Profile: Charles Béna, alumnus

After a Bachelor's degree at Sciences Po, in Paris and a third year at the University of Granada (Spain), Charles Béna joined the first cohort of the Comparative Urban Governance dual degree. He spent his first year on the Master’s programme in Regional and Urban Strategy, and his second year on the Master’s in Urban Studies at Colmex (the Colegio de México). Interview with this 2020 graduate.

What is your current job?

I’m a research officer at Groupe Huit, an urban planning consultancy specialising in the issues affecting cities in emerging countries. My office responds to calls for tender from development banks (AFD, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, etc.), international organisations, and national or local public actors. It carries out a wide variety of urban development assignments, mainly in Africa and Asia: identification of urban projects, preparation of urban planning documents, rehabilitation strategies for disadvantaged neighbourhoods, analysis of climate risks and adaptation strategies, pre-feasibility studies for development projects, evaluation of urban development programmes, and training of local actors.

Personally, I participate in the different phases of these projects: responses to calls for tender, documentary research and data collection, institutional analysis and urban diagnostics, coordination with the client and local partners, field assignments, reviewing development projects, creating illustrative maps, and writing final reports.

What do you like most about your job?

I like the great diversity of the study areas and the assignments entrusted to me. Each project is an opportunity to discover a country or region and to study its history, geography, culture, institutions and socio-economic dynamics. All the projects are carried out in cooperation with a local design office and involve rewarding collaborations with local experts. Field assignments are also an essential part of this job and are exciting. The variety of clients, tasks and local contexts is extremely instructive. Within the company, there is a real willingness to pass on skills and training to junior members of staff, which is very satisfying for a first professional experience.

What has been your career path since graduating?

After turning in my final Master's thesis in September 2020, I started looking for a job, particularly positions related to international or overseas-based urban projects. The job market in this particular field being rather small, and even more so during a pandemic, I was not able to land a position during the first few months of my search. I took advantage of this time to take part in an international workshop on urban project management organised by the association Les Ateliers de Cergy. The workshop, which was several weeks long, was dedicated to young professionals. It was extremely formative because it presented me with concrete issues pertaining to a region, and I had to propose creative urban development solutions. I then did an internship at Groupe Huit and that led to my recruitment to my current position.

What did your education at Sciences Po and Colmex bring you?

Sciences Po allowed me to develop my ability to analyse and synthesise information, both through the variety of disciplines taught and the methodologies required – qualities that are essential for my work. I have been trained to analyse public policy through a social science lens, to conduct research, and to present my findings concisely. I have also become used to working in a foreign language and interacting with a wide variety of people. This dual degree was also an opportunity for in-depth study into the case of the Mexico City metropolis, and acquiring specific analytical reflexes for the study of cities in emerging countries.

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