times per week for picnics at various locations in Paris, and we were (clearly) not the only ones! People of all ages enjoy prosciutto ham, brie, wine and baguettes. I do not want to think about all the damage that needs some repair when I return to my trainer in Sydney!

One of my favourite spots was the Luxembourg Gardens. It closes at 9pm, so we had to hurry up after work or go and visit during the weekends. Although Sydney is wonderful, it doesn’t beat the wonderful nature you can find throughout the heart of Paris!

 

It was not very tempting to spend a whole day standing in a queue, so we went to have a look at the Louvre during the evening. Hardly anyone was there and it was really cool to see it in person.

As this was our last weekend, we decided that a trip to Disneyland was a must. We bought tickets online and jumped on a train in the morning which did not take more than 45 minutes. This had been my dream ever since early childhood and it was finally an opportunity for some childhood closure!

We were super lucky with the weather and enjoyed the day. However, Disneyland was in general very over-priced, so I recommend bringing lots of spare cash! Unfortunately it is still a long time until Christmas, as this is a paradise for Christmas shopping (and any other random merchandise you might ‘need’!).

We did not exactly have a lack of activities ahead of us so we decided to stay until the fireworks at the end of the day, at 11pm… and it turned out that was a very good idea!

On a light-hearted note, as a final remark to future IPP students:
Although it is pretty nice to get some international work experience and an extra university diploma, it hardly beat the feeling of having this:

Panne au chocolat/chocolate croissant for breakfast

…..and crepes for lunch:

... and this is even without having anyone looking at you in a strange way!
Au revoir!!

Anette Hansen
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School and participant in the International Placement Program in Paris, France

Adventures in Paris: Student Reflections on the International Placement Program

Week 3
My supervisor presented some of the work that I have been involved in with all member countries present. Therefore, I got to come along and listen to the discussion and questions all the member countries had with my supervisor regarding the 2015 budget allocation. This time I was very prepared and I kept track of the entire discussion without feeling lost (which I did at my first budget committee meeting on my first day). It was such a great feeling to be able to keep track of the discussion and know what everyone was talking about, in detail. After the committee, my supervisors and I went for lunch at a restaurant nearby. We had a pleasant conversation which involved my future career prospects. I could really see myself working for the OECD, and my supervisor suggested that I should apply for the Young Professionals Programme after my graduation. It is certainly something I will consider.

 View of the Budget Committee Room - I was seated behind the Executive Director, Anthony Rottier.

Friday morning we went for a field trip to visit the European Commission and the European Parliament. We took the train early in the morning in order to be in Brussels at 9 am. The train ride did not take more than 90 minutes(ish)!

Representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS) came to greet us and held presentations about the EU and what they do, before they opened up for an informal discussion regarding the internal work at the EU. First, we met the Head of Sector Correspondence, Corporate Board Secretariat, before Mr Tamas Macazac came and spoke about Australian Trade Relations. It was very interesting to get an understanding of how the EU works from a senior employee’s perspective, and how Australia interacts with European Affairs.

The second part of our field trip was engaging in a role play at the Parlamentarium. It was a location with a set and equipment where we had to go through the same procedures as the official elected parliament representatives when they discuss official matters, negotiate with other parties and come to a consensus. It was harder than I anticipated but great fun!

At the end of the day the group went for dinner locally in Brussels before the travelling to Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome or Berlin - we had a long weekend which we wanted to take advantage of! First, it was time to taste Belgium waffles, beer and frites!

After returning safely to Paris we celebrated Bastille Day on the 14th which is equivalent to Australia Day. We enjoyed a beautiful picnic during the day and when the fireworks were to begin, we had a stunning view to the Eiffel Tower while we enjoyed Champagne, macaroons and other French nibbles.  The fireworks were fantastic and it represented four significant highlights in the last century: the First and Second World War, the fallen soldiers and peace.

Anette Hansen
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School and participant in the International Placement Program in Paris, France 

Adventures in Paris: Student Reflections on the International Placement Program

Week 2: So far so good!
Finally the jetlag and the feeling of being slightly overwhelmed is disappearing and I am starting to become eager to explore Paris! The first weekend after work we decided to see what Paris had to offer. After a long week at work and classes we decided that we still had energy to check out Paris Pride 2015 - which is equivalent to Sydney Mardi Gras - and we were not disappointed!

On the following day we decided to visit a famous leading macaroon maker in Paris, Laduree, for lunch and dessert. It was so exquisite that it was well worth the 40 Euros for an omelette and a few macaroons!

The rest of the day was spent visiting Notre Dame, going on a boat ride on the Seine, watching Paris from a hilltop in Montmatre and generally enjoy the amazing atmosphere here. We also realised that the sun sets at 10-11pm which gave us an opportunity to sit by the waterfront at the Seine enjoying wine, food and snacks after a long day at work followed by classes.

Picnic at Pont Neuf

Notre Dame

At work things are starting to add up. I have been given three projects to complete by the end of my placement which is very challenging, but teaching me so much. I might even have to adjust my enrolment as I am receiving training in a software program that I planned on learning through ‘Enterprise Systems Management’ during my studies next year. Therefore, I can already consider my placement a ‘win’!

The classes at SciencesPo are very interesting. We have new teachers with different backgrounds at every lecture which gives us a broad perspective of European history and how the Union become the way it did from multiple angles. As an international student from Europe, I now realise how important it is to understand the politics and the economics of Europe for my future career prospects in the Shipping Industry. This unit should be mandatory for everyone who is interested in getting involved in European trade and business.

We also moved into our accommodation at Citè Universitaire and it is stunning. It is a few train stops away from the city but yet it feels like it is rural, as it is surrounded by nature and fresh air. We have our own rooms with bathrooms, which feels really nice after sharing tiny rooms for a week! Au Revoir- So long (now)!

Citè Universitaire Campus

To end, this is our adorable uni-cat which belongs to the SciencesPo. His name is Marcel and he makes the classes a little more interesting!

Anette Hansen
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School and participant in the International Placement Program in Paris, France