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With a strong appetite for le monde—a French word that translates into English as the world, but also the people—I have always been keen to use my knowledge and competencies to provide solutions while continuously learning from my environment and my counterparts. With previous experience in Southeast Asia, where I volunteered in Cambodia for two months, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to come to this new Southeast Asian country to deepen my understanding of Indonesian culture, traditions, and language—and most importantly, in the context of my internship, to better understand the diplomatic relations Indonesia holds with France. Majoring with honours in International Development and minoring in Philosophy, the AIO award threw me into the field, allowing me to bridge the knowledge acquired in the classroom with concrete technical and operational missions that have a real impact in advancing bilateral cooperation between the two parties.

Throughout this internship, I aspired to sharpen my strategic and analytical skills to better understand current diplomatic situations and assess their impact on a national and global scale. Moreover, I believe that being based abroad—in my case, in Jakarta at the Embassy of France in Indonesia and Timor-Leste—provided me with valuable experience, especially as France pushes forward its desire to increase collaboration with Indonesia in various sectors, including exports, security, and culture. My supervisor, Olivier Chassot, a police attaché working for the Internal Security Services under the French Ministry of the Interior, exceeded my expectations in ways I could never have imagined. My missions ranged from organizing and managing the presidential visit of Mr. and Mme. Macron to Indonesia, to writing diplomatic notes and cooperating with a United Nations training centre that prepares Indonesian police officers for future humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. I supported joint trainings between the UN mission centre and French police trainers. One of them emphasized gender equality. It focused on improving policewomen’ skills, who often face gaps in shooting performance compared to their male counterparts. Another aspect of my missions involved analysing security trends in Indonesia, as President Subianto Prabowo continues to invest in the armed forces and delegate increasing decision-making power to the military.

My academic background—particularly POLI 369—helped me understand the security situation in the country and equipped me with the skills to make comparisons with other ASEAN countries and other democracies. With the support of my Indonesian partners, my colleagues at the Embassy, and my supervisor, I always had the tools to do my job well. Nonetheless, cultural barriers in the workplace sometimes slowed the progress of certain projects. For instance, Indonesians rarely use email and instead rely primarily on WhatsApp, which posed a challenge for the GSPR (Security Group of the Presidency of the Republic), who argued that it was not secure enough given the confidentiality of the information shared. In a multicultural workplace, it is essential to understand where each party stands on issues such as scheduling, giving negative feedback, building trust, or decision-making. In that sense, my ORGB 380 class offered valuable insight into how to approach multicultural settings with greater awareness and understanding. However, these differences never prevented cooperation. When a compromise couldn’t be reached, there was always a solution around the corner.

As I reflect on this experience, I am immensely grateful for where I am and for being surrounded by brilliant, devoted, driven, caring, and encouraging individuals. Being in the field taught me far more than I could have imagined, and through my encounters with CEOs and partners, I gained valuable clarity about my future. Now more than ever, I aspire to use my knowledge to lead initiatives that have a concrete impact on improving people’s lives. I seek to create opportunities for all—because we all share the same monde.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the Undergraduate Experiential Learning Opportunities Support Fund this award, which made this unforgettable experience possible. The financial support was essential in covering the costs of professional trips, including meetings with President Macron and the head of the National Police in Bali. Needless to say, the funding also enabled me to afford three meals a day, stay in a studio in a safe area, and occasionally invite my Indonesian colleagues to celebrate the successful completion of our projects.