From Menton to Morocco, from Paris to London: an international academic journey
Of Moroccan origin, Sarah begins her higher education in Menton, at the Sciences Po campus specialising in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. Interested in international and European relations, she takes advantage of her third year to undertake an internship at the Moroccan Mission to the European Union. While her internship culminates in the summer of 2008 with the establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean, she is nonetheless disappointed at not having been involved enough in concrete matters. She did not feel she was at an appropriate scale to make an impact. She then changes her course direction and decides to pursue the STU master's programme. Aiming to maintain her international perspective and improve her English, and considering her hesitation towards research, she naturally opts for the dual degree with the London School of Economics.
In hindsight, she believes that the STU master's programme was a good choice, as it deepens competences in "urban sciences": writing quality, oral expression, analysis, and synthesis, but more importantly, it is increasingly recognised within the urban sector and teaches how to make concrete proposals, analyse actor interactions, position oneself within them, and mobilise partners.
Her year at LSE leaves her with fond memories, although it must be noted that the cost of living in London is frustrating for students. There, alongside her studies, she works for Walterton and Elgin Community Homes, gaining experience in participatory housing. Finally, she completes her master's with a dissertation on the issue of gender in cities, a topic still little studied in France, focusing specifically on women and transport in developing countries.
Focus on urban policy: from sociological research to ministerial cabinet
Upon graduation, Sarah works at the Institut Montaigne, first as an intern and then on a fixed-term contract. She participates in a study entitled "Suburbs of the Republic" led by Gilles Kepel, which will result in a book of the same name and a course taught at Sciences Po that year (common training for M1). It is a monograph on the agglomeration of Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil, conducted five years after the riots of autumn 2005 that made them famous. The study is based on over 100 interviews with current or former residents on themes of housing, education, employment, politics, and religion. For Sarah, participating in this project was a wonderful adventure.
In July 2012, she joins the cabinet of the minister delegated to urban affairs, François Lamy. Then, ministers come and go, and she works directly with N. Vallaud-Belkacem (in charge of Women's Rights, Urban Affairs, Youth, and Sports), M. El Khomri (Secretary of State for Urban Policy), and finally P. Kanner (in charge of Urban Affairs, Youth, and Sports). The topics she addresses are varied: youth and integration first, then the implementation of City Contracts and urban renewal. She does not hide that this experience was intense and required sacrifices in her personal life, but she does not regret it one bit. It enabled her to learn how to work under pressure but, more importantly, to understand how decisions are made at the highest levels (How is a law made? How is it implemented?); skills that will be invaluable for the rest of her career.
A new chapter, a new position at the Société du Grand Paris
Indeed, since December 2015, Sarah has left the ministerial cabinet to become an advisor to the chairman of the board of the Société du Grand Paris (SGP). She appreciates the ambition of the project, which, through mobility, aims to transform the way of life in a metropolis that sometimes is unaware of itself. Improving the connection between the already existing assets of the territory is about giving the territory metropolitan reach, increasing the productivity of businesses, and combating territorial inequalities through enhanced connectivity.
Her mission is threefold: to lead the SGP strategic committee, handle international relations, and conduct parliamentary monitoring. Specifically, she is responsible for coordinating the Strategic Committee, made up of 182 members (elected officials and economic representatives), by organising working groups that meet once a month. The themes of the working groups include the development of station neighbourhoods and projects related to the Grand Paris (What acceptability exists for local residents? What potential exists for local development and job creation?). She also manages relations with foreign delegations or companies interested in the project; whether they wish to invest or have a similar project and seek advice...
At the SGP, Sarah notices that many former STU students are present, whether as interns or staff, yet the themes they address are various and complementary. The partnership with the Urban School is institutionalised and sustainable, as the SGP regularly commissions collective projects from STU or Capstone projects from GLM.
Sarah's advice
- Cultivate your network, attend conferences. The master's programme is an initial gateway into the world of urban studies, then it is up to us to make ourselves known.
- Be open to opportunities and know how to seize them. Sarah did not plan her career path, but she was able to take advantage of the opportunities that came her way, without regrets.
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