Fitiavana, you are from Antananarivo, Madagascar, where you were elected “best young patriot”. Can you tell us about this programme?

“Young Patriots” is a programme launched by “Generation Citizen Madagascar”, an association attached to the Ministry of Heritage and supported by the American Embassy. Its purpose is to train high school students from the capital, Antananarivo, in the notions of citizenship, civic engagement, leadership and democracy. During the course, the “best young patriot” award was launched to motivate participants to get more actively involved and express themselves more, and I won. Being best young patriot basically means being a leader, helping others as best as you can, serving them, and being a spokesperson when required.

What are your first impressions of France?

France is quite a different world from everything I had experienced so far, because this is the first time that I've left Madagascar! Practically everything is new to me here. At first I thought everything was complicated, but in fact you just have to give yourself some time to adapt; after that you get used to the country pretty quickly.

What would you like to do after Sciences Po?

After Sciences Po I'll keep studying, if possible until I get a PhD. I thought of specialising in international relations, but lately I've also been interested in business issues and startups. For later on, I know that Sciences Po will give me a fairly solid grounding, personally as much as intellectually, because here it's not just about learning your lessons and passing courses, but also about developing your personal skills and abilities.

What developments would you like to see in Madagascar's future?

I would like to see developments in every area! I would like there to be less corruption, more transparency in the management of state affairs, and stability. I would especially like politicians to focus on sustainable development issues. From an economic perspective, I find that the benefits derived from the various sectors should have an impact on improving infrastructure (roads, public buildings, etc.) in each of the island's regions to bring about real, lasting development. Finally, the improvement of teaching conditions is particularly important to me, especially in rural areas. I would like every Malagasy child to have the right to the best possible education, because education is basic to making any activity a success.

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Photo: Fitiavana Andry
Crédits Didier Pazery / Sciences Po