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Nanjiba Zahin, studied at the Sciences Po Paris Reims campus in 2016-2017

13 September 2017 Business
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Speaking in French was key and I tried to learn as much as I could from my friends, colleagues, media and of course from the streets and sounds of Reims, and also Paris and Strasbourg. The continuous use of ‘bonjour’, ‘merci’, ‘au revoir”, etc, left me with an unchanging idea of France, of its people being respectful and polite.

 

My recent completion of an exchange program with Sciences Po from August, 2016 to May 2017 in France has left me with unforgettable memories, enriching experiences and timeless reflective thinking. In retrospect, what France offered to me was beyond my expectation and all it did was incredibly beautiful. It was a year which taught me to be more and inspired me considerably. My achievements lie in the knowledge shared and gained, in the friendships built, and in actually living the French way of life, something I always dreamed about. My experience of being a student in France was full of surprises, nothing short of an adventure, a beautiful story wrapped in an exciting gift wrapper.

My exchange year from Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh to Sciences Po in the Reims campus, France was absolutely rewarding. I completed my studies under two certificates in the two semesters and they were ‘International Affairs and Strategy’ and ‘Business and Economics’, respectively. The Reims campus, unlike the six others, focuses on two different programs, Euro-American and Euro-African and I had the opportunity to take courses from the both the programs. Being a student of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at AUW, I could relate and develop my level of knowledge further with these courses. Each class used to have its unique level of excitement and engagement and the multicultural setting brought in greater flavors and perspectives to the discussions. While representing the Bangladeshi perspective in several occasions, I was always going back and forth with discussions about the culture, religion, people and society of my country. I also did some extra-curricular activities there with campus associations such as Interagir, which works for integration of refugees living in Reims, and an acapella singing group, The Vibes, where I performed at many different events with my friends, including an event where I sang the French national anthem, La Marseillaise!

Although it was challenging to get used to the systematic way of life there, especially with carrying out certain administrative work with my residence and for processing the OFII residence permit, the entire experience of adapting for two semesters was great. Doing a few classes with Alliance Française de Dhaka before I left and learning French in the courses offered in Sciences Po was very helpful. Speaking in French was key and I tried to learn as much as I could from my friends, colleagues, media (such as the radio, the French songs, wall posters, advertisements) and of course from the streets and sounds of Reims, and also Paris and Strasbourg which I visited several times during my stay there. The continuous use of ‘bonjour’, ‘merci’, ‘au revoir”, etc, left me with an unchanging idea of France, of its people being respectful and polite. The punctuality maintenance of the transport, the rush of the people for work and the sheer good amount of time allocated for consuming food left me surprised. French people love fashion, but I would say their appetite and love for food is greater and this left me loving France more!

France seemed to me as a hub of different arena’s, in history, politics, societal development, food and fashion, and ultimately an example to follow. There is so much to learn and discover from the numerous world famous museums situated there, for instance. Museums such as Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, house the many great works of art and historical masterpieces through the paintings, sculptures, and other objects. Visiting these places was a pleasure and the joy knew no bounds! I’ll forever be grateful to France for allowing students to visit these enchanting places for free. It was also so amazing to see the beauty in how history was respected through the preservation of these great works from all around the world and how they were made to fit to the modernity which is ever present in France.

I also got a sense of France being a P5 country when I saw how deeply engaged the French people were when it comes to politics. It was invigorating to hear and engage in discussions about the French Presidential elections in 2017 and ultimately witness the event with people chanting, “Vive la France!”. Such political awareness displayed a sense within people to move forward and to create a better society for all people living in France, and this was truly inspiring to see.
With all that I have learned and the experiences I gained, I would like to pursue my higher education in the fields of development and policy making and later, work within these fields, after I complete my undergraduate degree at AUW. I brought with me the inspiration from France and its people, from seeing their hard work, passion and love for their country and I would always like to keep that in mind, to work for betterment. If conditions allow me in the future, I also look forward to building the Bangladesh-France relationship through my work!

As I write this, I miss the sights and smells in Reims and Paris, the patisseries, the restaurants serving raclettes with fromage, the streets, the café’s, the night light. I find solace in my memories of getting lost and finding myself again and all I saw and I wish to be back and experience more of France, for it was an exquisite time I spent there.




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