When I heard that I was selected as a exchange student for ICI-ECP program, I was so excited studying in Sciences Po Bordeaux. Since France is one of the Security’s Council’s permanent members, it was good opportunity to know more about the European perspectives on the international relations.

Sciences Po Bordeaux had an active exchange program like Erasmus, so I could took advantage of it to meet many other exchange students. So that I could make the most of the opportunity to have a relationship with as many as people coming from several countries to share and discuss my ideas on the international relations with MENA countries.

I also had an opportunity to study with the last year M.A students by favor of a professor who is responsible of international politics study group for MA students. Most of the students were French, Canadian and a little European. Therefore, I could have two classes with them concerning different kinds of conflict issues in the world and its mediation. It was one of my concerns in terms of international relation issues, so I could learn different approach to the analysis of conflict issues from those classes.

During the class, I had to make a group presentation on one of the international conflict issues. As my thesis is related to Algeria, I was in the Algerian war group. We divided the work on three big part and gathered once a week to check and discuss the progress of the presentation. Preparing the presentation in French burdened me, but it makes me easy to be friends with them and to know more about how they study.

In addition, they opened many course of special lectures on the various themes given by researchers or professors coming from different countries. As France keeps special relationship with Maghreb, they opened several lectures about Morocco and dynamics in the Arabic world which are part of my concern. These special lectures were for the exchange students so it was lectured in English. Through special lectures, I could keep pace with even English in France and I could get acquainted with many Erasmus Students as well.

More than all, I was so satisfied with the Erasmus Program. It is a kind of a EU student exchange program that fosters not only learning and understanding of the host country, but also a sense of community among students from different countries. There are also many events organized by students to socialize such as wine tasting, French gastronomy, excursion, cinema, concert, gala party, etc. Through these events, foreign students can enjoy cultures with special price for Erasmus students.

Studying in France, I could widen my view in terms of international relations study area and experience such a passionate academic environment by meeting many different nationality students.

However, one of my great regrets in Sciences Po Bordeaux is that it was under construction during my stay. Therefore the research library was moved to the container and it was so noisy during the class to the extent which I could not concentrate in the class because of the construction work. By the way, I look forward to go back to Bordeaux to see the great landscape of Sciences Po Bordeaux after the construction work.

Finally, thanks to my childhood experience in Morocco so that I could progress my language ability by taking the lectures and accessing to abundant documents in French for deepening my research.