Postgraduate International Security Personal Statement Example

Super-hero, fireman, princess, vet? None of these were ever my dream job when I was a child. I wanted to be an airline pilot, then an astronaut, and I still want to work in this field. I am currently a student at IEP Bordeaux, and I am excited to apply to the PSIA Master in International Security in order to go into work in the aeronautical or aerospatial field. My career objectives were developed gradually.

I had the desire to pursue higher education in classe préparatoire B/L thanks to the comic Economix by Michael Goodwin, as well as sociological works - more specifically books with an ethnographic dimension such as Voyage de classe by N. Jounin – that I read during the last two years of my high school. What I retained from this freshman year, beyond the richness of the theoretical aspect of course, would be that I grasped that the world around us is a social construct and should be constantly questioned.

It is this taste for a reflective approach to the world and modernity that was the root of my decision to join Sciences Po Bordeaux where my classes are oriented towards international relations and cooperation within the Caribbean region; and now, to join PSIA.

Alongside my studies, I have continued to develop my passion for all things aeronautical and aerospatial: living next to an aerodrome and seeing planes passing overhead every day must have something to do with it.

During secondary school, I sat my exam of aeronautical initiation (Brevet d’Initiation Aéronautique, BIA) and was voted valedictorian while being one of the youngest in the class. It is thus from this experience that I learnt that hard work is sufficient to achieve your goals.

My first real immersion in the aeronautical world was during a course of flying lessons. I loved the feeling of flying and the resulting adrenaline rush, the constant checking of data, analyzing instruments and resolving problems which can occur for various reasons at any moment. More importantly, this allowed me to acquire various skills such as composure in the face of varied hurdles, and quick analysis of multiple sets of data.

For a long time, it seemed difficult to make my passion for aeronautics and my chosen career path compatible. However, I then participed in my first Model United Nations in Berlin (BerlInMUN) where I had to put myself in the shoes of a diplomat and adopt a pragmatic approach to international relations to create a fictional agreement on the militarization of the cosmos.

This one-week-meeting would go on to be the cornerstone of my career plan. Wanting to gain more professional aeronautical experience, I completed an internship this summer with Safran Landing Systems in risk management, with the aim of developing a system for crisis management on the two Safran sites in Gloucester. I was initially attracted by this internship because the large amount of initiative required and the capacity for analysis and reflection that was afforded to interns: I played an active role in changing the local business.

I was able to learn to anticipate potential crises and plan their management and thus minimize the impact of these events on Safran Group Business. This led me to communicate with all the senior managers of the company, propose solutions and to develop my capacity to adapt and conciliation.

Working for a French company based in England was very formative because I was required to respect English norms and rules while following French instructions. These two experiences accumulated my desire to work in the aeronautical sphere.

Later, I wish to help ensure a peaceful airspace and aerospace notably by developing cooperation in space between different actors. I wrote an essay focusing on the issues related to outer space policy, and I observed that countries like Russia and China have historically sought to fill gaps in the treaties related to the militarisation of space. However, there seem to be changes in their space policy which are detrimental to peace.

Faced with this problem, I want to bring my modest help to maintain security in space and defend the European position of a peaceful space. Sciences Po will give me the tools so that I can reach my goals with specialized courses such as those on conflict resolutions or the thematic concentration on Global Risks.

I primarily plan to work in the United Nations Office for Outer Space affairs even though I do not rule out the possibility of working for cooperation within space agencies or private companies.

As well as the outstanding courses offered by Sciences Po, I expect the Master to give me the opportunity to continue studying in a
multicultural environment and interacting with students from all over the world.

As my strong academic commitment and professional experiences clearly show, I cannot wait to get involved in extracurricular activities to gain further experience and valuable practical skills.

I have already found student societies which match my interests, such as the Model United Nations (MUN). I realised it is far from easy when I was a member of MUN of Sciences Po Bordeaux last year, but it was an amazing and formative experience: it allowed me to face and overcome obstacles, when I had to pretend to be a diplomat by changing my way of speaking for instance.

I am keen to share this enriching experience - in the same ways as I shared my valuable experiences when I was a scoutmaster - and be more involved by managing MUNs within my future university.

I also wish to create a scientific society with perhaps SCUBE students, to promote scientific events within Sciences Po Paris. Indeed, I am a member of an astronomic club and I believe that is important for future leaders to know more about what is beyond them and space politics. I see this Master as an opportunity of a lifetime to fulfill my expectations for my intellectual interests and my professional aspirations.