Testimonial. Racine Ba, alumnus of the EMPA

With a background in central banking and sovereign asset management, Racine led Senegal’s High Authority of Waqf before joining the EMPA programme. As his responsibilities expanded to broader governance and development challenges, particularly in the context of the country’s transition into oil and gas production, he sought a more structured understanding of the political and institutional dynamics at play.

« I wanted to go beyond the technical and financial dimensions and better understand the political and institutional dynamics behind these changes. »

Racine Ba

Senior Advisor - Financial sector, Ministry of Finance and Budget, Senegal.

The starting point

When I started the EMPA programme in January 2025, I had spent nearly four years leading Senegal's High Authority of Waqf. My background was in central banking, sovereign reserve management, and Islamic finance. Over time, my work increasingly brought me into broader issues of public governance and development policy. I needed a more structured analytical framework to address them.

At the same time, Senegal was entering a historic moment with the start of oil and gas production in 2024. This raised fundamental issues around resource governance, economic transformation, and ecological transition. I wanted to go beyond the technical and financial dimensions and better understand the political and institutional dynamics behind these changes.

Choosing Sciences Po Executive Education

Sciences Po's reputation and expertise in public policy analysis made it a natural choice. The EMPA format also made it possible to continue working while studying, which was essential given my responsibilities in Dakar.

The programme was organised around intensive one week sessions in Paris every six weeks. The rhythm was demanding but compatible with a full professional schedule.

The international dimension of the cohort mattered as much as the curriculum itself. I was looking for an environment where I could exchange ideas with experienced professionals from different institutional and public sector backgrounds. Those conversations became one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

The programme experience

What I appreciated most was the interdisciplinary approach. Courses combined political economy, public law, international relations, and organisational sociology. That combination constantly pushed us beyond our usual professional frameworks.

The exchanges with fellow professionals in the programme cohort were equally enriching. Discussing governance, public finance, or climate transition with colleagues from Europe, the Americas, and Africa exposed me to perspectives I would not have encountered otherwise.

The programme was intense. At the same time, I was transitioning into a new role at Senegal's Ministry of Finance in March 2025. The EMPA helped me better understand and navigate that transition.

A transformative moment

The most important moment for me was working on my capstone thesis. My research focused on the political dynamics of oil and gas governance in Senegal between 2014 and 2025.

The subject was directly connected to the country's current transformation. Since the start of hydrocarbon production, Senegal has entered a new macroeconomic phase that raises significant questions about economic policy, governance, and transition.

Writing the thesis allowed me to formalise patterns I had observed for years in practice. Defending this work in January 2026 gave me a more structured framework to connect finance, institutions, and political decision making. It changed the way I approach public policy analysis.

Professional impact

The programme had a direct impact on my professional trajectory. It accompanied my move to the Ministry of Finance at a particularly consequential moment for Senegal's economic transition.

Beyond technical knowledge, the EMPA programme gave me a broader analytical perspective and a shared language with professionals working across public policy, development finance, and international institutions.

It also reshaped the way I define my role. I now position myself at the intersection of finance, governance, and public transformation. That feels both more accurate and more relevant to the challenges Senegal faces today.

Advice for prospective candidates

Programme participants should enter the programme with a real question in mind - something grounded in their professional experience that they genuinely want to better understand. The programme will provide the tools. The participants need to bring the substance.

Invest time in the people around you. The cohort is one of the richest dimensions of the EMPA experience.

Finally, be open to change. I started the programme as the head of a public institution and completed it in a different role at the Ministry of Finance. The EMPA helped me make sense of that evolution and gave me a new way of thinking about my professional path.