Alumni dreams #240

A deep-seated interest in global dynamics and international relations is what led Irene to apply for Internationa Studies. She ended up graduating with a thesis on Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen’s Civil War in the post-9/11 policy landscape. 

During her bachelor, Irene was part of the Honours College. She followed the Tackling Global Challenges track, where she had LUC classes such as French and Psychology of Stress and Health. The most important part of her bachelor was the many friends and connections she made during her time at the BA. 

After finishing her bachelor, she started a MA in Global Security. She has one year left before she completes this master. Concurrently, she is immersed in an enriching internship at the European Space Agency (ESA) in Paris, specializing in strategy, partnership, policy analysis, and civil society. After graduating, she hopes to start working for the government or an intelligence agency that deals with counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and defense policy formulation. Besides her studies, Irene has also made it a point to stick with learning more Arabic, as she has fallen in love with the language over the years of learning it. In the autumn of 2023 she has even spent some time living in Rabat and attended a centre of Arabic classes there. 

One thing she wants to tell current and prospective students in International Studies is to enjoy and grasp every moment of the bachelor, as the years fly by and you can never get them back. Seize all opportunities you can get, and try to engage with as many people as you can, to really get as diverse a study experience as possible. 

We certainly agree with you Irene, and wish you the best of luck in completing your studies!