When I wrote my Bachelor's thesis on conflict-related sexual violence, I felt a growing commitment to preventing gender-based violence and realised that I wanted to work in the gender, peace and security nexus. From the day I started my Master's degree at Sciences Po, I have been dedicated to acquiring as much knowledge, as many tools and as many perspectives in the gender field as possible – always with the Gender Studies Programme’s Advanced Certification in Gender Studies in mind. Since I have studied peace, conflict and security for five years, I do not actually have a gender studies diploma, and therefore it has been vital for me to achieve this Certification in order to demonstrate my academic gender expertise and my strong commitment to gender equality.

The course with Judith Gardner on the gender dimensions of peacebuilding and statebuilding in Somalia was an amazing experience, centred around real-life stories and hands-on perspectives on gender, peace and conflict. This professor has a wealth of experience and a reflective, humble approach. In addition, I learned a lot from Elisabeth Marteu’s course “Gender and Conflict”. She is a very ambitious and demanding professor – in the best way possible! I really sharpened both my knowledge and my analytical skills thanks to her course and to my bright fellow students from around the world.

Apart from all the inspiring course sessions, one of my best memories is when I had the unique opportunity to attend a guest lecture by Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa on the very same day the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ales Bialiatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties.