By Elisabeth Barthélemy, Head of administrative support and communications at AMSE
Each year, AMSE is pleased to host many international students from all over the world. Looking beyond the quality of the programs of studies, international students are attracted to study at AMSE by a true English-speaking environment (Master 1 taught in both French and English, Master 2 entirely taught in English), a window on the world, and multiculturalism. Studying in France offers them a unique opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, to discover new learning methods, to learn a new language, to travel. The world of work today opens its doors to those who build their career not only in their native country but also abroad, taking on different functions and positions. One or two years in France allows international students to extend their CV, prepare to enter the job market, and build the key skills professional recruiters look for, like speaking several languages, or demonstrating maturity and flexibility.
NATALIA AND JEAN-EUDES TOOK THE PLUNGE AND JOINED US
Natalia Labrador is currently enrolled in the first year of the Master’s in Economics. She is from Colombia and studied at the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogota. Jean-Eudes Ayilo is a Beninese student completing the Master 2 Econometrics, Big Data and Statistics. He previously studied at the Benin School of Applied Economics and Management in Cotonou.
I found a full-ranging curriculum, a special scholarship program for foreign students and the opportunity to develop my research interests here.
Natalia Labrador
Jean-Eudes joined us to “deepen my knowledge in statistics and in a field that was not yet very developed at home: Data Science!”
Natalia says that the teaching at AMSE differs from her home institution in particular because “Master’s lessons are very intensive, and I have new teachers every 8 weeks, compared to my country where I had the same subjects for a semester. In AMSE, research is important and learning from people who have done research on different economics topics has been a rewarding experience”. Jean-Eudes underlines the organization of the courses and the students’ management of their time, “the need to manage both the theoretical courses and their application via projects to be delivered on time, and the regular midterms, is a radical change of pace and organization. At AMSE, the accessibility of the professors as well as of the administration greatly favours dialogue between the students and those who train them”.
Natalia declares that studying in France is one of the best decisions she has made. “My advice to other students interested in studying at AMSE is to learn French in their home country before coming to France. Although it is not necessary for the Master’s, because it is taught in English, French is essential for other activities within and outside the University. In my experience, one thing you need is openmindedness about learning. You should be ready to have an amazing multicultural exchange by meeting new people from around the world”.
For Jean-Eudes
there is no magic recipe for success in studies regardless of the place, it is obvious that working steadily and consistently at courses and in individual/ collective projects will help any student who comes to study in France or elsewhere. The rest will be about adapting as quickly as possible to the new environment, to the climate, to the new people you meet. It is also important to improve speed and productivity to be able to finish the tests and deliver the different projects on time. You should think about making new friends who can inspire you positively and develop your network.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MASTER AND MAGISTÈRE INCOMING STUDENTS
2020/21 AMSE students’ origins
Incoming mobility is a fact of life at AMSE. Over the last three years, we have welcomed an average of 44% international students (in both master and magistère programmes). More than 33 different nationalities have been represented in our year classes, on average, since 2018. Despite the uncertainties of the academic year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, incoming mobility has not been negatively impacted, and AMSE continues to make the most of its specific strengths.
INCOMING MOBILITY MASTER SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM
Each year AMSE offers around ten scholarships to incoming students. Over the last three years, AMSE awarded 140 K€ of scholarships. These scholarships go to students obtaining top grades the years before they enter our programmes. The decision by Aix-Marseille University to allow non-EU students to pay the same fees as French or EU students, combined with the AMSE scholarships program, enables foreigners to study in France and helps AMSE attract the best students.
Over the past three years, AMSE also welcomed 6 students on the prestigious Eiffel scholarship program; this demonstrates the high level of our candidates and our commitment to developing an international policy of excellence.
© Natalia & Jean Eude, Carte ©Yevhenii / AdobeStock
→ This article was issued in AMSE Newletter, Summer 2021.
